Tracy Stanmore

Celebration is often a challenging topic for leaders. They wonder if they should celebrate and when they should celebrate. They waffle between “we don`t need to celebrate, people know we are succeeding” and celebrating every, single, little thing along the way.

The best answer (as is the often the case) lies somewhere in the middle.

Celebration is important and it can be overdone.

Most of the conversation and consternation is typically about celebrating (or not celebrating) success. However, the element of celebration most often forgotten is celebrating progress towards a goal.

Why celebrate progress?

You should consider celebrating progress for two basic reasons – focus and momentum.

In the midst of long projects or in the pursuit of big goals, focus can get lost. People can be so busy that they miss the progress. They are so busy in the forest that they miss the trees they have just passed or chopped down. When you recognize progress it helps renew focus while re-energizing the team.

In addition, the intangible momentum that is so easily seen in the athletic world is just as real in your business or organizational pursuits. Celebrating progress is one way to create and sustain momentum towards your goals.

So, the question is, how do you do it?

I`ve separated the dozen suggestions here into two categories – the results components (basically what and when to celebrate) and the process components (how to actually celebrate). Let`s get right to them.

Results Components
Base it on milestones.

In order to celebrate progress, you must know what progress you have made. Any good project plan (that`s an article in and of itself) will have milestones attached to it. Look at those upfront, and determine when might be good celebration points. Of course how the project is going in real life and in real time may alter your plan, but start with a celebration plan attached to the most important or strategic milestones.

Get the group involved.

Have other people let you know when a celebration might be needed, and get them involved in both the celebration planning and execution. When people feel ownership it will be more meaningful and real. I`m not suggesting abdication or total delegation, but a collaborative process.

Don`t be shy.

It is OK to celebrate! Let people know how much you appreciate their effort and progress.

Keep the celebration in perspective.

The celebration is of progress and that should be clearly stated. It`s important that people know that you aren`t done yet.

Really celebrate.

Balancing the previous point, don`t make the celebration a veiled attempt to get people to work harder. Any message that sniffs of “we`ve made good progress, but it is time to redouble our efforts” will be seen cynically, and may have a negative impact on morale and productivity.

Be authentic.

Let people know how much you appreciate their effort and progress. If you aren`t really feeling it, perhaps better to delay the celebration until you do – or until you get yourself a leadership attitude adjustment (another great article topic!).

Process Components
Have food.

The way to a man`s heart may very well be through his stomach . . . and . . . any celebration is better with food. Your situation will dictate how fancy or informal it is, but having food always makes a celebration better.

Make it an event.

It needn`t be big or elaborate, but it needs to be an event! Make sure people know when it is, and make it a priority that they be involved. A celebration should be an event.

Think about where.

While you could do your celebration anywhere, progress celebrations especially are often done when people feel they are still busy with the work. Creating the celebration onsite may balance people`s need to “keep working” with the need you see for celebration.

Think about when.

When to celebrate will really be dependent on the demographics of your group, their habits and the culture of your organization. You might consider your celebration first thing in the morning, at lunch or, even, after hours away from the office. Use the wisdom and advice of others to make this decision, rather than following your own personal preferences.

Consider gifts.

Gifts can be a great addition to your celebration. How about a t-shirt, a gift card or something else? Again, culture and preferences will play a role here – get others involved so gifts is perceived as valuable (not just ANOTHER coffee mug or pen). Remember to make sure the value of the gift is congruent with the point of progress.

Symbols are powerful.

Symbols are really a form of gift, but perhaps with less utility. Plaques, certificates or a hundred other things can be powerful reminders of the appreciation and progress that have been made.

Hopefully these 12 suggestions will help you make your celebrations of progress more successful and meaningful. Remember when used effectively celebrations can create focus, momentum and even greater morale and productivity.

The best leaders recognize the power of celebration! Many leaders also recognize the power of personal development. Leaders from around the world have decided to continue their personal (and professional) development using the Remarkable Leadership Learning System – a one skill at a time, one month at a time approach to becoming a more confident and successful leader. This system allows you to learn without travel and with materials available whenever it works best for you. Get more than $916.25 worth of leadership development materials including two complimentary months of that unique system today as part of Kevin Eikenberry’s Most Remarkable Free Leadership Gift Ever at http://MostRemarkableFreeLeadershipGiftEver.com.

