Celebrate Your Success

“I assure you, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! For a shepherd enters through the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice. They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't recognize his voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn't understand what he meant, so he explained it to them. "I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep," he said. "All others who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. Wherever they go, they will find green pastures. The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:1-10 NLV).

Jesus very clearly taught that the life He offers is one of joy. At least one of the elements in experiencing this joy is the ability to celebrate our successes. It's also one that's easily ignored and even contradicted. The problem for many of us is that we never quite feel successful because as soon as we reach one goal or pass a certain milestone, we're already going after the next one. Too often we don't stop to revel in the feeling of accomplishment. We're too focused on the next rung of the ladder that's if we've even noticed we've moved up another rung. I'm not advocating resting on our laurels. I'm suggesting we truly experience the joy that comes from seeing our progress and accomplishing our objectives.

When we don’t allow ourselves to celebrate the successes of our lives we rob ourselves of an important part of life. It's the wrong focus, and, when we do this, we're being ungrateful. We actually deny the abundance Christ came to give us. Of course we can always see ways we could have done it better or faster. But the truth is we did it. So celebrate it. Mark it as the high point in your life. Then start creating the next one. Indulge yourself in feelings of triumph and success, and thumb your nose at the natural tendency to disparage your work or yourself.

What accomplishment can you celebrate? What milestones can you highlight or acknowledge? Your last promotion? Helping someone through a tough time? Winning that new contract? Losing those five pounds? Giving that presentation? When we do these things, it anchors positive feelings into our consciousness and prepares us for more of the same. Like attracts like and our feelings are powerful magnets indeed.

I like to keep a “Win List” as part of my daily journal. I find that listing the wins in my life big and small is more than therapeutic. And it's a real pick-me-up to review the good things that have happened to me as well as the things I've made happen. It keeps me grateful and it keeps me focused on the good stuff. Celebrating our successes employs a universal law: when we appreciate what we have and what we've done, we find ourselves having more to appreciate. Start your own “Win List” today. See if the celebrations don’t begin to stack up as you focus on the good things God has brought into your life.