My husband and I have recently been on an incredible journey. We celebrated my youngest daughter’s birthday in Scottsdale and marked our 32nd wedding anniversary in Hawaii. These moments got me reflecting on the importance of celebration and appreciation in our lives.
Attitude of Celebrating
Let’s go deeper than just talking about the big things we celebrate. Let’s look at the attitude of celebrating the little things in our lives. Sometimes we get in such a big hurry to reach that next goal, or accomplish the next thing, that we don’t pause and take the time to be grateful for all the wins we are currently experiencing.
When was the last time you paused and thought:
· I’m proud of my progress.
· I’m happy about ______ (you fill in the blank).
· A year ago, I couldn’t have imagined being here.
· Wow, I’ve really overcome some tough things.
· I am so grateful for _____ (you fill in the blank).
Even right now, thinking about this topic and your little successes, how are you feeling? Are you feeling a little lighter, less heaviness, less dreading?
Isn’t it amazing how powerful our thoughts are? The crazy thing is, most of us are on autopilot and don’t think about what we think about.
Let’s address the opposite of this thought.
Why is it so easy, when we get together with our friends, to talk about the things that are not going well: our aches and pains, about the people we are not happy with, etc.? Have you ever wondered why we go there so easily? It’s probably because the easiest way to connect with other people is through talking about what’s not going well! After all, we all have those stories.
I want to challenge you here: how often do you walk away from these conversations, and you feel worse not better?
Sharing Celebration
I think it’s easier to share misery than it is to share celebration. I’m not saying I don’t fall into this trap from time to time. But what I want to address here is re-training our brain. Taking the time to evaluate our default thoughts and, if we don’t like them, we can make a conscious effort to see them and redirect those thoughts and change them. We are creatures of habit.
But I fully believe we can change.
Ok, so back to the topic of celebration and being grateful not only for our big accomplishments, but our mini accomplishments as well. You’ll discover, the byproduct is that it becomes so much easier to celebrate others and their accomplishments. It starts with us!
Celebrating Yourself
Is celebrating yourself an area in which you struggle? I’m not talking about being prideful and arrogant. I’m not suggesting comparing yourself to other people and thinking you’re better than them. I want you to take the time to see your progress—your mini-wins. Areas where you may not quite be where you want to be but you’re making progress. Or, maybe you’ve even made huge progress and hit some goal you’ve set. I’m talking about really appreciating yourself. Not taking yourself so seriously and being so driven that if it’s not perfect you’re not going to give yourself any credit. It’s your life, and if you are being so hard on yourself and not taking the time to acknowledge progress, what’s it all for?
I can’t emphasize this enough. I struggle with this! I’m also sharing this because if we’re not careful, the way we treat ourselves will also be the way we treat other people. Not giving them a break and not giving them any credit either.
So, what’s the solution?
Morning Routine
I address this all the time on my podcast. Your morning routine is important. It’s going to be a tradeoff. You may need to give up that extra sleep.
For me, I’m a Christian and feel that spending time in the Word is crucial for me. So, I have the Abide app downloaded on my phone. It’s a two-minute meditation. I then have the app Our Daily Bread on my I-pad and read that. I have a prayer journal and spend time praying for my family, those people who are struggling. I pray about the things I’m struggling with. I then write in my grateful journal. This is where celebration comes in.
Grateful Journal
When I write down who I’m grateful for, what I’m grateful for, I also write down the specific mini goals that I’m grateful I’ve accomplished. This is a form of celebrating my progress. I do this daily. When I leave writing in my “grateful journal” or my “I want journal” out of my morning routine, I feel it. I’m not as much on my game.
I Want Journal
My “I want journal” is the place I write my mini goals and my big goals. I am sure you’ve heard: “Where the mind goes, energy flows.” If you want to celebrate and appreciate more, you have to train your brain. I, then, review my to do list and I’m off for the day. I hear my friends say all the time, I don’t have time for that. My thoughts are you don’t have time not to. It doesn’t have to be the exact morning routine I just laid out; you can tweak it to serve you. Create one that works for you!
I learned about the importance of a morning routine back in my college days selling those books door to door on 100 percent commission. Getting your mind right before hitting the battlefield was crucial. I still feel that way today. The battle is different but if we don’t have a game plan we will be pushed and pulled in every direction. We will not be proactive with our intentions; we will be reactive.
Don’t Forget Laughter
Lately, I have been taking myself too darn seriously! Do you struggle with this? You get so driven in doing all your tasks; trying to fulfill your purpose. Going for it! Doing it all, being it all that you forget to laugh and have fun. So, I’m going to share a funny mini story. I’m all dressed up to go out to meet my friends for a surprise pre-wedding celebration for one of our really good friends. I see the trash can at the curb. It needs to be taken to the side of the house. My mind is in a million places (can you relate?). So, I head to the curb, grab the handle and pull it and the trash can falls over on its side. And no matter how I was trying to get it up right, it kept falling over. That was the moment I saw myself and thought: “Monette this is absolutely ridiculous, you’re in a fight with the trash can.” I started looking around thinking someone is laughing right now—like America’s funniest videos. I’m being plunked. Someone is filming me! At that moment I laughed at myself and thought: “Really, Monette is this your life, you’re so caught up in your brain right now.” I had a good laugh. And, yes, I did get it upright and got it to the side of the house in my heels. But that moment was such a reminder: “Monette, not only do you need to celebrate and appreciate you’ve got to stay light and fun too! Be ok with laughing at yourself on this crazy journey of life.”
In summary, what one action step can you take towards celebration and appreciation? Is it creating a strong morning routine? Is it journaling your mini-successes and big successes and pausing to give yourself an atta-boy and pat yourself on the back? Is it making a conscious effort to re-direct the conversation with your friends and family to have them tell you how they’re doing well in certain areas of their lives so you can celebrate with them?
I believe the joy of life is in the journey, but if we’re not careful we miss the celebrating and appreciating and those opportunities to laugh and have fun too!
Monette hosts a weekly podcast: Mornings with Monette. She has been a life-long learner and and appreciates the opportunity to share what she has learned–both through her podcast and here at The Best-Life Project (based on the content of her weekly podcast). Her messages are raw, honest and straight from the heart.She lives in Albuquerque, NM with her husband Leland. They have three adult children and are enjoying living their best lives filled with travel and adventure.
Monette,
THANK YOU for spreading your joy to me today!