Kevin is a bestselling author, speaker, trainer, consultant and the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://www.KevinEikenberry.com).

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Whenever we talk about an environment full of light the first name that comes in every mind is diwali. Of course, diwali is the festival of lights that makes the dark no moon night glittering like sun. This festival of lights is celebrated on the no moon day of Ashwin. This festival is celebrated through out India therefore you can see many colors of it as every region celebrates it in a special way. In some places celebration of diwali starts from durga pooja and keeps on going till bhaiya dooj and goverdhan pooja.

Diwali or deepawali word is combination two different terms- deepa and wali. Deepa means lights and wali stands for string and when those two words combine they really make a string of light that enlightens the entire India. As it is one of the major festivals it comes with various reasons of happiness for everyone. For kids diwali means complete fun as they get a chance to play with crackers. Not only kids but also many adults eagerly wait for diwali as they also get some relaxing time to spend with family, friends and crackers. This is the time when people can really relax and enjoy the delight of being with nearest and dearest ones. Variety of mouth watering sweets and dishes that fascinate most of the foodie is the another reason for what diwali is awaited. People enjoy various sweets and dishes during the entire period of this festival. For people who love to keep them indulged in spiritual activities diwali is the best time as for them there is almost the entire week to sit in front of god. The entire environment of this festival is all about sweetness, lights and enjoyment most probably this is the reason why not only Hindus but also people from all religions love to celebrate diwali.

With businessman’s point of view diwali is the best time increase sales as people love to buy things for them and their house in this festival only. No section of market is untouched with the blessings of this festival either it is offline market of offline market. You can really find many surprising offers and schemes on numerous things thus businenesses do not leave any chance to attract their customer. From a customer’s standpoint you can get the best deal in everything you want to purchase. Discount on every service and product is the biggest market attraction of diwali. After all this is the festival for godess of wealth so everyone should be blesses with prosperity.

Diwali is the time to celebrate but do not ever lost in enjoyment only. Also take care of kids and people around you who are not able to celebrate this devout festival. You can help them in enlightening their world too so that your diwali may get some more light and blessing of those incapable people. By doing so you will definitely get a real and gracious cause to celebrate this festival of light therefore accompany them in celebrating diwali and get a lifetime reason for lightening candles.

Denis Tyler advices people on what gifts they should give to their near and dear ones.He helps clients in customizing the gifts by adding a personal touch. For the last 2 years, he has been working for Fobaz.com. To know more about photoworks,Diwali, cards,photo gifts,fastival cards, share photos,Greeting cards,online photo card,gift to india ,send gift to india visit www.fobaz.com

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No matter how exhausted I was at the end of the day, I was never able to pat myself on the back for all the good things I had done that had led me to that exhaustion.

I watched my three beautiful babies asleep in their beds. I saw my real estate sales go through the roof. I saw the smiles on faces all around and I knew I must have within me something very good.

And yet I never celebrated. I failed to celebrate myself. I failed to celebrate life. And as all the good things that were right there within my reach slipped away, I felt empty and inadequate.

My personal journey has involved some pretty daunting obstacles along a steep learning curve, but I eventually emerged as a woman who knows her own power and has learned to love herself and the world. Once I learned the secret of a truly celebrated life, I became a fully celebrated woman, and I’ve never looked back.

I am convinced of the potential women have to make the world a better place. That is why I realized a long-time dream to develop an organization to support and assist other women through the same experience. Along with my wonderful partner, Michael Robinson, I founded Women Celebrations. It’s a national organization for women to celebrate their lives fully.

I have identified and overcome my own obstacles, and I see myself today as a potential source of positive energy for everyone -; especially each woman -; I encounter. I explain my own journey to self-fulfillment and success with this affirmation: “With the help of so many, I am raising my level of consciousness to experience all that comes my way. In a healthy frame of mind, I face and release my fear, manifesting wonder and good things to myself and those around me.”

I have looked around, and I’ve seen hundreds and thousands of women, uncelebrated, empty, frazzled and confused, and I’ve made the commitment to give them a way to learn to be celebrated too.

That’s what my organization offers: an opportunity to learn what it means to be fully celebrated; what steps women can take to reach that goal; and how they can live their lives, day in and day out, in a way that will keep the celebration alive.

