Are You Stunting Your Growth By Skipping Celebrations?
A few weeks ago, my closest friends and family organized a surprise business shower honouring my journey as a full-time entrepreneur and therapist. This event was intentionally planned, where each guest was prepared in advance for specific rituals. All guests were assigned roles in making the event a success. Emotions ran high, and there wasn't a single dry eye in sight. The overwhelming display of love and sisterhood completely redefined my understanding of which "milestones" truly deserve to be celebrated.
No matter if you're three weeks sober, in remission, have made significant progress in paying down debt, or challenging toxic relationship patterns, you deserve to be celebrated wherever you are in your journey...
Why Skipping Celebrations Is Stunting Your Growth
When you skip celebrating your successes.. you miss on these 4 growth opportunities...
1) Increasing Sense of Belonging: When we neglect to celebrate ourselves, we miss out on the opportunity for meaningful connections. This is why participating in rituals such as birthdays and engagements is vital. Celebrations create a space to strengthen relationships, build social bonds, and share experiences, ultimately enhancing our sense of belonging.
2) Reinforce Courage: If we don't feel deserving of celebration or believe we haven't achieved our goals yet, we risk losing motivation. Throughout my 2.5-year journey towards full-time private practice, my loved ones insisted on celebrating every milestone, big and small. They reminded me that if we don't celebrate now, when will we ever start? Celebrating our progress reinforces courage and the belief in our own worthiness, so week can keep on going.
3) Permission to Receive: Many of us yearn for others to acknowledge our efforts and support our personal growth. By celebrating ourselves, we communicate to others how they can show up for us. We model our values and demonstrate how we wish to be cared for. In doing so, we permit others to recognize their worthiness. It's wild to me. How we take up space in our lives lets others do the same.
4) Integrating Growth: Skipping celebrations can lead us into autopilot mode, reinforcing habitual patterns. We miss out on opportunities for self-reflection and aligning our actions with our desires. Celebration rituals invite transcendent moments that deepen self-awareness, introspection, and evaluation. They allow us to pause, reflect on our progress, and assess our personal growth. Where have we come from, and where are we headed? Celebrations provide a space for these crucial reflections.
In my private practice, celebrations are cultivated in the therapeutic relationship. It takes great courage to show up week after week and deal with one's most intimate and difficult challenges. All our internal battles are worthy of celebration.
Much of the inspiration of this post is drawn from one of my favourite books Priya Parker's The Art of Gathering. It is truly a manual on hosting intentional gatherings that serve collective growth.