Do You Celebrate enough?

Is it just me or do we tend to celebrate less as we get older? I notice with my children that there is constant celebration for the things that they achieve - praise for eating properly, rewards for good behaviour particularly when it posed a challenge, praise for every new thing that they learn. It makes them happy and it encourages them to achieve more. Celebration is also a big part of their own lives - they anticipate birthdays with a fervour, looking forward to the next almost as soon as the last is past and they love big parties or things which mark the event! They celebrate the little things in life that appeal to them. Recently I let my kids have lunch in the garden, an unusual and unexpected event and they were absolutely thrilled, running round with excitement and delight. Why is it that we celebrate less as we advance in age? Did we want to be "cooler" in our teenage years, did we increasingly get embarrassed by success and then got out of the habit and finally forgot the art of celebration almost altogether? I haven't really marked my birthday of late, but this year I will, I will celebrate the day and feel glad that I was given this gift of life. In my current studies we are encouraged to incorporate celebrations for goal achievement into any action plan. These celebrations can be big or small, appropriate to the thing which we achieve - so it could be a bar of chocolate, a massage or simply ten minutes to ourselves to read. The key thing though is to actually celebrate, to plan it and to do it - to feel good about our achievements and to feel good about ourselves. At first I felt a little reluctant to do this - success in itself seemed to be enough, but actually the more I reflect the more I realise that it is a good idea. We should celebrate, all of us, little and often and sometimes big. Celebration is something which can help us feel good about ourselves, make others feel good and spur us on to do more, see more, enjoy more. That surely is something worth celebrating in itself!! Go on, find something to celebrate today.