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My story all began with a box of Yogi Tea.
I had a moment last week as I do every once in a while when it feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I found myself reaching a low point recently that stemmed from thoughts of not being where I wanted to in different aspects of my life, such as my weight, my career, and my love life. The more I thought about it, the lower I sunk until I brewed myself a cup of Yogi brand green tea and the message on the bag read, “Happiness comes with contentment.” I thought to myself, Easier said than done…
I was left asking myself, “How could I find this happiness? How do I find contentment when I’m feeling so uncomfortable with the way things are going?” So I reached out to some friends and spoke to them about how I was feeling, and it took each of them pointing out my blessings for me to recognize that I have a lot to celebrate. Life happens, and small milestones tend to get lost in the fray as we wait and work for those big ones, the celebratory moments that seem so far away. We end up suffering from bouts of anxiety, stress, and depression. But what I took from my empowerment powwow with friends is that it’s important to celebrate ourselves no matter how small our accomplishments and that all begins with being mindful and knowing how.
You never really need an excuse to pop open a bottle of wine and toast to a good day in the comfort of your home, but it’s even more fun when you call up your girls and toast at happy hour. The more you acknowledge and reward yourself for all of your successes, including the minute ones, the MORE success you obtain based on the drive you incur to do more and celebrate even more. And more importantly, the better you will feel. It can be something as small as you losing an inch after starting a new diet plan. You may not be at your goal weight, but you’re one inch towards that goal. You might have a job offer waiting for you that requires you to be in a period of standstill for a bit, but you still have a job. Sometimes you just want life to pick up and zoom forward to the end of the tunnel to the triumphant final results, but in doing so, we miss the journey that got us there.
Take time for yourself each day and week to reflect on all of the little things. The small moments. Write them down in a journal. Write them on strips of paper and store them in a jar or box so that you can read them whenever you’re having a dark moment. Celebrating and rewarding yourself in any given moment allows you to experience self-fulfillment. It encourages the attitude that you don’t have to sit and wait for big things to happen because you can make the most of the blessings laid out for you in the present.
Life is about the small steps that contribute to the bigger picture and when we spend time focusing on what isn’t and what we wish to have and that which we don’t have, we create opportunities for negative energy to slip in and take control of our thoughts. So celebrate by toasting yourself. Celebrate by treating yourself. But most of all, celebrate by giving yourself a break.
