“You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.” -Brené Brown
One of my life’s mantras recently has become “#ThisCallsForSomeBubbly”. Used in many of my social media posts, it extends far beyond a hashtag into my new way of looking at life. The American culture has us conditioned to only break out the champagne for major life events: engagements, marriage, promotions, large business wins, and other moments where we can easily pin-point a monumental milestone of positive change.
These milestones, though, are few and with much time and hard work in between. While these big moments most certainly should be celebrated in a big way, it is our daily choices and actions that create, feed, and fuel the greatest moments of our lives. Instead of living for the next big event, I’ve decided to enjoy every moment and celebrate my progress as much as I do my accomplishments.
#ThisCallsForSomeBubbly began for me as a coping mechanism to get through a very tough time in my life that required far too much Adulting in far too little time. I had a seemingly endless to-do list full of items that involved lawyers, courts, trips to federal and state bureaus of a various assortment, and many other incredibly difficult and emotionally exhausting things.
During this time I read a few Brené Brown books as well as Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff. You might not get into those self-help books, but that’s just fine. Let me paraphrase a bit of what I learned from these: love yourself. Why do we treat ourselves with any less love, respect, or compassion than we would a close friend or even stranger? Change your inner voice to stop being your worst critic and start being your best friend.
So I began celebrating my progress. I stopped judging myself for why I was dealing with what I was dealing with, and I started focusing on my ability to do it. Life brings a lot of shit storms in between the highlights that we plaster all over social media and share with anyone who will listen. They are just as much a part of life as any good thing that might happen to us, and they more often than not shape us into the person we need to be to handle the challenges that even the best of opportunities can bring.
Even if you’re feeling like you are in a rut or on a plateau—not going through either a really high high or really low low in life—celebrate the progress you are making. If you have a 5-year goal that is made up of many small, seemingly insignificant steps along the way, you’re effing taking those steps and that is something to celebrate.
I’ve found that the best time for me to pop open a bottle of anything bubbly is when I least feel like celebrating. I rarely actually drink champagne; the Dom can be saved for one of those truly huge life milestones. Moscato d’asti, prosecco, or even non-bubbly dessert wines still can set the mood for celebration. When I am fully overwhelmed by life and drowning in a daunting to-do list, or if I feel like I just can’t possibly reach my goals, opening a bottle and taking the time to acknowledge how far I’ve come and all that I have to be grateful for is one of the most powerful gratitude practices I’ve found. It immediately (or at least by the end of the bottle) resets my frame of mind and reminds me of all that I’m capable of.
