A Tradition of Celebration

It’s been a week now since we raised a glass in celebration of the New Year. It’s one of my favorite times of the year because people everywhere celebrate in a big way. I always wonder why so many will celebrate this one night of the year, but seem to forget the importance of celebration the rest of the year.

We need to carry this spirit of celebration throughout the year. Some people are really good at recognizing and celebrating the small successes in their life. Sadly, other people are so tied up focusing on the challenges in their lives (and those around them) that they can’t even see the small successes. This lack of recognition of the good stuff contributes to our disengagement at work and home, and it’s one of the easiest to fix.

As you start 2011, I invite you to join us for a little tradition of celebration we use to carry the spirit of celebration throughout the year. My Facebook friends know it well. It’s something we call Champagne Friday. Every Friday we pause for a moment to celebrate what is working well in our lives. Life will always throw crud in our way, and we have a responsibility to deal with the crud. However, a constant focus on the crud (which many people do) keeps us from seeing the many blessings we have in our life. Champagne Friday is a chance to allocate a specific time to count those blessings.

After encouraging an audience a while back to join me in the celebration of Champagne Friday, I was approached by a lady who said, “I don’t drink alcohol, so I guess I’ll have to find another way to celebrate.” I smiled at this lady and said, “Keep this one simple fact in mind. It’s not what you put in the glass that matters. It’s the fact you’re raising it.”

Today is the first Friday of 2011. It’s an opportunity to start a new tradition of celebration. So before you put your head on a pillow tonight, lift your beverage of choice in celebration of all the blessings in your life. Then make a commitment to continue the tradition every Friday throughout 2011.

Enthusiastically,

Clint Swindall