CELEBRATE THE DAILY VICTORIES

 

As I get older, I realize how important it is to celebrate. 

Personally, I’m good at being hard on myself when I do not live up to my own expectations. For example, eating a very clean diet is very difficult for me to adhere to without falling out of that routine. When I derail, I am really upset and disappointed in myself.  When I am doing a good job, I typically do not celebrate. I’ve started to give myself rewards to use when celebrating. Maybe it’s extra time off of work, or an activity, or maybe I buy myself something I’ve been wanting.  This type of positive reinforcement seems to be much more effective and enjoyable than the opposite. At first, I’d just say something positive to myself, but I found that was not enough. I still struggle from time to time, but I’m confident my abilities will enhance over time. 

 

CELEBRATE SLOWNESS

 

Right now I am celebrating slowing down. A close friend often says, “slow your a*s down.”  I have come to realize that being goal-driven is a good thing, but if I’m always working towards something, it’s easy to miss out on a lot. 

Over the last few years, it seems like I get to the end of the week and I wonder how I got there. 

I feel like yesterday was Monday, when in fact it was Thursday. 

Living like this has made me feel like I’m missing out on my life. 

By slowing down and trying to be more present, time slows down.

I don’t want another year to go by and wonder how it went so fast. 

 

CELEBRATE CONNECTION

 

Walking slower, being less concerned about time, and especially connecting more with other people. These are the things I am missing by trying to move as quickly through my day as possible. I had a life-altering experience that opened my eyes up to this. In a flash, I saw myself as an old man with no one around, and I’m still working. This was like a nightmare, but worse- because it could actually come true!

The motivation to slow down life is huge. 

So far, celebrating has allowed me to walk this path.  

 

CELEBRATE WHAT’S IMPORTANT

 

My favorite movie of all time is based on a true story. Into the Wild is a movie about Christopher McCandless and his adventures. I love it, because this young soul is trying to make sense of life. He lived a life of exploration and adventure, and was looking for the meaning of life. Chris ended up living in an abandoned bus in the middle of the woods in Alaska, and was starting to feel the need to get back to people, when something terrible happened. Running out of food and unable to cross the river to get back into town, he was trapped and decided to eat wild edible plants. The problem was, he ate something that would kill him. 

As he became aware of his imminent death, he started to realize what’s important. 

His last written words were basically, “life is meant to be shared”.

This stays with me every day since my realization.  

 

IT’S NEVER TO LATE TO CELEBRATE

 

So, here is to celebrating slowing down and connecting. It’s taken a lot of pain to realize this, but every interaction with another person has become the most important part of my day. It’s taken a long time to get here and I’ve lost a lot, but…

…it’s never too late. 

Thank you to the universe for helping me enjoy you more!

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