Everyone loves a celebration, right? Well, maybe not everyone. When it comes to celebrating the success of someone else, if we are honest, we may prefer to skip the party hat and hang out with the green monster of envy. We may say things like, “Why do they always seem to get the breaks?” or “It figures. I work my tail off and nothing changes. They coast along and get all the good stuff.”
I recently heard this quote.
“Success should be a multiplier, not a divider.”
It’s true! I’m not sure where we got the idea that another person’s success is our demise, but it’s a damaging one. One person’s success does not have to separate or divide him from someone else. It’s all in a person’s perspective.
Check out these four great reasons to celebrate the successes of others. I think you will agree that when you seek success in others, the big green monster will begin to disappear from lack of nourishment.
Celebrating others’ success increases my joy.
Yes, I know. Joy can only happen when a person decides to be joyful. If you are bent on being a grump, there is nothing that I or anyone can do about that. A person’s perspective has to be such that he or she is seeking joy. But, if you truly make an effort to celebrate with others, your joy will be multiplied. You will begin to feel some of the same excitement that the successful person feels. You will see the specific success through his eyes. And that will give you the same joy that your successful friend is experiencing.
Celebrating others’ success motivates me to be better.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Success is contagious?” Well, it’s true. If you allow yourself to spend some time with successful people, you will begin to want what they have. You begin to believe that having what you want is actually possible, that doing what you want to do is within your reach. If you let yourself go one step further and celebrate the successes of others, you can see yourself doing the same down the road just a bit.
Celebrating others’ success lets me practice Romans 12:15.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice.” I like to use the word celebrate here instead of rejoice. It just seems fitting that if someone is celebrating something important to them, I should join in the celebration. Why not make the celebration that much bigger? I might become a little less selfish in the process.
Celebrating others’ success strengthens my relationships.
Think back to a time that someone celebrated you. When they joined in the celebration, how did you feel toward that person? Of course, it drew you closer to them. That’s exactly what will happen when you seek to celebrate someone else. And a bonus will be that you will be united with not just the successful person but with others who love to celebrate.
Seeking reasons to celebrate others’ accomplishments can become a joy mission. The truth is that success is contagious and unifying. So begin seeking those things in others, whether large or small, that can be celebrated. I encourage you to start in a comfortable place, like you family. Find one person in your family that can be recognized for a success this week. Then, branch out to a co-worker. Make it your mission to start seeing others through the eyes of their successes. Then let the celebration begin! And invite others to join the party!
Who will you celebrate this week?
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, remembering that as members of the same body you are called to live in harmony, and never forget to be thankful for what God has done for you.
Colossians 3:15