This is me on top of Stone Mountain. At 6:30 in the morning. Now for some of you it might not be that big of a deal to get up before dawn and hike a mountain. But for me on that day it WAS. It certainly wasn’t an accomplishment that took months of planning or preparing. However, it was something that I was proud of myself for doing on that Sunday morning when I could have slept in. I did this hike with friends and we celebrated our arduous ascent as we looked out over the city and engraved the images in our minds. Our reward after the climb was watching the beautiful sunrise and remembering that this life is precious and there is so much beauty all around us.
Lately, I’ve been pondering the idea of celebrating our successes. What I have come to realize is that we are so hellbent on reaching a goal that we lose sight of where we came from. Life moves at such a fast pace that we don’t stop to acknowledge the million little victories along the way! We reach one goal and are immediately on to the next one. But, the more we acknowledge our successes, even the small ones, the more we HAVE to acknowledge.
We define the word “momentum” as being “the strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events.” Just as a writer writes a book one word at a time, or a painter paints a painting one stroke at a time, we move towards our goals one step at a time. Each and every step builds off of the previous step. Any successful person can share story after story of their “failures”, that in the end became their building blocks to success.
If it seems like we are constantly striving for the next goal it’s because it’s true. Why is that? We are in a constant state of change, evolution and growth. This is our nature. So, if we don’t celebrate the successes along the way we might feel that we’re never enough. Or that we haven’t done enough. The truth is that we are ALWAYS enough. AND we are always becoming more.
Today your success might look like the 2 laps that you swam, or the $20 you put away towards the trip you are planning. Your success might be saying “no” to something that you might normally have said yes to without hesitation. Whatever you successfully achieved today, I implore you to take the time to celebrate! Even if for a moment. Each time we take a moment to acknowledge our accomplishments we tap into an energy that helps us unleash a greater power within.
Celebrations, whether big or small, are moments we acknowledge the work that we put in. Celebrations allow us to honor ourselves and who we truly are. We are more than our goals. We are precious beings that are expanding into our greatest potential. Celebrate you by praising yourself, taking a breath, taking the time to do the things you enjoy, and by nourishing your mind and body.
I’m an 80’s child and a lover of pop music, so, I leave you with this song by Kool & The Gang- “Celebration”.
Celebrate good times, come on! (Let's celebrate)
There's a party goin' on right here
A celebration to last throughout the years
So bring your good times, and your laughter too
We gonna celebrate your party with you
Come on now
Celebration
Let's all celebrate and have a good time
Celebration
We gonna celebrate and have a good time
It's time to come together
It's up to you, what's your pleasure
Everyone around the world
Come on!
If you know this song, you’re singing right now, aren’t you? And if you are singing this song you are feeling at least a teensy bit lighter and more joyful. And in my book that is a success worth celebrating!
With Love and Gratitude,
Kinda and Rachel
Thank you for that gift this morning. I’m singing & celebrating!