VATIC Expressions
Truth, Transparency, Transformation
Celebrate Good Times! Come On!
by Cicely Victoria
Humans have been so conditioned to more readily recognize the wrong in ourselves and others rather than focus on our strengths. It is a direct consequence of the negatively prone society that we live in today. We simply do not celebrate ourselves or each other enough for the “little” things that we are doing well.
I have a solution! Instead of waiting for someone else to give you a pat on the back for the success and progress you make, how about you CELEBRATE YOURSELF!! YEP! I SAID IT! On purpose and everything!! What a concept!
Remember, life is a JOURNEY to your better and best self so you have to extend gratitude for your victories along the way, no matter how big or small! It’s not about waiting until you hit the bulls eye “arrival” target. It is more about tracking measurable growth and improvement that can be identified a lot sooner before you get to the “big” place called THERE. Every time that you get closer to the bulls eye is one step closer than you were before you started.
When you are intentional about creating a culture of celebration toward yourself, you will, in turn, accomplish at least three more things.
First, when other people see you celebrating your incremental victories, it will inadvertently give them permission to begin to honor their progress and communicate that it is perfectly LEGAL to love on yourself! Fancy that!
The second thing that will occur is that you will teach others not only how to do that for themselves, but also demonstrate how best to commend you. Believe or not, there are still some people who take pleasure in praising others, even if they won’t do it for themselves. Therefore, make it easy for people to know what things you appreciate the most by allowing them to see how you treat yourself. Consequently, when it comes time for them to celebrate your goodness they are more apt to do it in such a way to bring a genuine smile to your face.
The third residual result of your celebration culture is that with every notable progress achieved, it will inspire you to do more of the same, leading to your better and best self! When you begin to see how small, committed, consistent, and frequent “baby” steps make for monumental gain, it just provokes you to see more of it!
For the “young at heart” and competitors, playing a game with yourself as to how much, how far, how long, etc. you can go can also motivate you to break greater barriers and gain acceleration and speed at a much more rapid rate. If you want to get really creative, get a partner who has similar aspirations and have a healthy game of competition to hold each other accountable. Who doesn’t love a challenge? I know I do!
LIFE APPLICATION
1) Make a list of small, medium, and large level celebrations you can perform for any accomplishment achieved. Keep this list as a reference of celebration moments for times of success.
2) Make a list of possible confidants, partners, healthy competitors who may have similar goals/commitments that can join you for “challenges” to keep you on track and maintain speed and momentum toward your end goal.
3) Pass this life application on to those who are near and dear to you in order to promote a culture of celebration that becomes commonplace when anyone achieves success!
© 2018 Cicely Victoria