Celebrate

 
 
Every time I think of celebrating, these words pop into my head…..
 
 
Take time to celebrate.
Celebrate your successes, your growth, your accomplishments. Celebrate you and who you are.
For too long you have been too hard on yourself. Others have spilled their negative energy—their attitudes, beliefs, pain—on you. It had nothing to do with you! All along, you have been a gift to yourself and to the Universe.
You are a child of God. Beautiful, a delight, a joy. You do not have to try harder, be better, be perfect, or be anything you are not. Your beauty is in you, just as you are each moment.
Celebrate that.
When you have a success, when you accomplish something, enjoy it. Pause, reflect, rejoice. Too long you have listened to admonitions not to feel good about what you have done, lest you travel the downward road to arrogance.
Celebration is a high form of praise, of gratitude to the Creator for the beauty of God’s creation. To enjoy and celebrate the good does not mean that it will be taken from you. To celebrate is to delight in the gift, to show gratitude.
Celebrate your relationships! Celebrate the lessons from the past and the love and warmth that is there today. Enjoy the beauty of others and their connection to you.
Celebrate all that is in your life. Celebrate all that is good. Celebrate you!
Today, I will indulge in the joy of celebrating.
From the book: The Language of Letting Go: Hazelden Meditation Series
 
Let me give you some back story. For years when I was a family counselor at the Meadows we would share this excerpt every week at family graduation. I remember hearing it the first time and thinking about how beautiful it was but by the 100th time, it wasn’t as earth shattering to me. I had become numb to the power of the words. 
But now that I have had some distance from the words because I have worked there for a number of years, I am able to once again see the beauty. It is so powerful if we are able to do what the excerpt says and celebrate our growth and our accomplishments. 
I have recently been talking to a lot of my clients about this. Often times our growth comes on gradually and if we are not intentional, we may miss out on noticing the growth and celebrating it. 
It is crucial to celebrate any growth, big or small.
 If I am honest with you, I sometimes struggle with this too. As I am writing this, I am reflecting on the last year. I have expanded my private practice, created an online course (and ¾ of another course), started a blog and have a social media following. Those are BIG things for my business but if I am not careful, I can easily downplay my successes and instead focus on what I didn’t do or that my impact was not as big as I wanted but that will not serve me nor my business. 

But, when I am able to step into the celebration of my growth and accomplishments, I am able to take a breath and get recharged for what is next. I am able to remind myself why I do what I do and the impact my business is having on others. 
Personally, when I am able to celebrate a win, my joy has a ripple effect on my whole family. 
Plus, more is caught than taught. 
So, if I am celebrating my wins, I am teaching my kids to do the same, for themselves and others. 
My oldest is currently learning how to read. When he is able to read a new book or tackle a big word, he is so proud of himself and celebrates that win. When his younger brothers see him accomplishing something new at school, they also encourage and celebrate his growth. We have fostered an atmosphere of celebration for one another. 
So, what are some things you want to celebrate today? 
Maybe you got out of bed and showered and that is a win for you, good job! Perhaps you reached a goal at work or for your fitness, awesome! Celebrate that. It doesn’t have to be cake and streamers (though it can) but find ways to celebrate YOU today. 
You are worth it! 
Enjoy what you read today? If so, join our email newsletter so you never miss another blog post!
​