Episode 100 - Let’s Celebrate!

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Episode 100 - Let’s Celebrate!

Hello, my friends!

Welcome to the podcast! This is a big day here at Seasons Coaching.  I am celebrating the release of my 100th episode.  Thank you for being here with me!  

First, I wanted to remind you about my upcoming workshop, Navigating Midlife with Grace: Strengthening Connection with Self, Others, and God. I am beyond excited to share this with you. The purpose of this workshop is to help empower women of faith in the midseason of life as they work on deepening their relationships with themselves, others, and God, and providing them with practical tools and strategies to do just that. This is an opportunity to gather with other women of faith in a safe and supportive space to share experiences, and connect with one another.

This is an in-person workshop and it will be held on March 23rd from 9 am - 3 pm in Cache Valley, Utah, just about 10 miles outside of Logan, Utah. 

Do you feel:

Unsure of your purpose now that your children are raised?

Unsure of what you even like to do anymore?

Unsure how to interact with your adult children?

Unsure how to connect with your spouse now that you are the only two at home?

Unsure of how to connect with God when you are feeling so lost?

If this sounds like you, you don’t want to miss this amazing opporunity.

You will get:

A full day of comprehensive, hands-on workshopping

A deep dive into ways to help you strengthen connection in your relationships.

We will be focusing on the relationships you have with yourself, others, and God.

We will be incorporating mindfulness and restorative practices throughout the workshop to provide you opportunities to be still and reflect on what you are learning.

There will be multiple opportunities to be coached or watch coaching live. This provides the opportunity to actually see the concepts you will be learning applied to real circumstances.

You can learn more about my Navigating Midlife with Grace workshop by visiting my website: www.seasons-coaching.com/workshops.

Registration is open but limited to 35 women and I would love you to be one of them.

So today is the day!  

When I began this podcast journey almost 2 years ago, I wasn’t sure where this would go and now here I am recording my 100th episode.  It has been an amazing experience for me.  I have grown in so many ways.  I honestly think if no one listened, it wouldn’t matter because of how I have expanded as a person.  It has allowed me to find the voice within myself.  I have been able to practice articulating my beliefs and the things of my heart.  

So today, I am celebrating!  As part of the celebration, I am giving away some fun things.

One ticket to the Navigating Midlife with Grace to use or give to a friend.

$100 Amazon Gift Card

3 Mini Coachign Sessions (30 minutes each)

Valued at $300!

This is how you can enter to win. 

1. Rate and review the Seasons of Joy Podcast

2. Take a screenshot of your review and share it to your stories and tag @seasons_coaching    

Winner will be announced Friday, March 7th!

You can find all of this in the share notes so be sure to enter my giveaway and celebrate with me!

Now on to this week’s episode!

I want to talk about the importance of celebrating.

Isn’t it interesting how we often shy away from talking about our accomplishments? It's like we're afraid of jinxing ourselves or coming off as too boastful. So we hide and don’t share. Yet, these small victories are what propel us in our daily lives. Sharing our wins can enhance our self-confidence and inspire others to do the same.

So, why is it so hard for us to celebrate?

I am going to share with you 6 reasons why it might be hard for you to celebrate. And 4 reasons why we should celebrate more.

Reasons why it can be hard to celebrate.

1. Negativity Bias. I believe that one reason we do this is because our brains have the tendency to lean towards the negative.  This negative bias has been part of human survival since the beginning of time.  It kept our ancestors safe. However, in our modern society its relevance has diminished over time.  Yet, this bias lingers within us.  When we focus on the negative and discount the positive, it can cause us to feel anxious, stressed, or depressed.  This blocks us and prevents us from celebrating.

2. Imposter Syndrome.  We have all heard about this. This includes self-doubt, comparing, perfection, and believing we might be exposed as a fraud. All of these prevent or discourage us from celebrating.

3. No Room. We live in a fast-paced world.  We can feel pressure when we are focused on our to-do lists, ideas, projects, and new and improved ways of doing things.  This can leave little to no room for pausing, appreciating or celebrating because we are so busy accomplishing and doing instead of reflecting or celebrating. 

4. Worry. We can spend time thinking about what could have or should have happened.  These kinds of thoughts can distract us and can leave us feeling depleted and discouraged.  This prevents us from wanting to celebrate because we are believing that it should have been done differently. So, it is hard to see what was done good or what we could celebrate. 

5. Minimization. For many of us, we don’t like being in the spotlight.  We compare ourselves to others and discount what we have done and shrug things off as “no big deal” because it doesn’t seem as important. I think that sometimes in our culture it can be viewed as boastful, egotistical, or prideful. So we minimize it so we don’t appear that way.

6. Expectations.  We can discount what we accomplish if it doesn’t meet our expectations.  If we fall short of our expectations or desired outcomes, we can have a tendency to focus on the gap between where we are and where we want to go. This limits us from seeing how we can celebrate. 

So, I want to talk about why we celebrate. If we lean into our negative bias, focus on our imposter syndrome, don’t make room, worry about the could have, should have, would have, minimize what is great about us or what we can do, or believe that we have to achieve our expected outcome in order to celebrate, we will never celebrate.

Here are the reasons we should celebrate more:

1. **It’s Science**: There’s science behind celebrating. When celebrating, no matter how big or small the thing we are celebrating is, our brain releases the “feel good” chemicals–serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine. These neurotransmitters make us feel safe and rewarded which can help reinforce certain behaviors or habits.  Our cortisol levels go down which is the stress hormone in our bodies. This helps us regulate our nervous systems so we move from the fight or flight mode into a more relaxed and calm state.

