Celebrations Make a Difference!

Celebrations make a big difference in how we perceive our lives. We often focus on what is missing or scarce and that causes stress. But you can start deliberately paying attention to what you DO have in your life and celebrating those things. Regardless of your circumstances, there are always things to notice, appreciate, and celebrate.

Celebrate Life

I’ve written before about the distinction between abundance and sufficiency. Lynne Twist writes about that in The Soul of Money. I believe people enjoy their lives more when they notice and appreciate all the ways in which their needs and desires are actually being met.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting certain things or experiences to be in your life, and we need to keep identifying “the next thing” in order to grow and expand. But when you want more than what is enough for comfort, security, and pleasure, you probably have some subconscious beliefs about scarcity that will cause you to feel you never have enough. Celebrating what is there can help create a sense of well-being.

Celebrate Pleasure

Many people were raised to believe that there’s something wrong with having pleasure in our lives. Maybe it comes from beliefs that we need to work hard to be “good” people. Maybe some of us don’t believe we deserve to have pleasure. Some of us may even believe there is something intrinsically bad about pleasure. Let’s think about that for a minute – is that really true? Is there a valid reason for pleasure, in and of itself, to be bad for us? I think our lives are more fulfilling when there is a balance that includes having comfort and joy in our lives, and creating experiences and relationships that are pleasing to us.

Celebrate You

This may be the toughest one. How often do you stop and celebrate who you are, just for being you? Think back on your life. Instead of recalling all the things you wish you’d done differently or better, go back to the things you are proud of: talents you have, ways you have grown, and situations that were better because of you. We tend to overlook those or take them for granted, but all those characteristics make us who we are. Wouldn’t it be nice to notice and appreciate them?

Benefits to Celebrating

And there’s an even better reason than it just being “nice”. According to Justine Clarabut in “Why celebrating is good for you”, on the website wellbeingpeople.com, “celebrating personal achievements is beneficial to our mental and physical wellbeing:

• helps us to forget our troubles
• brings us relief from stress
• helps us to feel appreciated by being recognised
• restores energy after a job well done
• creates a space and downtime for you to reflect
• increases self-worth”

Sometimes, being intentional about what to pay attention to is not enough to change the behavior. That’s when it can be helpful to find someone to help you identify and change any subconscious beliefs that are getting in your way. I’m happy to help with that – you can book a call to find out more here.