Why do we give so little time to the act of celebrating? We tend to wait for the grand occasions, the promotions or those once per year milestones, but fail to see the small victories.
Life is full of tiny victories that pass by unnoticed.
My mom has always been someone who celebrates even the smallest accomplishments. She believes that because life brings enough hardships on its own, we need to actively make space for the small wins. I used to laugh at how many things she turned into an event, but she was right. Celebrating these tiny victories were snack size antidote doses for the harder moments.
For me, she was proof that a full life is built through reinvention. An economist who became a gardener. An adventurous spirit who dragged us all to hike Machu Picchu. A host who seems happiest when a table is full and noisy. She even decided at sixty that she could not keep aging before recording a CD. She gathered friends and family, put on a release concert, and sang her heart out. Ohh I was so proud. She is tough, caring, a little relentless, and the first to show up at a hospital with real food so you do not suffer with sticky hospital mashed potato. To know her is to know what it means to celebrate.
The walk of life is a treacherous path. It is filled with stones, fallen trees on the road, and other obstacles. We need to take the time to stop, and enjoy. At certain points the view is amazing. Make sure to pause, take a deep breath and cherish the moment.
Brian Dyson, former CEO of Coca-Cola, once said something like this:
Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them (work, family, health, friends and spirit), and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls; family, health, friends and spirit, are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.
Celebration is one way to keep those glass balls hardened. When you pause to appreciate your health, or honor your friendships, or gather family around a table, you reinforce what actually matters.
I have been consciously trying to invoke what I learned from my mother and celebrate things more. And in doing so, I have learned that it has not only been a good time around the celebration, but it has also brought me closer to people and raised my overall level of joy.
So my reminder today is this: Celebrate more. Celebrate the unremarkable, because those moments actually make up most of your life.
The only question left is, what deserves a toast today?
If you enjoyed this Note, you might also like Note 13: The Inheritance Lesson - spoiler alert - its granny’s life advice
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