Celebrating Life!

Many of us just finished our celebrations of the Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas holidays. This time of year can be amazing but it can also be difficult for many - the stress of finding the perfect gifts or not having the finances to give gifts, painful memories, or challenging family dynamics. But, even with the difficulties that holidays or milestones (end of a year and a decade) bring, it’s critical that we celebrate.

We should celebrate.  

We are alive.  

We have choices.  

We have opportunities to experience joy every day - sunrises, sunsets, a song, a laugh, a great cup of coffee.  We should celebrate the big things and the little things that make our lives full. I know that some of you may not be feeling that life is very full of goodness right now but those are the times that the small things or reflections on past accomplishments are critical to pull you up and keep you moving forward.

So…what can you celebrate today? From the past year or the past decade?

Here are a few of the bigger things to celebrate on my decade list…

• Saw my children progress from elementary school through middle school to high school

• Started my running and triathlon journeys

• Visited many new countries, including Belarus, Romania, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Czech Republic…some for work and some for vacations

• Worked at 3 great companies…and then left corporate America to start my own business

• Started teaching Human Resource Management classes at a local university

There have been sad moments as well...losing two family members during the past several years...but I’ve gotten to the point where I focus on the wonderful memories I have of them and not the sadness.

Many of you have seen that I’ve been focused on the feeling of joy during this past month. I think joy comes when we see and celebrate the people and things and experiences that we have in our lives that make us who we are. We may wish that circumstances were different than they are, but we do have the power to make change in our lives - through decisions we make or don’t make, the attitudes we bring to each day, and the people we surround ourselves with.

As you read this, I hope that you will take a moment and consider what you can celebrate - little or big. What people, things, or experiences are bringing you joy? What have you been moving too fast to notice? What experience have you been putting off? What success or recognition did you receive that you didn’t celebrate because the to-do list is calling or you didn’t think it was a big deal?

Celebrate your life. 

Celebrate your family and friends. 

Celebrate the opportunities you have to make a difference in someone else’s life through a kind word, a simple gesture, a prayer.

I believe that if we don’t find the joy and celebrate it whenever we can, our lives will be less full.

So…I’m celebrating all the people, things, and experiences that bring me joy.  If you followed me during my Twelve Days of Joyfulness, you got to read and hear about many of the things that bring me joy and that list grows every day.

As we close 2019 and the decade, I say...Choose Joy and Choose Celebrations!