If 2020 taught us a lesson we could apply to our lives in 2021, it’s to embrace everything that brings us joy. In a year when were deprived of the opportunity to live a normal life, we gained a new appreciation of the things that are important to us but used to take for granted: good health, the sanctuary of our homes, and the love and support of our families and friends. Even a simple event like a picnic in the park was embraced with renewed gratitude as we reconnected with the people who mean the most to us.
In a similar vein, celebrating all of life’s special moments is another opportunity to be grateful for the notable things that happen in our lives. Not just the big things – but the small things too. With everything going on in the world lately, don’t you think we owe it to ourselves to share a joyous milestone with others and forget about other things for a while?
Like that picnic in the park we were talking about, a celebration is a great way to bond with our families and friends. Whether we come together to celebrate happy occasions, like a wedding, or even to commemorate more sombre occasions like a funeral, we get a chance to connect with those we care about on a deeper and more profound level. At the same time, these occasions give a sense of meaning and significance to our lives. Our shared existence would be an empty and bleak one were it not for these sign posts that indicate life is going in the right direction. Weddings, birthdays, promotions, or anything worth celebrating, are not just about the events themselves. Celebrating should reflect our gratitude and enjoyment of what we have, instead of focusing on what we don’t have.
Celebrating does more than feed our sense of gratitude, and reduce our sense of entitlement. According to research conducted by Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California Davis and Dr. Michael McCullough of the University of Miami, people who approach every day with an attitude of celebration and gratitude have more energy, feel less stress and anxiety, are more likely to help others, exercise on a regular basis, get a better night’s sleep, have improved physical health, and make greater progress toward achieving personal goals. All of these benefits were reported by people who simply made a weekly list of things for which they were grateful.
The things we celebrate don’t have to be life-changing events like weddings, or the birth of a child, or even gaining a driver’s licence. We should take time to celebrate the smaller things too: a shower of rain after a dry spell, or a child learning to ride a bike (although that is a life-changing event for the youngster). Let’s not shrug our shoulders and move on. Let’s take joy in every positive thing and be thankful; even with all the issues facing us today, we still have so much to be grateful for.