Throw a victory party, not a pity party, for yourself
Start the new year by celebrating your successes | Health | The Seattle Times. Dr. Tony Hacker’s article in the January 18, 2015 Seattle Times newspaper mirrors my thoughts: celebrate even the smallest of victories in your life.
Some of us feel our lives should be characterized by humility rather than pride. Sounds admirable but can lead to self-deprecation and result in drawing more attention to ourselves than not. One of the ways in which we practice this brand of humility is by being critical of ourselves when we don’t measure up to our great expectations. “…(I)f we set our standards too high we never feel that what we do is good enough.” What an unfair bar we set for ourselves.
Dr. Hacker encourages us to feel good about our accomplishments and stop struggling to acknowledge our successes.
Many of us struggle with feeling pleased and happy when we accomplish something. It can be difficult to recognize and acknowledge that our determination has paid off.
Several years ago a work friend admonished me for not receiving a compliment she had given me. Polly said, “Stop it, Irene. Just say thank you. Don’t apologize or make light of what I just said.”
Ever since that time, I have aimed to respond more affirmatively when given kudos because I realize that if I don’t accept the commendations that come my way, in effect I’m rejecting the generous gift of another.
Go ahead and celebrate all of your successes. You’ll find that you’re far more worthy of a victory party than a pity party. No one will fault you for feeling good about your accomplishments.
Living: the ultimate team sport 
January 25, 2015 at 8:44 am
Reblogged this on Inspirational Soup and commented:
I’m always enough and some
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January 25, 2015 at 8:56 am
Thanks so much for connecting my article to your blog. I’m thrilled to get more exposure but more importantly, I hope my words provide an element of encouragement in your Followers’ days.
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January 20, 2015 at 1:20 pm
It does feel good when you realize you’re not giving yourself enough credit, and you “throw a victory party.”
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January 20, 2015 at 1:24 pm
As is so often the case, we tend to be harder on ourselves than warranted. My friend Polly really made an impact on me when she admonished me for not accepting her compliment. Haven’t forgotten it and I keep trying to practice it. Thanks Polly!
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