Don’t put celebration off for another moment or for a special occasion. Tap into it. Step in and live the joyous power of celebrating and being grateful for life.
How happy and excited are you when you celebrate something?
You celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, holidays — all kinds of personal and special occasions. You give a card or gift, call the person, throw a party, go to lunch or dinner and surprise someone with your love. You think and feel so deeply for the person or people, and it gives you out-and-out, crashing joy.
Those emotions, ceremonies, giving and big feelings of love are all gratitude.
The other morning our phone rang around 7:30 a.m., and the person said, “I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to call right away to wish you — happy anniversary!” It was 100-percent lush, open gratitude.
The power of celebration is this — you are grateful and happy.
Celebration and gratitude are one and the same.
Let’s get more specific
- When you celebrate someone’s birthday you’re saying — “I’m grateful you were born.”
- An anniversary — “I love you. I’m grateful for our marriage.”
- Hari Raya Aidilfitri especially for Muslim — forgive each other and visit relatives while build and strengthen bondings.
A celebration is active, specific and abundant, as you can see from these examples. Gratitude is simply another word for it. Celebration is gratitude.
Look around you right now. There is something to celebrate; many things to celebrate. Pick one and start an active moment of celebration, an object of gratitude, a taste of celebration, a touch of gratitude, a smell of celebration or a sound of gratitude.
There’s the sun. It rises each day and celebrates with light, heat and growth. We depend on the sun for life. Its brilliance and warmth is a celebration. The power is amazing and gratifying all at once.
Doing the things you love is a way of celebrating and participating in the power and love of gratitude.
Also — don’t limit your love to just an intimate circle of friends and family. What about spreading celebration to other people, heading into universal love and appreciation? Just like Earth Day.
Where’s the celebration and gratitude in struggle and pain?
Things can be tragic and unbearable in life sometimes, but when you get through it there is a tremendous relief. You’re changed. You learn and grow and become strong. The relief is celebration and gratitude for living through hell.
Even in death, we celebrate a person’s life and meaning. Pain and loss have a celebration because you feel so much, no matter how bad it may seem. The agony and hurt come from loving and missing. When we remember and honor the life of someone, their memory is a celebration. You have gratitude to them for being in your life and your loving memories are a personal celebration and tribute to them.
Wikipedia says, “A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, respecting, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died.”
The energy of the celebration is tremendous! Why not make it the predominant energy, choice and force that runs your life? Play at it. Commit. Have fun and see the results. Reap the bounty and benefits of “gratitudbration” or “celebratude.” They’re exactly the same no matter how you mix them up.
The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. — Oprah Winfrey