Pause………..and Celebrate!!! by Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC
The holidays can be a busy time of year. There are so many “extra” duties on our plates that it can be a bit overwhelming. As you’re ticking things off your “to do” list, don’t forget the reason we are buying all those presents, cooking for all those dinners and attending all those parties. December is a time when we celebrate, but we are often so focused on preparing for those celebrations that we fail to actually celebrate. 
So, this year, make it a point to celebrate in ways you haven’t in the past. By celebrating, I don’t just mean opening packages and eating big meals with your family. I mean taking the time to reflect on the successes of the past year and give yourself and those who worked with you a pat on the back.
Of course, not everything you’ve attempted has been successful this year; at least not in the way you were measuring its success. However, each endeavor has brought growth and lessons, even when it failed by traditional standards. Those lessons should be celebrated right along with the projects that were giant successes by any measurement.
Celebrating Can Mean Many Things
Celebrating your successes might not mean a celebration in the most traditional sense- not every celebration is equipped with a party and a gift. But, every celebration is important, even if that celebration is just taking a moment to list all the great things you accomplished and all the lessons you learned as the year progressed.
Celebrating your life is more than having a party or other tangible event. It’s about learning to recognize good things as they come along. It’s about never taking your own hard work or your good fortune for granted. It’s about not forgetting to enjoy those things you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
So, check all those items off your “to do” list, if you must. But leave time to linger over dinner, have a second glass of wine, and play with the new toys that will enter your home this December. As the saying goes, “Don’t be so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life”.
