I do believe that “If you are loving your life, celebrate it! If your life is not working for you now, change it!” However, I left out the idea that you can get the greatest benefit by celebrating all of it. In most cases, there is something to celebrate even in the things that we would label as bad. In fact, the sooner we can find something in it to celebrate, the sooner we can move to the other side of the pain, anger, or disappointment. For example, this weekend, my ATM card was compromised by fraud. Of course, I was upset when I attempted to pay for dinner and was told my card was declined after I had just check my account balance that morning. And I must admit that I have not enjoyed the many phone calls I’ve had to make in the last 48 hours to manage this situation.
On the other hand, I do have a few things to celebrate in this regard. 1) I’m grateful that my girlfriend picked me up to go to dinner so that I could be alerted to the fraud right away. 2) I’m grateful that they didn’t get more money. 3) I’m grateful that the money will be returned to my account in a reasonable amount of time. 4) I’m celebrating that I am not dependent on that money.
Of course, that’s only one incident. I have tons more. And I’m sure you do too. This past December, I lost my father to COVID 19. Believe me, it was tragic to lose my father in that way. I still have the image of watching the paramedics load him on the back of that ambulance, knowing that would be the last time I saw him alive. I think about him all the time. Yet, there is also joy in the middle of my sadness. I celebrate his freedom from a body that had betrayed him over a year before his death. I celebrate that he lived an active and happy life for 90 of his 92 years.
I bet if you take a few minutes to think about some of the adversities that you have experienced, you can think of some of the blessings that came to you, despite the bad situation. Long ago, I realized that “sometimes our greatest blessings come from our greatest adversities.”
Celebration is so important. Research indicates that people who practice a daily ritual of celebration and gratitude have:
more energy
less stress and anxiety
exercise more frequently
sleep better
have improved physical health
make greater progress to achieving their goals
I hope this has given you some reasons to celebrate yourself!
Here are a few ways to have fun celebrating:
Create a mixtape of music you love
Write a love letter to yourself. No one will read this but you, so you can say anything.
Once a week/month create a joy-filled ritual for yourself, i.e., dance in the mirror, take a nature walk, enjoy a nice bubble bath.
Do something you’ve always wanted to do – paint, make jewelry, learn something new.
Start putting a small stash of money away for your “whatever.”
So whether things are going better than you expected or fitting into the bummer category, look for the good and celebrate it!
Lot’s of Love & Light to you,