Alright-let’s start this off by being 100% authentic! Is there anyone who does not connect with this comic?
Has life unfolded just exactly as you thought it would? (If so, I want to know your secret!) We don’t even have to talk about life, by the way. How about today? I start each day with a list of what I need and hope to accomplish, and what I expect to happen. In other words, MY plans-the key word there is MY.
Throughout my Purpose-chosen career, I have been honored to walk alongside families and provide even the littlest of support in the toughest of times. During these times, it can be extremely challenging to find or see the BIG WINS. However, I learned a lesson a long time ago, and began sharing that lesson with the volunteers and teams that I worked with- we must change our mindset! We didn’t get the winning decision from the Judge or Jury, maybe we didn’t get the second diagnosis that we prayed for and yet, what I have been shown time and time again is that everything happens for a reason, and there is a bigger game plan than what we might see in front of us.
We must change our perspective and celebrate each and every victory, even those that seem to be small and of no significance! Maybe it’s a project you made a little progress on, maybe you just had an “ahead” day that was better than the day before, or maybe you celebrated a family milestone-those are all wins!
Usually, when we map out our plan for our life, or for the day, — we put the finish line checkered flag at the end, and we think, When I get THERE- I’ll celebrate. When I’ve checked every item off the list, only then do I have a victory. It makes perfect sense if you are expecting a nice, straight line to victory. Please again refer to the comic above for another dose of reality and notice the spacing of the red flags-those are your small wins.
The truth is that we know we are going to encounter our fair share (or sometimes more than fair share) of obstacles between here and the finish line, and we cannot wait until we get “there” to celebrate. Does THERE really exist?
Why are small wins important?
As author John C. Maxwell said, “Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.” This includes disciplines in our attitude and perspective. Are we simply overlooking small wins every day because we are too focused on a bigger victory? Have you ever been so caught up in thinking about when something would end that you ruined the moments you were in? Sadly, I know that I have.
I happen to be a fan of the television drama series, This Is Us. It ended last month in, well…dramatic fashion. One of the quotes I took away from the final episode was from the deceased patriarch, Jack.
Try to appreciate the moments. That’s what we’re doing, just collecting these little moments. And we spend the rest of our lives looking back, trying to remember.
These “moments” are our small wins every day; every day has them. You must invest in the small things and understand that you only have the moment you are in. It is only the combination of moments over time that achieve the big things.
Need two BIG reasons to notice and celebrate the little wins and every victory along your journey?
- It gives you motivation to keep going.
Small wins (which can translate to BIG memories) are found in every day-I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait for tomorrow!
- It makes you feel happy.
Pausing to celebrate any small victory feels good and make you happy. Let’s talk about that word happiness a little more.
According to American Jungian psychoanalyst, and author of seventeen books, Dr. James Hollis-our quest for happiness is not really the focus of our lives.
Instead, we should design our lives around finding meaning and purpose. So, why is happiness mentioned in every single written insight about celebrating small victories?
Hollis adds, “Joy, and happiness, are not goals in themselves, but they are the by-product of those moments when we are doing what is really right for us.”
Friends, Happiness is a by-product! When we are fully engaged in our lives, our confidence runs higher, our actions match our intentions, our love for ourselves grows, and we experience a life lived on Purpose, no matter the straight lines, dips, bumps, and detours along the journey.
ALSnewstoday.com recently shared a blog from Dagmar Munn, and her reflections on living with ALS, and taking time every week for mini celebrations.
Celebrating for me is taking the time, even just a few minutes, to acknowledge completion and bring closure to the time, energy, and emotion I poured into the project. Often, I simply push back in my chair while taking a deep breath and think, “Ta-da!” OK, I imagine confetti falling all around me, too. My mental celebrations are vital to my self-care.
The point here is that knowing that my life has meaning and purpose helps me cope with the physical limitations of ALS.
Take time to notice all your victories, and when you do, no matter how small, pause for 15-30 seconds and really feel it. Applaud yourself. Congratulate yourself-and most of all, take it all in.
-Tonya Hitschmann, Director of Community Programs
…she (author Susan Cain) employs the same mix of research, storytelling, and memoir to explore why we experience sorrow and longing, and the surprising lessons these states of mind teach us about creativity, compassion, leadership, spirituality, mortality and love.
We observe our environment cycling through phases and stages of transition. We also quickly realize that nothing ever stands still, that nothing ever maintains its current state for very long. All of nature cycles through seasons of change and transformation, effortlessly and naturally — just like we transition through psychological and physical states of transformation throughout our lives; although, sometimes not quite as effortlessly and naturally.
Fall – Sensing a Shift in Your Life and Preparing for What’s to Come
From those living with ALS to their caregivers, to their children, grandchildren, and everyone in between, every member of every ALS family needs a hand to hold as they walk along the ALS journey.
ALS Texas is here to support your emotional needs on the ALS journey, but it all starts with you. Those living with ALS and caring for those living with ALS have the most wisdom to pass to others who will experience this disease. Take it from ALS family, Mike & Mary Busch, who shared, “When you get further into the journey, you realize you have valuable experience that you can share with others.”
We can apply this same approach to real life, too. While we can absolutely have a strategy for our life and should indeed make some really important plans, those plans will not work all the time, and circumstances and situations can and do change. Ultimately, we will have to accept that an awful lot in our life is left up to the spin. Getting to that point is much like a board game-it can take a long time and include a lot of frustration along the way.
The future is an illusion and only a concept in your head. That is how our minds trick us; we are promised that we’ll get something that we already have. The future begins today, right now-but how do we stay present in the here and now, and invite happiness into our lives? Try these tips as a start!