“There’s a party goin’ on right here
A celebration to last throughout the years
So bring your good times and your laughter too
We gonna celebrate your party with you”
Everyone loves a good party. We all covet the invitation to the best party of the year. The laughter, gifts, food put us in a good mood. Parents work hard at throwing unique and over-the-top birthday parties for their children. Celebrating the obvious events on the calendar, like holidays and birthdays, only accomplishes part of the jubilation. The author Robert Brault says, "There are exactly as many special occasions as we choose to celebrate.”
In the daily grind of life, celebrating can get overlooked. The last time something good came your way, how did you celebrate? Your promotion, your first big sale, your decision to take a risk, your long awaited license or approval from an agency, the completion of your “to do” list. Do you build into your life regular celebration? How good are you at celebrating with others?
In my previous community, a group of ladies were providing a great service to the community. It was a one day event that was truly life changing. They’d been at it for several years. No authority figure had paid much attention to the event, the results, or the team. The team knew what they were doing was impactful, that was enough for them. Until one day, a person with the “higher-ups” showed up just to celebrate what they were doing. At that moment, they realized how much they needed someone to celebrate with them. The unbelievable effectiveness of this event deserved to be celebrated but they had not thought to stop and celebrate (and neither had anyone else).
Recently, I was in a room full of people who purposely stopped to celebrate a colleague who was departing. She had accomplished her goals and demonstrated incredible fortitude. Each person in the room took time to publicly celebrate who she is and who she's becoming. No balloons, no confetti, no streamers but a true celebration!
When we discover it's national Doughnut Day, we know how to celebrate. When Mother’s day is coming, we know who we will be celebrating. New Year’s Eve typically dictates some kind of celebration. How do you celebrate the daily moments that make up life? When was the last time you set in a meeting or around the dinner table and someone announced something significant in their lives and everyone jumped up, applauded, high-fived, threw confetti and genuinely celebrated. NOT. It just doesn’t happen that much and not just because we don’t carry confetti with us. Celebrating important daily moments has no protocol.
Science tells us Celebration literally changes our Body and Brain:
Body — Releases endorphins
Ease depression
Reduce stress and anxiety
Boost self-esteem
Reduces weight
Reduces pain
Mind — Releases Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin
Dopamine
Allows us to pay attention to important tasks
Ignore distraction information
Access our working memory
Serotonin
Increases our motivation and innovation
Oxytocin
Gives us a sense of closeness, well-being and safety
What can make you break into your happy dance? Your favorite song on the radio; the light turning green right when you arrive at the intersection; the rain holding out until after you get into the car; getting retweeted; you find a dollar in a jacket you haven’t worn in a while; sunshine; the smell of coffee; cute shoes. Look around a bit and find something to celebrate, even for a few minutes each day. Starting a victory log and adding to it each night is a great way to stop and recognize moments that deserve celebration — a powerful conversation with your son, the completion of a difficult task, coming to a hard decision — whatever it is log it on the victory page as a way to celebrate.
Don’t stop there. Start looking for little ways to celebrate with the people around you. Life is worth celebrating. How will you incorporate moments of celebration in every day?
“It’s time to come together
It’s up to you, what’s your pleasure?
Everyone around the world come on!
Celebrate good times, come on!"