Shut up and Throw Yourself a Party

 Do you ever find it difficult to share good news because:

1. You are worried about how it will make other people feel?
2. You are worried people will start asking you for things?
3. You are worried it sounds braggy, boastful, proud, arrogant?

Do you ever feel like people only talk to you in times of crisis and rarely in times of joy?

YOU HAVE POWER OVER ALL OF THAT.

You have power over how you feel. You can choose happiness, joy, contentment. You have the power to say and do whatever the heck you want. Here is the flip side of that... so does everybody else. You cannot protect people from the sting of their choices, by shying away from your own successes. Yes, there is sensitivity to other people's plights. It would display a dismal lack of tact to go and on about your fabulous new raise and bonus, right after your friend has told you she was laid off. Use your brain and find the appropriate moment to share your good news, but SHARE IT!

Ever since I was little girl, I have always found myself down playing my successes so other people wouldn't feel bad. I would fear rejection because nobody likes the smart girl or the good-two-shoes. This silliness has followed me into adulthood. I find myself afraid to share good news with friends and/or family for fear that they might feel bad because "after all, they are going through a lot." Everybody is going through a lot. Everybody will always have some crisis they are working through. I will celebrate with them once they have gone through it. I will celebrate with them even if when the celebration occurs I have nothing particularly noteworthy happening.

Why should I share my successes? Isn't that arrogant? 

Well, it depends on how you share your news.

You can act like an ass, and go and on about how awesome you are. That is certainly one way to share successes. OR, you can say, "Hey! this awesome thing happened to me. It was lovely. I feel lovely." You never know if your success is encouragement for someone else. It may be just the thing they need to hear to keep pressing forward. You never know if your enthusiasm for the good thing that just happened or will happen, is the freaking ray of hope that somebody needed after working a long crappy day. 

Who knows, if this could also be your opportunity to share your faith. To share in whom you rest your trust and for what reason. As Christians, we often only display our faith in times of crisis. Why not also in times of joy and success? If we are to adopt a real attitude of gratitude, as opposed to just saying lame platitudes when crap goes wrong, wouldn't it then be prudent to celebrate when things go right. They sometimes do!

It is all about timing and delivery. But for,  Goodness Sakes! Shut up that inner mean girl who wants you to be docile and full of crap. You can be inauthentic and fake if you want to. That, of course, is your choice. However, I choose to shut up that inner meanie and throw myself a party! After all, the party may turn out to be more beneficial to the attendees than the hostess.