If you’ve been following along with me the past few months, you most likely heard me talk about, or read something I have written about celebrating.

I realized I had not been sharing wins with the world at large, or even with my closest friends. Celebration is acknowledging something significant or happy in a social way- honoring or praising something publicly, including others in the process.

This month I am taking it in another direction. Maybe it’s because the word rejoice pops up so much in the Easter season, but this word had gotten my attention. Rejoice is about feeling or showing great joy or delight.

The difference is that celebrating includes others and rejoicing, though others may witness your joy or delight, is an inside job and a solo pursuit. We manifest rejoicing within ourselves. 

I think both are so important, but this idea of rejoicing goes straight to the heart of cultivating our own happiness, despite outside circumstances. It also asks for the willingness to let it show! It’s not about hiding it, it’s about shining the spotlight on it.

When you cultivate rejoicing– it may come through feeling gratitude for something, for instance- it will show up in your energy, your shine, your sparkle. Others may ask you what you are so happy about.

But again, rejoicing does not depend upon anyone else. It’s all you!

This week start to practice– either stop and write each day, or sit with your eyes closed and think about something in your life that you are joyful about or delighted with. It could be a turn of events from long ago (think of a surprise synchronicity that happened that seemed miraculous for instance), or a person you are grateful for, an experience, the weather- anything. Feel it for yourself and share how you are feeling with others, or just let them see it all over you.

Find something to rejoice in each day– on purpose. Be on the lookout for what it might be.

And then gather people to celebrate something to keep that train rolling! We all could use some celebration now and whether in person or virtual, it all makes a difference.