Personal celebrations

It is important to acknowledge the day-to-day accomplishments that may seem unimportant, but are indeed personal triumphs.

by Karen S. Adams — 

There are many national and religious holidays to celebrate throughout the year. There are also family occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and graduations, job promotions, baby’s first steps and even good grades to celebrate. Far less common are personal celebrations — not those of fame and glory, but those that deserve personal nurturing.

It is important to acknowledge the day-to-day accomplishments that may seem unimportant, but are indeed personal triumphs. These may include beginning or finishing a book you’ve always wanted to read, stopping a bad habit, finally cleaning out the refrigerator, learning a new skill or even the first day out of bed after the flu. These are all excellent reasons to celebrate!

What if you took time to not only smell the roses, but you planted a rosebush, too? These daily accomplishments can be the foundations upon which our lives are built. If we don’t celebrate them, their value can become lost in the search for more important accomplishments. These can be the small things that make us good parents, help us to nurture our relationships and lead more successful lives. And yet, few people take the time to acknowledge these seemingly unimportant accomplishments that, in actuality, may be life-changing.

Reaching individual goals can make us feel good about ourselves, which in turn can give us more energy and inspiration for the next set of goal-achieving, as well as helping us establish stronger positive attitudes toward others. Sometimes with just a small change in attitude, we gain insight and awareness into the many possibilities we perhaps had never considered before.

When we celebrate these day-to-day tasks, we give them the value they deserve and make them memorable. So next time you complete something — anything — call a friend and celebrate. You, in turn will be teaching that person the value of celebration and creating yet another occasion to have fun and revel in your accomplishments.

Or you may also want to celebrate alone. There is value in admiring your accomplishments by giving yourself a reward. The trick is to first become aware of having done a “darn good job.”

Karen S. Adams, LCSW, is with Life Coping Consults, a biofeedback and counseling service. [email protected] or 602-274-3492.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 27, Number 3, June/July 2008.