Less Criticism More Celebration!

The following article,  written by my teacher and mentor Janet Amare for her December Inspirational Newsletter, truly spoke to me this holiday season. So with her permission it’s posted here for your inspiration.

I’ve been coaching, counselling, and helping people to heal for 35 years.  If there were any message I would want to share with all of the people I have ever helped is, “reduce the criticism and ramp up the celebration”.

Many people have been raised by parents and teachers who have focused on what is wrong with them.  And they have also learned to look for what is wrong.  Constant attention on what is wrong, or what needs to be done, or fixed, or improved can lead to a psyche and a nervous system that has no wiring for noticing what is great, and good, and complete.  It’s good to end each day, each week, each month and each year with a healthy assessment of the things you have accomplished, the projects you have completed, the moments you have loved, and the gifts you have to celebrate.

Because your nervous system has been wired to focus on what’s wrong you may need some help to balance yourself to be able to look for improvement in your life while still noticing and acknowledging everyday success, love, grace, and miracles.  Part of the key to being able to wholeheartedly celebrate is to develop your capacity to receive love and spot a miracle.

Here’s some tips:

1.  Take a moment each day and speak to yourself as if you are your own, precious child.  Tell yourself something that you like about yourself.  Be kind.

2. When you find yourself harping on about something that you haven’t done yet, or never get to, LET GO.  Just get quiet inside and ask yourself why you are neglecting your own desires in order to feed responsibility.  Are you really being responsible if you are not responding to your own heart?

3. Pick a time each day to celebrate the good stuff.  It can be a different time each day – It really doesn’t matter when.  What matters is that you remember to celebrate even if the “To Do List” is not all done.

4.  When you celebrate be patient, kind, loving, and passionate!  Say to yourself,”I ate a lunch today”, “I got out of bed, got dressed, and faced the day”, “I said Hello to the nice barista”, “I paid my hydro bill on time”.  Celebrate even the small stuff.  Just celebrate.

5. Notice the sky.  We have sunsets, even in cities, that are astounding.  Celebrate the beauty in Nature.

6. Think about all of the people around you each day that have contributed to everything you have and do.  Say, “Wow.  I got to work safely because there are people out there who run the hydro system, who keep the traffic lights going, who bring gas to the pumps, who maintain my vehicle, who own parking lots, who pave roads…”

7. Celebrate that you chose to have this life on Earth at a time when humanity is awakening, becoming more conscious, and opening to spiritual connection.  Even with all of the challenges we are facing there is hope that we can evolve.