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It wouldn’t be wrong to state that life loses its meaning without celebration. Especially in today’s times when one is burdened by worries, tensions and never-ending deadlines, any opportunity to celebrate is a godsend. Celebrations allow one to free himself from the daily grind. It also gives one the opportunity to spend some time with family and friend. And while talking about celebration, one should not forget that one thing that enhances the joy of celebration manifold is celebration cakes. No doubt they make the whole event extremely enjoyable and memorable.

There are several occasions in life where one can celebrate and it would be very interesting to note that there are different celebration cakes available for different occasions. For example, if the occasion is to celebrate the birthday of your son then one way of preparing the cake for the occasion is by doing so in the shape of objects liked by him. For example, if the boy is a piano student then it would not be a bad idea to prepare the cake in the shape of a piano. Similarly, if he is a soccer maniac, it would be a nice idea to get the cake prepared in the shape of a football.

And if the occasion is that of wedding then one can be rest assured that one sure way to enliven the occasion is by preparing a cake that would have the figures of a groom and bride as a cake topper. Similarly, one can also go with the cake that would be prepared in the shape of a heart. Some other forms of wedding cakes that can bring life to the occasion can be the ones that are multi-layered or prepared in different colours.

However, one must not forget to decorate the wedding cakes nicely, as merely preparing them in a unique form would not be sufficient. Some of the ways to deck up a cake is by garnishing it with cherries or cookies. Adding colour to a cake is also one way of decorating it. Similarly, writing nice messages on top of a cake would also be a good idea to make the cake attractive. One must not forget that a little bit of innovation can lead to one preparing a cake that would breathe life into any celebration.

Mr. Daniel is an expert author on cakes, by virtue of his extensive knowledge and meticulous research, he produces informative articles on cakes. The article given here covers the arena of celebration cakes.

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Love of one’s country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?’

– Pablo Casals

Patriotism is dying a tantalizing death in the hands of time. It is not only where people are having to compromise with the basic requirements of living. In countries where people are provided with a comfortable standard of living, citizens rip off the government, its policies and the constitution to shreds at the first opportunity. Pseudo non-conformists yell the country down to anyone who has ears to listen. They do not know how to redress; they only know how to rant.

The patriotic celebrations which have lingered on are more a festive occasion than a patriotic one. Cinco de Mayo, Fourth of July, and Memorial Day are events celebrated by the people to recollect the days of our ancestors bravery. However, the people who are celebrating would no lift a finger to replicate the ideals they are glorifying. And that is a sad fact.

Cinco de Mayo is a festival of the Mexicans. It means ’5th of May’ in English. The Mexican army won a great victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on 5th May, 1862.It is not their Independence Day but they celebrate this day with gusto because it is a victory their ancestors won over the much-fancied and superior French forces. Though the French took over Mexico a year later, it did not topple 5th May from the zenith of Mexican glory.

You need not be a Mexican to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Americans have adopted and adapted many events that does not owe their origins to American soil. Cinco de Mayo is one of them. The Mexicans may associate their sense of patriotism with the day but if you are not a Mexican, you can treat the day as just an occasion of celebration and merrymaking. Cinco de Mayo celebrations are all about getting yourself bathed in the colors of the Mexican flag – red, green and white. You can wear a sombrero, the traditional Mexican hat, and be out on the streets. You can also down some tequila shots to spice things up.

Occasions for merry-making cannot keep pace with the need of the modern man to celebrate. Everyone wants to take a day off and do something that does not translate into the language of profit or bottom lines. In a bid to gather as many reasons to celebrate as possible, people have blurred the lines of culture and ethnicity. They have no qualms in celebrating an occasion has not come down to them through the pages of history or folk lore. Cinco de Mayo is widely celebrated in the United States. There is no reason to have any hang-ups about celebrating a patriotic occasion of another country as long as you care as much for your own. Someone rightly said, ‘A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won’t cross the street to vote in a national election!”

Dorothy Smith is the author of this article wants to send information about the events & special occasions. Want to know more about Cinco de Mayo or Cinco de Mayo Ecards. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo festival by sending Cinco de Mayo Wishes and other free ecards.

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Different people celebrate Valentines Day in different ways and, you will realize that many cultures of the world have accepted the day. Love is universal and all people like to love and be loved. For this reason, they set aside Valentines Day to be a day where they celebrate all the love they have for each other. However, there are some cultures that have not received this day mainly because they do not fully understand. There is nothing complicated about it; it is celebrating love with loved ones. Most people therefore take this opportunity to visit those loved ones and if nothing else, spend the time together. They undertake different activities just to make sure that they bond at this time. There are others who make a party out of the day and look for different friends to come and celebrate in a more elaborate manner. There is no doubt that people who value the day go out of their way to celebrate Valentines Day in their own special way.

