What did you get for Christmas?

I really hope you got what you wanted for Christmas. But let me ask you the same question I asked a friend. If I gave you what you wanted for Christmas, would it make you happy?

My friend's answer was not a simple yes or no. He said that it would make him happy to get a present from me no matter what the present was. He would enjoy the surprise of seeing what it is, and he would be even happier if I had understood him well enough to get him just the right thing.

No doubt, getting presents can make you happy for more than one reason. Now let me ask another question. How long does your happiness last? We know that little children enjoy opening the package more than they enjoy the gift itself. I believe that can be true for adults too. That would say that the enjoyment is very momentary. But what if it is something that really delights you? How long does that enjoyment last? Not very long. If you think about it, for example, if you put on that necklace you got, you can renew the enjoyment, but again, the enjoyment will be very short lived.

This is a very important phenomenon to understand. For all the things we wish for, all the things we want, all the things we save our money to buy, the happiness we derive from them are brief. It does not last. Why is that?

It is because we very quickly adapt to new situations. When the present is new, we are delighted. But very quickly we adapt to the situation have having the item. It is no longer a source of delight. To be delighted again, we need something novel. No wonder consumerism is alive and healthy.

So let me give you some advice about how to prolong your enjoyment of the gifts you received for Christmas. Savor the delight, the pleasure, the enjoyment you derive from the gift. Let it linger, as you let the taste of a fine wine linger on your tongue. And as much as you can, each time you take up that gift, recall who gave it to you and enjoy all over again the fact that the person who gave it to you thought enough of you to give you just this gift.