Hi There,

If you’d asked any of my current or former coaching clients about celebration, they would respond uniformly, and perhaps not as you would intuitively expect. Before our second session, they will concur that they have been introduced to the concept of celebration and had been invited to begin celebrating that very day.

The interesting tidbit here is that each client on my roster has a unique aspiration regarding the outcome of their coaching. And yet, celebration is a consistent place to begin. After all, from DAY ONE, I want these courageous professionals to start rewiring their neurochemistry. Celebration accomplishes this wish in two ways.

Firstly, as humans, we tend to be astoundingly hard on ourselves. Our internal dialogues could “make a sailor blush”. But by celebrating small wins like remaining fully focused during a meeting, finishing a proposal draft, or having a courageous conversation, we are shining light on all we do each day that has historically been discounted as “just my job” or “no big deal”.

The second reason for an early introduction to the power of celebration is to negate the effects of the negativity bias (How’s that for a double negative?!) Did you know that about 75% of our thoughts are negative? And 90% of our thoughts are repeats from the past. The good news is that you can be intentional about shifting to more positive thoughts by acknowledging all you do.

Plus, positive thoughts of recognition will result in a D.O.S.E. of “happy hormones” pulsing through your body. These neurotransmitters (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and Endorphins) reward us with a sense of well-being, connection and, dare I say, euphoria. They can even serve to mitigate physical pain.

Today, I invite you to ‘brainwash’ yourself by starting to notice all that you do which contributes to the fulfilment of your job, your role, your relationships and your aspirations. Mentally toast to each action you implement in service to yourself, your family, your friends & community, your colleagues, and the enterprise you represent.

You may notice a funny thing happens when you intentionally celebrate each of your tiny efforts— namely, the witnessing of others performing celebration-worthy acts, efforts and deeds, too! And when you acknowledge what you notice about others, they, too, will benefit from a D.O.S.E. of happy hormones.

Cheers!

-Deborah Goldstein