about the habit of celebration

There have been many times that you have probably celebrated something special. A birthday. An engagement. A wedding. A baby. A graduation. A promotion. A 75% off sale. You name it. It just has to be something worthy enough in your eyes that makes you want to commemorate the moment with something special. It is a gesture, big or small, that says this moment in time is sacred and worthy of recognition. It’s easy to think in this way on occasion but I want to shift your thinking a little bit to ponder about why it has to be occasional. Why do you only celebrate really big moments? And some might say well I celebrate little things but do you celebrate them often? What is the frequency of your celebration? When was the last time you celebrated something and how far are these occasions apart?

Why do you only celebrate really big moments?

The point I am trying to get to is that you don’t need a “special” occasion to have a celebration. You should make it an intentional and deliberate effort everyday to find something to celebrate. Some would call this Gratitude but I want to take it a step further. It’s bigger. It’s more than a simple declaration of appreciation. It’s not a quick shout to God saying “thank you Big Guy”, or a flash of thought. It’s making a moment. It’s pouring effort into making yourself feel like a million bucks on daily basis because you are completely worth it.

It’s a big concept, right? I couldn’t agree with you more as it took a lot for me to wrap my head around this idea. After all, it seems like a lot of work making extravagant gestures on an everyday basis which is why I put together a little list to get you started.

5 ways to practice the habit of celebration

Carve out some time.

This may seem obvious but I want to make it clear that you should allow actual time to celebrate you. I don’t want you to just say” yay me” in your head and rush back on with life. That would defeat the point. You should be intentional. You can even add it to your calendar or little pockets in your schedule. You have permission to tell others that you will be busy at that time because you are celebrating. Yep. It’s that big of a deal. Carve out an hour or a day. It’s all up to you and the setup of your life.

Do something for you.

I know, once again, an obvious point but it must be stated. This celebration isn’t for your husband/boyfriend, mama, uncle, or side hustle. It is for you. Don’t try to make it about anything else. Be settled that it is okay to do something exclusively for you. It’s not selfish. It’s self-care.

Focus on so doing something loving.

Focus on so doing something loving, not just something you love. There is a difference. Doing you something you love is acting upon something that makes you giggle inside and gives you warm feelings. Those things are wonderful but they are not always good for you. That is why there is a distinct difference between the two. Doing something loving may not feel good to you. It might be emotionally or physically painful but the power is in the fact that is necessary and conducive for your wellbeing. This could be exercise or going to a long overdue therapy session. It could be dinner or fast. Loving you might be calling up that person you haven’t forgiven or visited the grave of a loved one. All these things enhance your life. They are ways to love you and that love doesn’t always taste sweet.

Focus on so doing something loving, not just something you love.

Do it often.

Do it always. Do it a lot. Celebration is always an occasional thing. Don’t make it one. Reform celebration into a daily occurrence. Tip: Before bed, check your schedule and see where you can fit in your celebration. You may have to wake up earlier or go to bed later to make it work.

Don’t think solely about money or material things.

Don’t think solely about money or material things. Extravagance has its season and if you have it, great! But if you are in your lean season, don’t feel obligated( or ashamed) because you can’t do what you really want to do. Work within your means. increase and decrease accordingly and check your budget. You could read a book you have been holding off on or check one out at the library. You can take a yacht or take a walk. Clean your house or clean your inbox. Free. cheap. millions. billions. it’s all fine.

increase and decrease accordingly and check your budget.

I hope that this has enlightened you a little bit about how the habit of celebration can change your life. Thank you for reading this. I feel like I should do some more exploration of celebration so let me know if you would like more writings on this topic.

closing commentary: be kind to yourself.