From My Perspective

There are many reasons to celebrate, birthdays, weddings, graduations and milestones. Some are celebrated once a year, once a decade, or just once. But what about all of the others?

It really got me to thinking about how, especially after the last couple of years and more especially right now, we should be celebrating damn near everything. Everything from waking up in the morning to those big momentous occasions known for celebration. We should be celebrating our little victories all the way to the big ones, because who knows when we won’t be able to celebrate them anymore?

This past weekend a group of people who have birthdays as an Aquarius got together to celebrate. It’s an annual event that I was invited to participate in last year and is now something I look forward to. It’s not just about celebrating my birthday, it’s about collectively celebrating a bunch of birthdays and our friendships.

I remember back to a time when I wasn’t so happy. I had a job I disliked very much. Let me rephrase that… I had a job I loved, working in an animal shelter. With a narcissistic, micromanaging and just plain mean boss who I had to share an office with. Nothing, and I mean nothing I did ever lived up to this woman’s standards. I remember getting up every morning dreading the day ahead and, before I ever left the house, counting the hours and minutes until I got home. Very little reason to celebrate anything. Everything around me reflected my unhappiness.

Then, something changed. Actually, I changed. I finally decided I could live every day in misery, and cause the same misery for everyone around me, or I could celebrate. It was tough in the beginning, but I kept looking for reasons to celebrate. I would celebrate with or without this boss’ approval. I knew what I was doing for the animals, the shelter, the volunteers, the employees and the community were worth celebrating.

I saw a difference pretty quickly. I spent less time in the office we shared and more time focusing on aspects of my job that kept me out of that office. It meant bringing some computer work home with me, but it was worth it. Once I began to be grateful and celebrate all of those accomplishments, without her permission, things around me began to change. I found, interviewed and was offered a job within about a month of practicing my private celebrations and changing my thinking and behavior. Then it was really time to celebrate!

There may be some of you dealing with depression. Sometimes, just getting out of bed is an accomplishment. I know; I’ve been there. But rather than it just being an accomplishment, it should be celebrated. Even if it’s just you doing the celebrating.

Other times, there are fears that hold us back from doing things, things both big and small. In my opinion, overcoming fear is one of the biggest reasons to celebrate. There doesn’t have to be a marching band, cake and streamers, but maybe a reward of a cup of coffee or a new item of clothing.

My theme of overall health for the year has me taking better care of my physical health. It’s no secret that I’ve gained some weight over the past few years. Now, it’s affecting things I want to do. You may think ‘what reason is that to celebrate?’ Well, each day I wake up and have choices. To eat well, to do some form of exercise, or to not do those things. Each choice is mine and ones I celebrate. When I make better choices, I celebrate little victories. When I make not-so-good choices, I still celebrate. I celebrate my awareness and rather than chastise myself, I remind myself I can do better tomorrow, and sometimes tomorrow is just a moment away.

I’m learning to celebrate everything life throws at me. The great, the good, the bad and yes even the ugly. Out of ugly, some pretty amazing things can happen.

Celebrations shouldn’t just be left for the big things. They should be encountered in every aspect of our lives, and occur often. Life in itself is meant to be celebrated. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning to the moment we close them again at night, and every moment in between.

If we don’t take the time to celebrate the little moments, they will pass us by. If we don’t take the time to remember how to celebrate the little things, we’ll forget how to celebrate the bigger things.

This week look - really look - for all of the moments you can celebrate, the things in your life worth celebrating, the people in your life worth celebrating (yes that includes yourself) and just see if it does for you what it did for me, by giving you even more things to notice and more things in your life worth celebrating.