Celebrate Your Small Wins

Celebrate Your Small Wins

It is party time! Release the balloons. Pop a bottle. Blow out the candles on your cake. 

It may not feel like it, but YOU deserve a celebration. Right now, we are celebrating the moment. This moment is THE MOMENT. This moment is your moment. Our world is changing every day, and the social constructs that we were so familiar with begin to amaze us with how they have transitioned. There may be times when we feel that we are not doing enough to be a part of these moments; by celebrating small wins in our everyday life, we can correlate them to other aspects of our lives that we found challenging to face. 

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Challenge: Indecisiveness: You have a hard time making a decision. 

Small Win: You chose a movie or TV show to watch.  

Why It’s A Win: There are a plethora of options and directions to go. Every day you are making important decisions that impact the lives of you, your family members, and the people you work with. We can ruminate over every one of them at length, but this is a small decision that brings you a bit of joy in the moment. 

Challenge: Unhealthy eating habits. You have eaten cereal for dinner three nights in a row. 

Small Win: You remembered to nourish yourself. 

Why It’s A Win: The definition of “unhealthy eating” is more subjective to our social ideas and pressure. We have learned along the way that what we do in times of hardship is wrong, rather than a part of survival instincts. Your circumstances financially and emotionally impact what is defined as “unhealthy.” It’s okay because you recognized it as something you wouldn’t normally do, and you will try something that feels healthier to you the next day. 

Challenge: You haven’t been paying attention to all the politics and don’t quite understand what is happening

Small Win: You recognized change is occurring and have a desire to make sense of something

Why It’s a Win: There is a lot of information globally, and it gets very confusing. Not everyone can follow every event happening in the political landscape. Focus your influences locally and within your circle of influence. Do some research with other people who make you feel comfortable in asking questions about the issues. Make sure that you are registered to vote. Remember to vote. That’s all the heavy mental lifting that’s required.

Challenge: You didn’t do all the items on your list and did nothing all-day

Small Win: You took rest

Why It’s A Win: We are conditioned to work hard to get our rewards. There is enough hustle culture in the world that we often forget what all the hustling is for. Take a day to recharge and reset yourself. 

Challenge: You haven’t showered in 3 days

Small Win: Your sense of smell kicked, and you only smell like you’re dying

Why It’s A Win: You’re loved ones will be grateful that you have chiseled off those leggings and the stained T-shirt. That shower, when you finally take it, is going to feel like such a relief. The air around you will be such a relief to breathe in.  

You showed up for the moment where you needed yourself. Stop beating yourself up for not doing the thing that you planned to do. Celebrate the small wins in your life. You have been in the moment that your journey led you to. Where are you supporting yourself and your accomplishments? 

About the author: Brandy Collins is a Bay Area native full of Scorpio magic and self-proclaimed Professional Aunty telling stories for Oakland Voices, Oaklandside, and the funny one in group chats. Follow on twitter @gurl79, Instagram @story_soul_collecter, and her website http://storysoulcollector.com/.

Time for Rejuvenation

Photo by Sam Shin on Unsplash

re·ju·ve·na·tion
noun
– the action or process of making someone or something look or feel better, younger, or more vital.

For many, summer is a time to take a break or go on a vacation or even a staycation. This is a perfect time to rejuvenate:

  1. Celebrate. Give yourself a high five for all the positive progress made throughout the year. Look at anything that new that you have experienced or learned. These are moments that identify and shape your character. Even as adults we are still moving and growing into better versions of ourselves. This period of review is a good opportunity to take a look at your progress. It doesn’t have to be leaps of change in your life. It could be something as small as buying fresh flowers for your home because you set out to make your home more beautiful. Celebrate that effort because it was something you weren’t doing before. 
  2. Be patient. It’s okay if you are not where you thought you would be now. It’s possible that you set something into motion that requires more patience and less interaction. You may have also encountered a barrier that has you stumped. Take a look at that barrier and question why it’s a barrier and what you can learn from this moment. We all have setbacks and its okay to acknowledge those. The objective is not perfection but rather to continue the practice. Be patient with yourself and remember that you are on your journey. The journey itself may be the destination. 
  3. Review the intentions you set for yourself. Don’t forget that an intention is not a goal. It’s your purpose behind the goal. What is it that you set out to achieve and its purpose in your life? Recall why you made your vision board. One of the hardest lessons to learn is releasing the ego. Our egos may want us to hold fast to ideas that may be slowing us down. Your purpose for a goal may have also shifted as you worked through it. The intention may not have been serving you in the way you thought it would. You aren’t beholden to the original intention if it no longer serves where you are going. Permit yourself to let it go.
  4. Rest. You have been toiling away at making your business boom, your fitness goals or finding a new relationship. Whatever it was you set out to do, remember that you cannot enjoy what you have accomplished or will accomplish if you’re burnt out. We are living in a world that provides access to information and people non-stop. You may need to unplug by the pool and read a magazine. Take time to sit down with a coloring book. It’s okay during the hustle to stop and acknowledge your work by journaling your thoughts without nitpicking over what you haven’t accomplished yet. You will feel refreshed and get back to your journey with renewed energy. 

Wherever you are, know that you have come a lot farther than you think you did. You can find ways to rejuvenate yourself as you continue the rest of the year. Before you know it, you will be setting new intentions and goals.