When did you last take time to celebrate a win or a success or a special occasion?
Very often in western culture we save celebrations for the big occasions. For weddings, graduations, birthdays, new babies, or even for our funerals, but there’s so many milestones along the way that get forgotten.
Today I want to talk about the importance of celebration and celebrating our wins on this Canada Day, and especially right now with so many graduations being canceled, weddings being postponed, and not being able to celebrate events and holidays with the ones that you love. We’re in a time where we haven’t been able to celebrate in the ways that we’ve wanted to.
In our lives, that celebration is so important. It’s key in building momentum to keep us moving towards our goals and our dreams.
What happens is our paradigm, or that little voice in our heads, likes to give us amnesia to forget how far we’ve come. It wants us to forget the steps that we have taken for our dreams and goals. Instead, it puts our attention and focus on what we haven’t accomplished, or on the to-do list and the steps still needed ahead of you. If we’re not careful, we tend to get into this momentum of beating ourselves up or feeling guilty.
A much more powerful and effective way to move towards your goal and your vision is to take the time to celebrate the successes. Celebrate those baby steps, celebrate the things that you have done.
There’s a great analogy about this. Let’s imagine you wanted a great big beautiful oak tree in your front yard, and so you go and you plant the seedling. In a few weeks you’re seeing a little sprout of growth. And we would never stomp on that sprout and say “I didn’t want a sprout, I wanted an oak tree!”
That’s what we tend to do with our goals and our dreams.
We’ve planted these seeds and they’re starting to sprout, but if we don’t see the growth, we tend to stomp on those sprouts, not taking the time to celebrate those sprouts.
So celebrate your sprout, celebrate the steps that you have taken and let’s celebrate ourselves into success.
We are now halfway through 2020. Look back over the last six months. You’ve accomplished some things! You’ve made some steps and started making progress, and likely even learned some lessons.
What would it look like if you took a few minutes today and celebrate what you have accomplished this first half of 2020, while setting your goals and your initiatives for the next half of this year?
So take some time today to celebrate your baby steps. It’s those baby steps that are ultimately what are going to take you into accomplishing your goals and your dreams. And make that part of your daily practice. What can I celebrate today? Don’t wait for the big occasions.
I hope you take some time to celebrate Canada Day, and if you’re in the US, Independence Day.
Here is to you living a life you love,
Stacey
