For the last few years, I have relied heavily on the power of celebration to honor my growth and give me a big boost of forward momentum.
At first, it was in large part a means of survival, because things felt so draining and awful that I needed to celebrate every little bit of goodness. I would use the last couple of dollars in my bank account to buy a McFlurry and accompany it with a dance party because, hey, I was still alive and healthy enough to delight in a tasty treat! Definitely cause for celebration!
Have you ever been in that position? When just getting out of bed in the morning feels like it deserves a parade?
In the last few months, though, I lost my spark.
Even though things are now much better in my life in so many ways, I went from celebrating almost everything to not really celebrating anything at all.
Sure, I would feel good about my accomplishments, and I’m still eager to celebrate others. But the days of celebrating the mere fact that I was alive were long gone.
I somehow didn’t notice how far away I had become from that version of myself.
It was only last week, when a friend of mine told me how much she loves my ability and willingness to celebrate that it hit me: I couldn’t remember the last time I truly celebrated myself or my life.
Why is it that we’re so quick to skip the moment of reflection, honor, and celebration? Why do we jump straight to the list of everything that’s gone wrong, the goals we haven’t accomplished, or the money we haven’t paid back?
What I realized is that any time we stop ourselves from celebrating, we stop ourselves from truly connecting to our souls and the fullness of our human experience.
When you’re truly connected to yourself, it’s easier to see how far you’ve come on your path. This is true for external things like promotions, weddings, and career changes, and it also includes personal growth.
You know that moment when you realize that something that used to trigger you no longer does? Or when you’ve finally forgiven someone and you feel lighter because of it?
Those are truly magical moments, and they’re totally worth celebrating!
Now that this is in my awareness, I’ve decided to recommit to celebration. Here are four ways you can recommit, too:
- At the end of each day, find at least one thing worth celebrating. Then, have a dance party or treat yourself to something delicious or say a prayer of gratitude or do whatever feels good and celebratory!
- Take someone out to lunch (or dinner, or coffee) any time you’ve reached a major milestone in your work. Recently, my podcast crossed 10,000 downloads, and now I owe somebody a meal!
- Acknowledge your personal growth. Another year of sobriety, saying yes to a mastermind, gracefully moving through a trigger – whatever it is, tell someone right away and ask them to celebrate with you. My best friend and I used to send each other a photo of someone we deemed “the happiest man alive,” and the new iMessage effects give you lots of fun options. You can keep it simple while still savoring the energy of celebration!
- Big moments deserve big celebrations. Don’t be afraid to take a day off of work or throw yourself a dinner party for accomplishing something truly magical!
I guarantee that your life is worthy of celebration. I know that because you’re alive and you’re reading this.
