It’s OK to Celebrate

It’s OK to Celebrate.

It’s a gross understatement to say that 2020 will go down as one of the most harrowing years in our lifetime ….. and one of the most chaotic years in history.

In a year filled with uncertainty, disruption, anxiety and unrest, we learned to say to one another:

“It’s OK to be concerned”
“It’s OK to be frustrated”
“It’s OK to be scared”

This is a year where we have grown better at checking in on one another and giving virtual hugs.

This is a year where we have learned to talk about feelings with our family, our clients and our colleagues.

This is a year where we have learned to face our fears and become more resilient.

Whilst we learned that it is OK to feel down some days, to feel less productive, to feel tired, to feel worried ….. we have also learned new ways to become strong, stay healthy and achieve success again.

My first career boss – Kevin Nelson – taught me that in order to overcome your fear, you must embrace F.E.A.R. (I am sure this is where my love of acronyms in coaching was born).

Kevin suggested that when I feel concerned, frustrated or scared, I should seek to pursue optimism and try minimizing my internal conflict by considering these four things:

These four guiding principles have helped me overcome the fears I have about the pandemic, about social injustices and about the future.

By striving to maintain a positive perspective, and by taking positive actions to help myself, my family and others, I have grown to realize that even during adversity it’s still ok to celebrate.

Many traditional celebrations were seemingly “spoiled” this year by these unprecedented disruptions.

Over the past 3 months:

• I turned 50, my father turned 75 and my eldest daughter turned 18.
• Many of my best friends’ children graduated from school and college.
• And my wife gave birth to our beautiful twins.

While it was perfectly natural to feel bummed and disappointed, we discovered innovative ways to commemorate these special occasions during this eccentric year …. and that, in its own right, is reason to celebrate.

“It’s OK to celebrate all the incredible learnings we have gained this year.”

“It’s OK to celebrate all the personal triumphs we have achieved this year.”

“It’s OK to celebrate the better bonds we have developed with our family, friends, colleagues and clients this year.”

“It’s OK to celebrate the advancements we have made in health care and social equality.”

These are ALL positive outcomes from an otherwise harrowing chapter in our lives and history.

And yes …. we still have a lot to learn, there are more triumphs we want to achieve, we can keep building better personal bonds and there are certainly more advancements that need to be made.

But the message today is that even in the middle of troubles, there is always something or some way we can celebrate.

And by celebrating we can lift our spirits and create a positive spark that will lead to further celebrations.

There will always be things that are sad, unjust and unfair. Let us never disregard these feelings or events. But I encourage you to pursue optimism and minimize conflict.

This is how we grow ….. as individuals, as a company, as a nation and as a global community. 

This is why I called my consulting firm “grow up sales”. To help those in “sales roles” overcome adversity and achieve their growth goals. Both in business …. and in life.

I know I have made a significant impact on the lives of many. Even during this difficult time. So I would say that’s a great reason to celebrate.

To all my American family and friends, I wish you a very happy 4th of July. Remember …. it’s ok to celebrate.

On behalf of my family, I also want to thank the many people who offered congratulations following the birth announcement of our twins. Much appreciated.

Watch this 10 minute interview between Dr Oz and Tony Robbins to learn more about overcoming fear during this difficult time and why it is important to celebrate.

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Article written by Joe Micallef – Sales Strategist & Coach – Grow UP Sales. For more advice on how to build confidence and overcome fear please email joe@growupsales.com or visit the webpage www.growupsales.com

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