Celebrating things in our life is a powerful thing to do and I'm surprised to find that so few people actually do it. Especially when it comes to ourselves. We're often not so bad at celebrating events and other people, but when it comes to us, we tend to be a little more shy about it all. I encounter this often in my coaching work. A hurdle called 'celebration', and also wrapped up in here is 'acknowledgement' when it comes to us, our lives and what's going well. They go hand in hand.
But celebration is an essential practice toward creating more of what you want too. We already know that what we focus upon, we amplify and further draw to us. So it stands to reason then, that to continue to experience good things, we might just need to hang out a bit more in that space and indeed, to personalise it through self acknowledgment and a celebration of oneself and our achievements, even when there's still more to do.
Celebrating ourselves and our lives doesn't have to mean the scope of grand affair to count either. This could well be a place we trip up with it all, if we set that as the bar of 'making something count'. I would invite you to instead think about it from the perspective of a conscious acknowledgment of self which now opens the door to many possibilities. Yes, absolutely, you may choose to celebrate something with a big party, but you might also choose a quiet self-acknowledgment, or to buy yourself something as a token or symbol, or to treat yourself to an experience you enjoy, whether money is involved or not. You might just raise a glass to yourself and say 'well done'! I guess what I'm suggesting is that it's not the magnitude or a one size fits all, or fits all occasions celebration, but entertaining instead many possibilities.
So I wonder, when did you last celebrate or acknowledge and applaud yourself and some progress you've made?
If you haven't, then I invite you to consider what celebration might look like if you were to take a shift from the usual perspective on the word and begin applying it instead to daily life. What might your day look like if you moved through it wearing a filter of praise and celebration to look through? How might your relating to yourself and others change, operating through that lens of perspective?
In order to be celebratory, we generally need to see things through optimistic, positive eyes. It figures then that our focus might indeed flip to a more empowering place, even when adversity presents. We know that we usually learn from our challenges, and while it doesn't mean that we must look forward to difficult times, it does mean that we can choose to seek out and celebrate the new insight and distinctions. That still makes it a win for us.
I'm reminded of a quote: 'the more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate' (Oprah)
In talking about celebrating ourselves and our lives, it's worth a mention that self esteem is wrapped up in there too. Self esteem is the level to which you value and respect you as being worthwhile. When you have a higher self esteem, you are more likely to self-acknowledge, which enables you to celebrate and let that praise in, in a non-self-conscious way. You embrace the OK'ness of honouring yourself and it's in growing that, that you are also enabled to better honour others. So everyone wins.
Here are some ideas towards increasing celebration in your life, using it's definition: the joyful occasion of giving praise for, and marking something special'.
** Start with your own Birthday. Be sure to do something special in acknowledgment of you and your special day. After all, it's the day you entered the world, and how wonderful! Remember celebrations needn't involve alot of money to count. Its about you taking the time to do something really meaningful for you in honour of the day. Yes, it could be to throw a big party, or it might just be an intimate dinner to mark the occasion. Both are fine. Just do something. Don't sweep it under the table like a non-event. It's special so acknowledge it.
** Acknowledge other people's Birthdays and special events. Cultivate more of this in your life generally. It may be a simple phone call or sending a card, right through to a surprise party. It'll do wonders for your relationships not only with the other person, but also with yourself as you share the gift of acknowledgment and celebration.
** Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements as they happen. Don't wait. Cement the good feelings together in quick succession. This may be a goal realised or an aspiration fulfilled. take the time to notice that you did it and celebrate the fact. It begets more of the same. What would you naturally do if it were your child that achieved a good result in a race? Be just as thoughtful with you. Stop focussing on 'what's yet to be done' and take the time to notice what has been done already. It's all a rung on the bigger ladder, and sometimes it's just as important to stop and enjoy the view before you continue the climb!
** Consider keeping a journal of all your achievements. It can be really handy to reflect upon, especially if you hit a snag along the way somewhere and begin to feel stuck. Before the negative feelings set in, you get a chance to re-connect with the celebration and acknowledgment of all that you have already achieved or created, and that helps to keep the wheels turning. It's what you focus on, remember!
** Create a list of all that you could celebrate about you and your life right now - before another thing is achieved. It aligns with gratitude. What is there to be grateful for right now, that could choose to celebrate, right now? Remember, the celebration doesn’t have to be fancy. It’s more about the authenticity of the feeling in your heart. It’d be like finally being able to walk again after an injury – I wonder how differently you might look upon your legs and feet, for instance. Don’t wait until those dramatic events to get connected with what’s great right now. Start to appreciate more – cultivate gratitude with yourself and others.
** Be creative with your celebration. You’re aiming for excitement and joy. Doing the same thing consistently loses some of its zest and naturally diminishes the feeling. So mix it up. Go from throwing parties to drinks with friends to meditative moments of thankfulness to buying yourself a gift. Get creative and enjoy the process.
I hope you’ll engage with more intent to celebrate and embrace honouring you and your life more. Remember it’s a win-win - you become more attractive to great things when you hang out in the mental space of greatness. And guess what - you deserve it! :-)