Healing Principles:Celebration

“Celebration:
Learning to appreciate the delights of the moment invigorates our lives
with joy.”-Vital Cycles Healing Principles

The “principles of healing”; while named and individually explained, are intertwined in many ways. In the reading on Celebration it states, “We need to consciously shift the focus and recognize the good things in our lives today.” By doing so we embrace another healing principle; Empowerment. A ‘conscious shift’ is a choice…and it is our ability to make decisions about how we view our lives that helps us heal.

Many of us have achieved this; from time to time in one way or manner, throughout the course of our lives.

This healing principle is not simply something achieved, and finished in one single shift, choice, or action; but through a series of adjustments.

Some people; in the beginning of their healing, have difficulty in visualizing how they can celebrate when there are so many challenges being faced. It is easy to be overwhelmed at times and to question and criticize oneself for what has NOT been done…or what has not happened YET.

Many people prior to entering recovery; or those of us who are in earlier stages of recovery (and for those temporarily reverting to an earlier phase of healing) initiate (or reignite) this ‘shift in consciousness’ by looking at the challenges in our lives, and thinking on how things could be worse. This simple mental choice, may lead to a slight feeling of appreciation.

For those so enmeshed with feelings of despair; that they are unable to see how things could be worse, turning to supportive people may provide hope that things can improve. By people sharing the struggles they have overcome; and celebrating their achievements, people can be a beacon of hope and inspiration.

Intertwined with celebration, is gratitude, appreciation, patience, a sense of empowerment, and joy. These positive feelings may nourish each other in a way which expands outward in positive ways as yet unknown. Being able to celebrate our achievements brings a sense of empowerment; and empowerment helps create the building block for our celebration. It is not a simple matter of cause and effect; because each aspect has an influence on another. It is not a one way street. The flow (or current) charging our healing goes both upstream(to our heads) and downstream (to our hearts ). Both the head and heart send messages towards taking positive action. Positive action leads to empowerment, which in turn can lead to celebration, which can energize us to take further action…which leads… etc, etc…