Celebrating the good

18 Nov Celebrating the good

My two year old has been on a semi hunger strike for a while now and has been refusing to eat almost everything he used to love.  He’d nibble on things throughout the day but would never finish a full meal, particularly the ones I’d packed with hidden veggies and proteins.  For a mom, this is really quite stressful, despite all the things you hear about letting them eat when they want to eat.  I’ve prayed many prayers for this child’s eating habits, or rather the lack thereof!  For about a week now, it’s as though a switch has been flipped and he is now cleaning off his plate at each mealtime.  He is so proud of himself each time and brings his plate to the kitchen with a grin from ear to ear, showing anyone who will take notice, including the dogs.  I’ve learnt that he wants to be praised in these moments, celebrated for his achievement.  I’ve also realised that this is an answer to my prayers, which is also a reason for celebration and thanksgiving.

You see, it’s often in times of doubt, worry, stress or sadness that we pray for something good.  It is then that we beg for victory, the positive outcome, success.  How often though, do we remember these desperate prayers at the point of the success, the victory?  Not often enough.  How often do we give thanks for good things that have happened to us?  Not often enough.

Having worked in a corporate environment for almost ten years, one of the most common issues people raise is not receiving acknowledgement for a job well done.  In a fast paced, high performing world, a job well done becomes an expectation and there is often very little appreciation shown for doing what’s expected of you.  I am always baffled by this, given how far a “thanks, you did a great job on that” can go.

When I was a junior in the team, putting in my best efforts to learn and put out a quality deliverable, I was lucky enough to work with great leaders who always showed genuine thanks for the work that was done.  It made me feel encouraged, motivated to do even better the next time and to continuously strive for excellence.  As I’ve now moved into a role that requires me to lead and manage others, I’ve tried to adopt that style of leadership because I know what it can do for the individual and the team they’re part of.

I’ve come to realise that celebrating the good is so important for ourselves and those around us, at home and at the office.  It often takes just a moment, but can have a lasting impact.