A friend recently shared a story with me about how they achieved a professional success. He was proud, and rightfully so, of his accomplishment. I genuinely congratulated him, as I truly enjoy hearing the joy in people’s voice when they celebrate their victories. But then he said:
One day I hope to be as good at life as I am at this.
And my joy turned to sadness for him.
Why must we rob ourselves of victory celebrations?
While this is not a gender-specific attitude, I often see it in women. I’ve even experienced it myself. The number of times that I’ve received compliments and hear myself saying: Oh, this is just my house dress. Or, Yeah, but my brother is so much smarter.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that we shouldn’t brag. However, bragging seems more about the presentation, the tone, the body language, even our intent; the content sometimes seems secondary.
What if we just learned to accept the truth about ourselves, the bad and the good?
In a world that seems increasingly critical, I think that it’s vital to own our successes. Businesses and teams that focus on their strengths and celebrate their successes create more success. This holds true for individuals as well.
So, as you wind down your weekend, and start your week, try to remind yourself to celebrate your strengths. Share them in the comments so we can celebrate them, too. Smile as you think about them. And let that smile and that positive attitude inspire others.
grablifebytherains 