Don’t Forget to Notice Your Success

We all live busy lives. Many of us are on a path toward something, but sometimes we get so caught up in our daily lives or working on getting somewhere that we fail to notice when we have arrived. When you achieve your lifelong dream, stop, and take notice of your success!

I am There! My Dream Has Come True

This week I officially became a book author. I launched two books. One is a self-help book to help people get “unstuck” and move forward to live the life of their dreams. The other book that I am really excited about is a children’s book called “Emily and the Magic Box.” It’s for sale on Amazon in both softcover and e-book formats. I love the soft cover because it’s big, and the pictures I illustrated jump off the page. It was a fantastic project, and I had a lot of fun with it. But when it came time to launch it out into the world, I got scared. I kept moving forward, though, and here I am. It is done.

While proofreading my self-help book, I read a passage that made me stop and think. It reminded me that a few years ago, I was miserable, working in an industry I hated, and each day was hellish for me. I decided to sell my web business and move into writing. It took me a long time to make the complete transition, and by the time I did, I had forgotten to realize I was where I wanted to be.

So, this week, on the day I launched my first book, I took some time to congratulate myself on finally overcoming my fears, insecurities, and other obstacles and ultimately doing what I have always dreamt of doing. It’s a big deal, and I don’t want to miss it. I have dreamt of writing books since I was 14. I have finally realized that dream, and it’s lovely.

Don’t Look to Others for Praise

People are funny; they don’t always behave as we want them to. Everyone is living their own lives with their priorities, opinions, and beliefs. If someone doesn’t react to your good news the way you would like them to, forgive them and move on. Expectations typically result in disappointment and hurt. They aren’t worth it.

Recently, when someone reacted unenthusiastically to some great news in my life, I felt a bit discouraged. I shared my feelings with a friend, and he said, “It doesn’t mean they don’t care about you; it just means they don’t realize how much this means to you and how big this is in YOUR life.” That helped me put it in perspective, move on, and let go of the hurt I felt.

Become Your Biggest Fan

Instead of relying on others for praise and validation, become your biggest cheerleader. When you make a small step towards your goal, reward yourself with something that makes you feel good. Take the time to notice your success and that you have accomplished something significant and pat yourself on the back. Even small gains are often very big to us and our eventual destination, and it’s important to acknowledge each one. These are the stepping stones on the path to our dreams.

You must dig deep sometimes and find that self-love because you may not get it anywhere else. Cultivating self-love and compassion is one of the most impactful things you can do. People sometimes let us down; that is when you need to be there for yourself.

I have found that letting go of all expectations and practicing self-compassion every day drastically improves my life. It’s a daily maintenance thing. I can quickly drop back into patterns of being too hard on myself and criticizing something I said or did. None of that is helpful or healing, though. I must remind myself to be gentle with myself the way I would be with my daughter. By reminding you to notice your success and celebrate it, it helps to remind me.

Don’t Give Up on Your Dreams

It took me more than 40 years to make my dreams come true. Hopefully, you won’t have to wait as long. The funny part is that all that fear, insecurity, and procrastination vanished once I launched one book. So even though nothing has changed, I feel different, and now I am excited to put more books out there. In fact, I can’t wait!

Right now, I am working on a second children’s book, a self-help book about relationships, and a mystery novel. I am essentially living the life I have always wanted, and I will spend some time this week just basking in that reality.

If you want to check out my books online, you can find them here: