A Round Of Applause For You!
It was an ordinary walk in my neighbourhood.
On my way to run some errands, I passed by the local elementary school. It was recess, and about 6 or 7 young kids lined up against the playground fence, their eyes locked on the front-yard of a neighbouring house.
Their point of interest? Three arborists cutting down a large tree. Having already removed the tree’s side branches, the arborists were now focused on the substantial trunk. One of the men, secured by ropes, stood near the top of the tree and was slowly chainsawing his way through the thick trunk.
The scene, while just another day for the arborists, absolutely enthralled the children. They were totally focused, mouths agape.
When the thick, sturdy tree trunk was finally sawed in half with a satisfying crack, the kids erupted in a chorus of claps and cheers. They threw their arms up into the air in a wave of delight.
“YAYYYYYYYYY!”
The arborist looked over to his audience. He grinned and then spontaneously joined in the celebration. He too threw his arms up in the air as if to say “ta-da!”. And he too called out:
“YAYYYYYYYYY!”
The moment was so joyously infectious, I too clapped and yelled:
“YAYYYYYYYYY!”
There are so many moments in our lives that just pass.
We seldom pause to take them in, or relish a moment of celebration or congratulation for the simple things. Sure, we might have a big party now and then to celebrate a major milestone, but most of the time, we just keep moving ahead. And as a result, we miss random moments of joy, and we forgo an opportunity to really appreciate the little things in our day to day lives.
With this in mind, I have two concepts for you to consider today:
1. The importance of reflection and taking stock.
As Seth Godin points out, “We don’t actually remember much of what happens. Instead, we get what we’ve rehearsed. If we fail to rehearse, the memory will fade.”
Or, as another wise man — Ferris Bueller — once pointed out, “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Journaling is a fantastic tool for this, as it gives us space to to reflect, recount happy events, appreciate our accomplishments, and relish the good things in our lives. By writing about recent events (such as how you spent your summer vacation, for example) you help cement the memories in your brain and extend your feelings of happiness and appreciation.
2. The value of a gratitude practice.
Having a method for reflecting on the good in our lives allows those good things to sink in deeper — so we really feel, experience, and appreciate them.
That’s why I made my product, the Gratitude Mini Card Deck. These cards offer inspiring gratitude prompts that make it easy to reflect on and write about the good things in your life... ranging from little things you’ve never thought much about, to the fortunate surprises caused by unfortunate events, to the helpers who’ve helped you get to where you are today. Check out the card deck here: www.camilledeputter.com/shop/gratitude-mini-card-deck
Be like the guy on the tree. For just a moment, throw your hands up in the air. Appreciate and celebrate all you’ve accomplished. Join those wide-eyes kids and give yourself a round of applause.
You deserve it.