When life is humming along beautifully it can feel almost too good to be true. As humans, we often have the thought “This is good, but when is the other shoe gonna drop?”
We can flip from the joy of thinking, “Wow, things are going great right now!” to gloomy thoughts of, “This can’t last, something’s bound to go wrong.” That feeling of impending doom squelches what should be a happy moment, right? When we get in that kinda mindset, the feeling of disaster is hovering around the corner. Sound familiar?
When the thrill of victory is short-lived and that anxious feeling sneaks in, we stop believing in our own success. Maybe even to the point where we consciously or unconsciously discount our achievements and hold our own success back. This ‘catastrophizing’–anticipating the worst–can really snuff out hope and the energy to try for more.
But wait, there’s good news—we can change this mindset! We can learn to recognize negativity for what it is: a mindset obstacle, not a prediction.
When we catch ourselves catastrophizing, we can simply label it for what it is—an unwelcome guest in the house of our happiness. Our internal dialogue could go something like this, “Oh, I’m catastrophizing again, instead of appreciating what is here right now. It doesn’t have to feel like this.
Now we can gently, kindly, and calmly guide our minds back to our achievement, allowing ourselves to truly feel the joy of success. In this way, we nourish the feeling of success and prepare our minds for more victories to come.
When we nourish our hearts and care for our mental well-being, new opportunities seem to materialize out of thin air.
This isn’t about being blind to reality or pretending everything is going to be OK. It’s about being in the moment and nurturing our joy so we can have more of it. We are consciously choosing to celebrate the opportunities and successes that steer us toward our desired outcomes.
We can’t entirely avoid negativity, but we sure can learn to see it for what it is. We can ask ourselves, “What does this have to teach me?” This helps us see valuable lessons without wallowing in negative emotions.
The phrase, “Neurons that wire together fire together,” is profoundly relevant here. By consistently associating positive experiences with our sense of self, we can redefine our perceptions of happiness and success.
Celebrating our victories–no matter how small–is a surefire way to set ourselves on the path to more wins.
Do this: Next time you score a win, take a moment or two, or even just a single breath, to let it sink in. Savor the feeling, and connect your success with the pleasure you feel in that moment.
When you stumble or have negative experiences acknowledge them, but don’t let them overpower you. Ask yourself, what’s the lesson here? Take a moment to assess what you can learn from it, and how you can use it towards new opportunities for success. Really allow yourself to feel the satisfaction of learning from experiences. This will keep your momentum and empower you for your next challenge.
So, how do you celebrate your victories?
I invite you to explore working with me as your mindset coach, whether for personal growth or to empower your team. Together, we can navigate your journey to a mindset that honors and celebrates success.