Three Cheers for…YOU: The Importance of Celebrating Yourself

"Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough." Emily Dickinson

It’s really a shame that, in our culture, self-celebration is considered braggadocio. Celebrating our accomplishments—both large and small—is one of the easiest ways to multiply the positivity in our lives. Not only does positivity attract more positivity, but it also inspires others to succeed. Celebrating ourselves fuels the inspiration we need to stay creatively charged and keep moving forward, constantly taking steps towards reaching our goals.

Then, we reach those goals and have reason to celebrate all over again. A self-perpetuating cycle of celebration!

Personally, I celebrate everything: my friends, the weather, being alive—anything that makes me happy in a given moment. I even celebrate my failures and frustrations, a look for the silver-lining, opportunity for growth or a lesson to learn as a result of that failure.

Not every celebration has to be a big production: for minor accomplishments, I celebrate with a pat on my own back or get my immediate family and closest friends involved. For bigger-deal accomplishments, I like to celebrate with a larger group of family, friends, and colleagues.

Celebrating doesn’t need to include other people at all. There are many simple ways to commemorate ourselves every day, just to keep that positive energy vibrating around us, attracting all of those amazing things we desire and deserve.

Here are five ways we can celebrate on a daily basis:

1. Celebrate every morning. You’re alive! How amazing is that? Starting your day with a sense of gratitude is sure to set you on a positive path for the rest of the day.

2. Micro-celebrations for micro-achievements. Don’t take the small stuff for granted. Acknowledge the many micro-successes of your day: the tough conversation you had to have with a co-worker; getting up early for that 5am yoga class; helping a friend with something that was giving her a challenge. When we make note of the small but awesome things we do every day, we improve our self-confidence…and our mood!

3. Celebrate others. Husband took out the trash? Kids cleaned their rooms without being asked? The barista brewed a truly spectacular cup of coffee? Take notice and let them know you value what they’ve done. Celebrating others will make them feel amazing…and you, too!

4. Splurge…just a little. Sometimes, a moment of acknowledgement is enough. Other times, something more luxurious is called for: a pedicure; a weekend getaway; a fancy night out with your best friends, etc. Sure, we can’t always celebrate this way…but when we can, it sure feels amazing!

5. Celebrate every night. Before you head off to bed, take a few minutes to celebrate and reflect upon your day. Find gratitude for all the little successes of your day and forgive yourself for any areas in which you fell short. My Daily Intentions Planner is a great tool to remind you to do this. Ending the day with an attitude of celebration and gratitude will add richness to our days and generate more abundance for us to…you guessed it…CELEBRATE!

Challenge yourself to celebrate something about YOU every day of the week. You are a perfect ten, and when you get in the habit of truly acknowledging that—with the proper amount of fanfare—you’ll begin to see that which you desire materialize in your life.