In the recent Emmy’s acceptance speech by Niecy Nash on 16th January 2024, she thanked herself, with a loud applause from the audience. Yes, we all recognize how important it is to thank ourselves.
I love her choice of words to believe in herself – a delicious invitation to believe in yourself. She won the awards against all odds. She gave voice to all women who went through tremendous hardships and inspired all women to not lose hope. She celebrated who she is and what she has achieved by believing in herself. What a wonderful speech!
We so often do so much, non-stop, one task after another. No one knows the frustration we feel and/or the tears we cried, or the numerous times we wanted to quit. No one knows how much it costs us to keep believing in ourselves when no one else did. Yet, with all the major and minor achievements, we let the celebration slip. When we fail, we beat ourselves. But when we succeed, do we remember to take time to celebrate? Are we not worthy of celebration? Hence, we must remember to celebrate when we achieve something, whether big or small – a simple pat on your back, or a high-5 to yourself in the mirror, or a celebration cake or chocolate or meal or drink. Remember: We are worthy of celebration.
I know of friends who downplay birthday celebrations, especially as they get older. I believe we should always celebrate:
- Celebrations are a reminder of who we are and what we’ve achieved, not just another number or another year.
- Celebrations bring meaning to our achievements and milestones
- Celebrations bring us together with people who love and support us
- Celebrations bring joy and treasured memories
- Celebrations inspire us to dream bigger!
Today, I embrace and celebrate my true self. And I celebrate and thank God for creating the one-and-only ME! Yes, I just looked at the mirror and told myself – You Are Awesome – and gave myself an High-5!
Question: How can you embrace and celebrate your true self today?