Ready... Set... Celebrate!!

Today, at least at it's onset, I showed up. This gives rise to a call for celebration. Celebrate what? Celebrate the small victory! What form will this celebration take? For me, I am inspired to celebrate the small victories until, I recognize, there are no small victories!!

Consider if one was only to celebrate those events deemed "monumental," first of all, what would the determining criteria be, that said reality warrants, said celebration? Secondly, there is no shortage of programming in our world from parents, schools, various religions....  "Don't blow your own horn," "now there you, don't go getting too big for your boots," "humble yourself," "you were born with a taint on your very soul!!!" Then of course there's the media that has many convinced that the only acts of heroism of any significance are those that are Rambo-esque, that come while consuming one's "shaken not stirred" or via the likes of Ms. Croft "the tomb-raider and Wonder Woman!!

Collectively, "on average" many are more inclined to down play their successes and talents, in some cases indefinitely. The tricky thing about this, due to the afore mentioned influences, and innumerable others; for some, the holy grail of a job well done, might continually elude them and no matter what the level of achievement attained; it's never quite good enough. There always remains some often near imperceivable blemish, and the baby is thrown out with the bathwater.

I certainly can state categorically this has been true for me. This doesn't begin to address the countless personal "inner victories" any given person has all day, every day. You've restarted some element of an overall wellness practice (sometimes starting again, is even tougher than the first time ... now one has to wade through all the self-criticism for stopping.... "I used to be able to walk/run 5 kms. now I'm getting winded on the first hill.."

Having that awkward conversation with a friend, or partner. Dealing with some toxic convoluted dynamics in your workplace. Making some life changing, transformational decisions and day by day sticking to them ... with or without, the approval of your peers. Hell, just getting out of bed, opening the curtains and stepping out into the day. Nobody knows what it took for you to do these things except you. Nobody hears the inner dialogue but you! They don't know when you've overridden it, nor when you succumb to it's charms, offering a easier softer way. Fewer still, would see fit to acknowledge what they themselves would consider inane in their own life, which then behooves each of us, to lead our own cheers. Retire the inner judge, jury and executioner - and elicit instead, your inner guide, teacher and loving cheering squad. (why settle for one lone voice in the wilderness) - why not have a a choir singing your praises??

I concede what is being suggested here, is a radical departure from the norm. But seriously, what form of reflection is apt to inspire you ... to keep you, "keepin' on"? To continue putting one foot in front of the other... What if that mountain, that the mustard seed size amount of faith can move .... is you?

If you envision the sort of feedback in your life that continued to "stoke your fire," this might give you a clue, as to what form your own inner dialogue might take. And I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest, you are not in any danger of "over-doing" it. I'm not talking about holding hostage anyone with ears ripe for the bending.

I am going to conjure the analogy that this push toward claiming the small victories is like exercising a muscle. If you go to the gym and just blitz every major muscle group today and then don't come back for 3 weeks. First of all you're going to be really stiff and sore. Secondly you will have attained nothing in the way of a fitness gain (no stronger, no more endurance).  Go two, three or four times a week .... decent rest and nutrition in between ... gradually intensity increases, and in 4 to 6 weeks, you will begin to notice some measurable improvement..

So it is with the inner victory.. Let's face it, it I cannot overcome the inertia, doubts, fears etc. necessary to roll the small snowball up the hill ... what chance am I going to have - what mental, emotional, physical, spiritual resources, will I have developed, to assert in the face of some of life's bigger challenges..


The small victories, the "fun" - damentals - over and over & over .... sometimes ad nauseam, will hold you in good stead when the big winds blow.

You might never stand on a podium (unless that is what you aspire to) but then again, you'll never be outed by the Olympic committee, having been found to be utilizing performance enhancing drugs, in the form of your latte compulsion.