2. **Boosts Motivation**: By acknowledging and celebrating even the smallest wins, we can boost our motivation. Sometimes we just wait around for motivation to happen.  We tell ourselves, “I wish I was more motivated.” By acknowledging and celebrating our small wins, we are building our own motivation. It validates our efforts, instills a sense of accomplishment, and keeps us inspired to progress towards our goals. This positive reinforcement helps us stay driven and focused, making it easier to tackle more significant challenges.

3. **Builds Confidence**: Celebrating small wins helps to build self-confidence and self-esteem. Each small win acts as a stepping stone toward our larger dreams and goals, demonstrating progress. Recognizing and honoring these accomplishments can help bolster belief in our abilities, nurturing a positive mindset which is crucial for sustained success.

4. **Fosters a Positive Mindset**: The act of celebrating small wins nurtures a positive mindset, shifting your focus from where you are now and where you want to be to how far you have come. This is what Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy call the Gap & the Gain. This mindset shift encourages gratitude, resilience, and a sense of fulfillment, all essential for overall well-being. By celebrating small wins along the journey, we create a more positive and gratifying path towards where we want to go. The more we look for wins, the more we will find.

Now that we have talked about what holds us back from celebrating and why we should celebrate more.  I wanted to talk about one small habit you can add to your day to help you invite more celebration into your life. It is called the High Five Habit.  This is something that author, Mel Robbins, teaches in her book The High Five Habit. This is something that I share with all of my clients. In Robbins’ book, she talks about the science behind the high five but basically the act of high fiving can actually be a powerful tool to increase confidence and build trust.  

Think about the last time you high fived someone.  How did you feel? Throughout our lives when we high five someone we are celebrating something and our brain remembers this and releases the “feel good” endorphins that I spoke about earlier. We also are thinking about positive things which create positive emotions.

In her book, Robbins shares a study that explored the best way to motivate school-age kids.  When kids received a high five they felt higher levels of self-esteem and they showed greater perseverance. Robbins believes that this is because when we high five someone we are celebrating the person not what they are accomplishing, their ability or even their effort. So her argument is that when we high five ourselves, we are communicating confidence and trust in ourselves. 

I believe that from that place, we show up in the world as an influence for good and we are more likely to celebrate others.

Basically, it works like this. The first thing in the morning you look at yourself in the mirror and you say something kind or encouraging to yourself while you high five yourself. Holding it for a few seconds while looking yourself in the eye.

When I first began practicing the High Five Habit for myself, it was difficult for me to look in the mirror at myself without being critical or negative.  It was so easy for me to find and focus on what I believed were my flaws, my faults, and my shortcomings.  As time has gone by, it has become easier and easier and actually very healing in a way for me to do this practice now. 

I want to be clear here.  This practice isn’t about lifting ourselves up to a level that we view ourselves as better than anyone else or believing that we are perfect.  It is about elevating ourselves to the same level as everyone else because no one is better than another. I believe that more often than not, we place ourselves below others.  We speak to ourselves in a way that we would never dream of speaking to anyone else. It is about seeing ourselves as who we really are–as a divine child of God that is just as valuable and worthy as anyone else.  Our value and worth is not hierarchical or we don’t earn it.  It just is.  I have spoken about this many times before and I probably won’t stop speaking about it because I believe that it is one of the most important things we need to understand about ourselves and our fellow human beings–our fellow travelers on this earth..

For me, speaking to myself isn’t about empty affirmations.  The words I say have to be believable on some level or I won’t stick with it.  There really isn’t a wrong way to do this. The important part is to find something that inspires, encourages and celebrates you. 

I have found that when I focus on my true identity this helps me the most.  I am going to share with you what my high five habit statement is and again I invite you to find something that feels right to you. Have fun with it!

My statement is, “I am a beloved daughter of Heavenly Parents who love me and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This reminds me of my true identity and that it isn’t about being perfect and never making mistakes.  My Heavenly Parents' love for me doesn’t go away no matter what and that my Savior will be with me through all of it to support and strengthen me.  This is definitely worth celebrating!

So that is my invitation to you today–celebrate, so that you can feel better, become more motivated, build confidence and trust in yourself, be an influence for good in the world, and enjoy the journey.

How can you incorporate celebration into your every day?

What is one thing you could celebrate today?

What would your high five statement be?

That is all I have for you today.  I hope you can find something to celebrate today!

Thank you for listening and celebrating with me!  Remember, to continue this celebration by: 

1. Leaving a rating and review for the Seasons of Joy Podcast 

2. Taking a screenshot of your review and sharing it to your stories and tag Instagram: @seasons_coaching and Facebook: seasons.life.coaching

Again, thank you for listening and have a joyful week!

Mentioned in the podcast:

The Gap and the Gain: The Achievers’ Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success by Dan Sullivan, Dr. Benjamin Hardy, et al.

The High 5 Habit: Take Control of Your Life with One Simple Habit by Mel Robbins and Mel Robbins Productions, Inc.

Register HERE for my in-person workshop, Navigating Midlife with Grace: Strengthening Connection with Self, Others, and God. Registration closes March 15.

Listen to learn more!

Are you ready to take what I teach to a deeper level?  I would love to be your coach!  

Click HERE to schedule a FREE Clarity Call with me to learn more.

Grab my recent Strengthening Your Relationship with God During the Holidays Workshop.

Grab the 5 Day Relationship Reboot Challenge Workbook HERE.

For another great FREE resource, grab my Mending the Rift: Repairing Relationships with Adult Children.

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