Why it’s really important to celebrate your successes!

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”

Oprah Winfrey

 

Today I re-discovered something really important. I really get why what Oprah says is true, especially if you believe in the ‘law of attraction’. I first wrote this post nearly two years ago, but I’m delighted to find it is exactly the reminder I need today, and it is even clearer now than it was then. Maybe this message is just what you need to hear today too…

It’s autumn here in New Zealand, we are lighting our first fires of the season, enjoying wearing our sexy winter boots again, and making pumpkin soup and apple puddings – because it’s harvest time, and the fruits of our efforts are quite literally coming into ripeness. 

 

“What better time to take a moment to stop and celebrate everything you are harvesting in your life?”

 

If you are anything like me, you are long overdue for a well earned pat on the back FROM YOURSELF! Not just for your tangible outer-world achievements, but for your inner processes of growth. It actually doesn’t matter what season you are in, it’s never the wrong time for you to honour you. 

 

If I look back even just one year ago, I am amazed how much I have learnt, and what I’ve achieved, how differently I feel. Life was good then, but I’ve grown, so now it’s even better! But if you are anything like me, then you may be in the same habit I am – I shift my attention too quickly to achieving the next thing. Yet I’m fully aware that my focus has an effect on my reality, I’ve looked at the science, tested it in my own life and I know it to be true – so surely it can’t be a good thing to be continually focused on ‘striving’. Today, my clarity is this:

“celebrating your own success is a powerful kind of gratitude that can only manifest more goodness in your life!”

 

So I hereby give you total permission, in fact I urge you to make a moment to celebrate, before you move onto the next ‘thing’. If you can see it as an attitude of gratitude, then perhaps you’ll get over any fears about ‘tooting your own horn’! Try this very easy exercise:

 

1) Thinking about any area of your life, write down anything that comes to mind that you feel you’ve moved forward with or are proud of over the last year. They don’t have to be big things or even tangible things. At the end of this post are some starter thoughts if you get stuck, or ask a friend to help you out with what they see that you maybe can’t. If the year seems to you like a ‘total washout’, think further back and get a sense of anything that feels better now than it once did. (If that feels even worse, please see the end of the article). 

2) Choose one ‘accomplishment’ that stands out to you somehow, maybe it just gives you an especially warm glow inside, or it’s something hard won for you. Try to put into words what it is you feel about it, and make an affirmative statement from it. Start with things like “I’m really proud of myself for_________” or “I’m getting so much better at_______” or “I feel really good about how far I’ve come about _______” and so on. Remember you are not required to present this to some sort of panel who will judge the merits of your choice, so it doesn’t need to impress anyone else.

3) Over the next few days, keep repeating this positive and self affirming message, out loud whenever possible. Ride the wave of that feeling of success as you go about life. See how feeling successful brings inspiration and confidence to everything else you want to achieve. You could even write it on paper and put it up where you’ll see it.

4) Then, find a way to reward yourself and celebrate. Sometimes a reward is as simple as creating some time for yourself away from responsibilities to just go for a walk or watch the sunset, or it could be an investment in furthering your goals. If we do really believe that what we focus on becomes our point of attraction, then it’s a good idea to relish how far we have come!

 

 

When I take stock in this way, of the ‘garden of my life’ I see the seeds I’ve planted blooming on all sorts of levels, and I feel an overwhelming sense of appreciation. I realise I’m manifesting my dream life every day. I see I’m already living it now! Although steady progress may not be obvious on a day to day basis, in hindsight it is obvious that I was always moving forward. Let me assure you, it’s not without effort on my part and also experiencing some dark days along the way. I am a constant source of humour to myself as I bumble along being human and learning as I go! 

 

I realise that some people will read this article and think “I have nothing to celebrate and I feel like I can’t even move one step forward right now”. If this is you, or even if you just come up against a block to your self confidence or ability to honour yourself, then we can do a BodyTalk/healing session specifically around shifting that. Trauma can be released simply, or we can find out what unconscious programming is stopping you from enjoying your own successes  or from creating the life you really want. Want to know more? Check out my article on BodyTalk HERE  

To make an appointment with me now, or to ask any confidential questions, contact me HERE

Blessings,

Tania

 

Stuck for inspiration? Here’s some ideas to get you going…

 

• love and relationships: think about new friendships made, or growing relationships with old friends and family. Maybe you moved on from a relationship that wasn’t taking you anywhere you wanted to go, got happy being alone, or reached a new level of warmth and love in your partnership. Do you celebrate having time to be with your kids, and what it means to them to have your time?

• work: success in work is not just about your income, although do celebrate whatever money is earned through your efforts. But also consider new skills learnt, the strength of your networks or colleague relationships. Maybe you left work that was unsatisfying, instead valuing your time or your own entrepreneurial vision. You could be celebrating stability or promotion, or even just finding some clarity that you aren’t happy where you are.

• health: Even if you have health issues right now, please celebrate any new self care you started, any solutions you’ve found that you want to start, or just the will to carry on despite challenges. Beyond the physical, if there is a shift in your mental attitude, emotional balance or spiritual awareness, consider that these are all levels of your health.

• your world: This is a good one, because it’s a wide open field, if you choose to focus on the ‘good news’! Celebrate any good story you hear, about humanitarian action, science breakthroughs, or inspirational people. 

• In your environment: yes winter is coming…and it’s beautiful! The days are crisp and clear. I really do love these red leather boots I found on sale. Equally, you could be really loving those pumpkins from your own garden, having time to watch the sunset, or having got rid of a lot of unwanted clutter.

• In your personal growth: We’ll never be done growing on a personal level! So it’s especially necessary to give ourselves a pat on the back for all the ways we are becoming more and more our authentic selves. Any fears overcome, worries laid to rest, or anything you faced/acknowledged/accepted. Forgiveness is a major success, one you’ll never be given any awards for, but claim any inner victory as part of your overall success.