Let me start by saying that this post is not a dig to anyone close to me or a "feel sorry for me post", it's more of an "aha" moment post.
In our household, my husband and I made it a point to celebrate every important milestone for each of our daughters and for each other. We went out to dinner or did something special to let the person know that we were proud of them. To the point that we even celebrated our daughters’ first menstrual cycle—a rite of passage into womanhood:-).
However, this got me thinking this morning. As humans, especially as women, are we waiting on others to celebrate us? Are we looking for validation in the eyes or reaction from others? But more importantly, what does this to our inner most self when we don't receive that validation, do we shrink back and minimize what we have done or accomplished? Do we feel silly for mentioning it in the first place? Do we tell ourselves that this is nothing special but something that’s expected from us? Or even worse, do we question our worthiness of such accolades or celebration?
I will be the first to admit that I have felt these emotions at one time or another in my life. Sometimes, it's the validation from one person that makes it more real or important to us. This can be a parent, a spouse, a boss, a teacher or someone of admiration in our lives and if we don't receive what we're looking for, we diminish the big step forward or achievement we just accomplished.
What if we learned to celebrate ourselves and invite others along? How would that look in your life? What if as you set goals and important milestones, you also set how you will celebrate achieving it?
These couple of months, I have achieved several key things in my life, and I don't want to put the weight on someone else to celebrate me, but I want to instead, invite them along in the celebration. Oh, what freedom that is, what tremendous satisfaction that will feel and how wonderful it is to show the younger women in our lives that this is okay to do!
Celebrate yourself today, you my darling are doing great!
Cheering you on,
Coach Silvia