Celebrate Your Damn Self

If you know me, you know my brain often times goes into what I call “rapid fire” mode. 

If you don’t know me, well, now you know. 

So here we go...

I got an idea the other day to write about reflecting back on all the things we have accomplished and remembering to celebrate all of our wins, big or small.  Almost immediately upon getting this idea, I  walked out of the amazing lake house I’m staying at and out onto the dock.  Before I could write about any of that, I needed a picture and so, in an attempt to get some kind of picture of a reflection in the water, I started snapping away.  

(Enter my mind going into rapid fire mode...write a piece, reflect on your wins, need a picture of a reflection, and so on...)

Well, as we all know, one picture of a cloud reflecting on the water, turned into, I don’t know, 12 more pictures of various things reflecting in the water, including me. Later that evening, I was scrolling through my pictures from the day and had already completely forgotten about this “reflection” concept, until I was reminded by my camera roll.  At which point, I came across this photo.  

”Sky above me. Earth beneath me. Fire within me.”  

This quote, one of my all time favorites, flashed before my eyes so vividly and so loudly that I couldn’t ignore it.  I was looking at a picture of myself and seeing ALL the work, ALL the belief, ALL the good, ALL the fire, and the Universe surrounding me saying ,“Yes baby girl.  You are here now.  THAT is YOU.”  

I sat and stared at this picture in awe of all that I have come through...all the change, all the challenges, all the shit that I sat in, all the feelings that I felt...to move myself to the here and now.  And I celebrated myself. 

That’s right...I CELEBRATED MYSELF!

I replayed every single win I have experienced over the past several years.  I acknowledged for myself that nothing about what I have been through has been simple or easy, but it has all been life changing.  It has all allowed me to transform in the most positive way.  It has all led me to the here and now.  And for that, I am so fucking grateful. 

I share this round about story, this moment in time that I experienced, as a way of reminding YOU to celebrate all of YOUR wins. 

Often times we get so busy and so focused on the work, the worry, what might come next, the noise around us, ALL the things, that we forget to take pause and give ourselves the gift of acknowledging how far we have come.  We forget to celebrate the small stuff that leads us to the big stuff.  We do ourselves a disservice. 

So today, on this beautiful gift of a day, I invite you to take a time out and reflect back on the work YOU have done.  The challenges YOU have faced. How far YOU have come.  

AND CELEBRATE YOUR DAMN SELF!

You’re worth it. 

And yes baby girl, you ARE here now.  That IS you.