Sometimes life feels like a sitcom moment: the character thinks everyone has forgotten their birthday, only to discover a surprise party waiting in the wings. In that gap between doubt and revelation lies a lesson — patience and faith can keep us from feeling forgotten or left out.

Good things ahead doesn’t always mean balloons and confetti. It can mean the quiet satisfaction of doing your best, the resilience of keeping a positive attitude, or the reward of optimism itself. Whether or not the future holds a “surprise party” for you, the truth is that your good work and your hopeful spirit are already gifts.

Take a moment to journal:

• When have you felt like the sitcom character, unsure if anyone remembered you?
• What “surprise parties” — big or small — have appeared in your life when you least expected them?
• How can you remind yourself that your optimism and effort are already rewards, even before the surprises arrive?

Good things ahead are not always surprises waiting in the future — sometimes they are already here, hidden in the patience, optimism, and steady work of today.