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Do you Stop to Celebrate the little things in life ….. or do you just move on?

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Do you stop to celebrate the little things in life or do you just move on? We all tend to celebrate the usual occasions. Birthdays, Anniversaries, Christmas, Easter and other major events are usually celebrated. We may throw a party or go out for a meal with friends or perhaps have a quiet, more intimate celebration.

But what of the smaller day to day achievements or the ones we accomplish just for ourselves. Do we stop to recognise and celebrate their importance?

I have accomplished many things such as careers in nursing and reflexology. I have celebrated these. But I have also accomplished smaller things that I rarely give much thought to. I have sold photos to gardening magazines and was happy at the time but didn’t really stop to recognise what I had done. I have travelled to places that have really challenged me, but I didn’t stop to think that I was doing something brave or extraordinary.

I have tried paragliding and riding on a moped and motorbike. I have gone sailing on a catamaran and camped in the bush where lions roamed. I have raised a son and run a household, volunteered for many mother’s committees and school outings, but rarely have I celebrated these as achievements. They were just things I did because it was part of the roles that I had taken on, or else I was young and fearless and knew no better.

Do you stop to celebrate the little things in life or do you just move on? Why is it that we celebrate only the major events in our life? Is it because we think all the day to day tasks are not important, so that we place less emphasis on them? Or is it because we fear the judgment or criticism of others? If we celebrate too often or too loudly we are considered ‘big headed’ or egotistic. If we always talk about our achievements, we may be considered too loud or ‘full of ourselves.’

Society doesn’t encourage us to be individuals. Society doesn’t encourage us to stand tall. The ‘tall poppy syndrome’ is still present and we fear being its victim. So we stay small, we downplay our successes and we don’t celebrate even the smallest wins.

Well isn’t it time we put a stop to that behaviour? Isn’t it time we stayed true to ourselves and recognised our own worth? We all have talents and gifts and it’s about time that we celebrated them.

I am just as guilty. I have accomplished things, then moved on to the next. But I suddenly realised that I wasn’t recognising all the work and effort that I had put in. So I finally stopped.

I have just published a book. Yes it’s exciting and yes I had a glass of champagne to celebrate. But then I was ready to move on to the next thing, the next book, the next photograph or the next painting I wanted to create. But I suddenly realised what I was doing. So I took some time out to recognise just what a huge achievement this book was. My husband and I are going out for a meal to celebrate and I am inviting family and friends around to do the same.

Celebrating is great for our mental health, but it also enhances our feelings of self worth and self esteem. It keeps us in the present, reduces stress and reminds us of our purpose in life. Celebrating reminds us of all the things in life that matter, the little things that make up our every day existence. They give us an appreciation of all that we have in our lives, the big and the small.

Do you stop to celebrate the little things in life or do you just move on? I hope you stop and recognise every achievement, for all the things we accomplish make us what we are. The big and small, both are equally important.

And isn’t that always worth celebrating!

With warmest wishes,

Judy xxx

Ps. My book, “True Essence: Finding your authentic self without compromise” is out now. You can buy it on my creative website here and purchase a signed copy, or on Amazon.

References: https://www.wellbeingpeople.com/2022/11/23/why-celebrating-is-good-for-you/ Photo by Guille Alvarez on Unsplash 

Disclaimer: Please note that all information in this article is the opinion of the author and obtained through her research and knowledge and the above references. It is not meant to replace medical advice and a medical opinion should always be obtained for any health condition.

It’s almost Christmas time.

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It’s almost Christmas time and nearly the end of another year. 2020 has been a year like no other. We have never experienced so many months of uncertainly, fear, confusion and disruption to our normal lives. Are you just hanging out for it to be over or have you learnt any lessons from it? Were there any benefits to slowing down or was it just a nightmare for you?

I found it a very mixed year. At first I allowed the fear to enter and I became swamped by it. I watched the news every night, worried about closing my clinic, became anxious about catching the virus, feared being in lockdown and was concerned about a lack of income.

But slowly I realised that how I was living was no fun and not sustainable. I couldn’t control external circumstances, but I could change my attitude and how I was living my life. So firstly, I stopped watching the news! This not only reduced my fear levels and that of my family, but it freed up time that I usually spent just staring at a screen.

I signed up for lots of courses, some free and some paid. I worked a lot on my personal development and realised that I was missing the creative aspect of my life. I started to write …. and write…… and write and a book is slowly forming. I had always loved writing as a child but it had long been left behind, along with creative pursuits that were considered a waste of time. I returned to my photography and began painting the flowers that I had captured on my camera.

Suddenly I felt alive again.

I realised that these past few months in lockdown, although not welcome, were an opportunity to re-evaluate my life and find what was missing. I realised that freedom to be me, to explore my passions, needed to have priority. I realised that I could combine my love of Reflexology with my love of the arts and rather than being overwhelmed, I would actually find more peace and time for myself.

What has this year brought up for you? Have you found that you actually crave more freedom and space in your life or have you missed the fast pace of always being on the go? Have you discovered a new hobby or resurrected an old one? I know that many people have returned to gardening or commenced it for the first time. Time to use our hands and connect with nature always has its’ rewards.

Was this year particularly isolating for you? I was blessed to have family at home but I know that many didn’t and found it very hard. I hope that the new freedoms we are now experiencing, particularly here in Australia lead to healing on all levels.

It’s almost Christmas time and each year we buy a live Christmas tree, a precious tradition from my childhood. I love the vibrant green of the branches and the evocative scent of pine that wafts through the house and greets me on rising each morning. It is now up and decorated, ready to be enjoyed by us all.

I know that the clinic has been closed more months than it has been open this year, but I thank you all for your wonderful support and look forward to seeing your beautiful faces next year.

What will the New Year hold for you? I hope it brings with it a sense of hope and optimism and excitement for what is yet to come.

Whatever traditions you hold dear or whichever way you choose to spend this time of year, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Warmest wishes,

Judy xxx

References: Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash.