Tis the Season to Acknowledge,
Fa La La La La La La La
For some of us, the holiday season can be hectic and stressful, trying to manage work, family, gift giving and events. "'Tis the season to be jolly" can sometimes leave us without a minute to take time for appreciating ourselves, and what we have accomplished during the year.
Accomplishment may be the wrong word, because we may automatically associate it with something big that we have done, rather than including the many smaller things we did to contribute to our work, families, relationships and community. I'd like to expand the word "accomplishment" to include the full range of successes that you have achieved.
Try asking yourself the following questions: To whom did you give encouragement? Did you share a smile or laugh with a stranger? Where did you volunteer time or money? What activities did you share with family and friends that were fulfilling for you? In what ways did you take care of yourself? What were all the small steps you took toward your goals and dreams, even if you haven't yet reached them? Were there any new insights or learnings that impacted you and helped you to grow personally or professionally?
More food for thought: Can you think of times when you were able to say yes, or no, based on what was really important to you? What decisions did you make that were more aligned with who you are? How often did you recognize your negative inner dialogue and ignore it? Were there times when were you clear about what you wanted and needed, and asked for it? How often were you able to take a few minutes out of your day, or week, or month, to reflect on what has meaning for you, and to readjust your priorities if needed?
Aligning who we are with what we do takes courage and practice. There is no perfection. That's why it's so important to acknowledge each step we take in that direction. Every day, you are taking steps that move you forward in your life. Most of us take that for granted, and we forget to acknowledge that we are on what Joseph Campbell calls the 'hero’s journey.' In both large and small ways, we go through the stages of the hero’s journey every day, as we depart from the known into the unknown, where we encounter our fears, overcome them, gain new wisdom, and contribute to others.
Doesn't it seem that it's so much easier for us to focus on what we are not doing, rather than appreciating ourselves and acknowledging what we have done? We even overlook the major accomplishments and changes we have made. It often takes another person to reflect back to us what we have already dismissed as finished, in order for us to see how far we have come on our own personal 'hero’s journey.'
Recently, one of my clients came to our coaching session, dismayed about not having completed two of the items we had discussed that would help her move forward in obtaining an internship for school and writing her thesis. True, those items needed to be completed. However, she missed the reality that in the last eighteen months she had left her job, started graduate school, performed in her choir, become engaged and moved into her new home, and was actively in the process of developing her thesis proposal. It became clear as we talked about this that the inner negative dialogue, her 'inner critic,' had been very active. This is so true for many of us, and at this time of year, when we are very busy, we can easily lose sight of what we have accomplished because we are focusing on what is not getting done.
Coaches and other professionals are not the only people who help us see what we don’t see about our successes. This past week, I was talking with a friend, and as I was telling her about a few things I had not kept up with regarding my business and personal development, she started listing off all the things I had done regarding my business, financial situation, and taking time for myself while dealing with a stressful family situation most of the year. She gave me a wonderful gift! I immediately felt my energy shift from lethargy to excitement, and my focus changed to my current situation and how far I had come.
Granted, there is always more to do. But sometimes we need to simply 'be' with what we have done and stop the doing. I saw two important things from this interaction with my friend: the first was the power of acknowledging others and being aware of what a contribution she made to me, and the second was a reminder for me to stop doing and start acknowledging.
This time of year we are not only busy with 'getting through the holidays' but we start hearing lots of messages having to do with looking forward to what is next for the coming year. We become bombarded with questions about our goals and our plans. I suggest that rather than taking all that we did not do from this year, and piling it onto next year, we instead reflect on whether those items really have meaning for us. How did they lose being a priority? What got in the way, what choices did we make, and were they aligned with who we are? Maybe we need to acknowledge ourselves for what we did not do! Before we focus our attention on what is next, it may be helpful to take time to appreciate and acknowledge all of the times that you aligned who you are with what you do.
I appreciate all of you and thank you for your readership. I wish you a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.
TIP
- Give the gift of acknowledgement to yourself and others
RESOURCES
- You are your own most valuable resource. Use your time wisely, with clarity, meaning and compassion.
COPYRIGHT AND PUBLISHER INFORMATION
© Carole Rehbock. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher.
Carole Rehbock works with leaders, teams and individuals to facilitate forward motion to produce results. Learn more at www.rehbocksolutions.com or give her a call at 510-843-6417.
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