In our world, many of us are focused on getting more, being better, doing everything right, getting perfect grades, having the whitest teeth, etc. It seems that our focus is on the next greatest thing. When do we take time to connect, appreciate and celebrate? It almost feels like we discount the achievement because we need to focus on the next accomplishment.
Celebrations are about recognition and having fun. All celebrations do not have to be equal. The magnitude at which you celebrate can adjust to the occasion but fun can still be had by all. A milestone birthday may call for a bigger celebration. Yet, equally important for well being is celebrating personal accomplishments. Completing a big project at work may be a celebrated on a smaller scale but still worth pausing to recognize a job well done. It is nice way to honor your efforts and accomplishments.
Another value in having more celebrations is honoring the people we care about most. We can sacrifice our time and attention we have for our loved ones because we have to “work”, justifying our time and attention away by telling ourselves we need to earn money. This is true and very valid. Equally important is spending quality time with our loved ones. Time and time again, teens would tell me they wanted to spend more time with their families, especially their parents. Even when they don’t act like they want to spend anymore time with their parent than absolutely necessary, they would tell me that is what they wanted and I would add needed. Perhaps we can increase the quality with which we spend time with our loved ones by making it special, a celebration. When we call it a celebration we tend to treat the time with more reverence. Focusing more on the quality.
Hopefully you are convinced of the value in mini and frequent celebrations. They are fun, validating and help us connect more closely with the people we love most. Try it. You’ll be glad you did.