However, for people who do not know what to get up to or how to celebrate Valentines Day, there are so many ideas that can certainly spark their minds so that the day can have the right meaning. First, there are people who keep making excuses. This is to say that they will not celebrate the day unless they have lovers. However this day is not about lovers; it is about love. All people have people they love whether family members or friends. For this reason, it is vital for all people to really look deep inside their hearts and celebrate the gift of love. Even if there are no close people in our lives, we all have the capacity to love and this is definitely worth celebrating. Let friends inspire you with the right ideas so that you can have fun. One thing to make clear though is that people do not need a lot of money to really find the happiness they are looking for on this day. To celebrate Valentines Day, you need to have an open mind and you must be ready to have all the fun.

Many take their families out for a fun day to celebrate Valentines Day while others simply look for quiet places where they choose to have a retreat with the people they love. Others choose to go to fields to play their favorite games and all these will provide the right entertainment. Others go for a movie while some choose to have some drinks with friends. There are many who take this time to remember the unfortunate in society. Life is all about giving and giving love to the less fortunate on valentines which is definitely a good thing. There are many who choose to drive to parks to see animals and marvel at the wonders of nature. There are so many things to do and not having money is not an excuse. Be creative and make the day a memorable one. Life is all about making good and beautiful memories.

Francis K. Githinji Is A Researcher And A Writer on Life and Society Issues. His Latest Project Free Online Dating Service Shows How The Power Of Online Dating Can Be Harnessed Internationally and With Great Success, Or You Could Post Your Valued Comments On His Blog At Celebrate Valentines Day

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Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. This feast was created by the pope to promote Christianity and remove pagan festivals celebrated at the winter solstice.

During the IVth century, the pope decided to bring the Christmas day on December 25th.

Christmas has always been represented by religious ceremonies and gifts and greetings exchange.

Here are some Christmas symbols:

* The Advent consists of a burning candle each Sunday four weeks before Christmas; which symbolize the rebirth of light after the winter solstice.

* The December 24th Christmas Mass; which celebrates the birth of Jesus.

* The Christmas Crib; which symbolizes the birth of Jesus in Christian homes.

* The Christmas tree, a symbol from the pagan celebration and representing life.

* The Yule log; which represents the log that we put in the fireplace to warm up on Christmas Eve.

* Santa Claus, an American creation, inspired by the Christian Saint Nicholas (celebrated in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Alsace. This character wears a luxurious red cape, he has a long white beard and wears a red miter, he also holds a golden crosier. Saint Nicholas rewards good children while his companion Père Fouettard/Black Pete punishes nasty children) and the elf Yule Goat, celebrated in Scandinavian countries.

Over the centuries, Christmas has evolved and Christmas Eve with our family, replaced the religious ceremonies.

The gift exchange: luxurious for the rich people and useful – sometimes only one orange – for the poor people, has been replaced by the modern marketing. People not only buys gifts but also spend lots of money in decoration items, food, drink…

The secularization of our society removed the true meaning of Christmas Time; which is, obviously, becoming a pagan feast.

Here are some countries which celebrate Christmas:

Belgium:
We have a festival especially dedicated to children; which is Saint Nicholas (Sinter Klaas) on December 6th. The Great Patron of Schoolboys, who is supposed to bring candies in their shoes, brings in fact toys by the thousands to our children.

In Belgium, Christmas is rather reserved for adults: the streets are decorated and illuminated, we decorate our houses, windows, gardens, Christmas trees. Belgium seems to forget that it is a Catholic country and closes more and more churches, therefore, the Midnight Mass on December 24th usually happens at 6 or 8 PM. We then eat with our family and at 12 PM we exchange our gifts. Children usually receive a book or some clothes.

Christmas Day has little meaning but practicing Catholic go to church. Belgian people visit their family on January 1st. In the Belgian Ardens, people celebrate December 31st and not Christmas.

France:
Christmas is dedicated to children. The streets and the houses are decorated several weeks in advance. French people have lots of Christmas customs: Christmas Markets, the Christmas tree, the Christmas Dinner, Père Noël, Christmas gifts, stories, songs, Christmas turkey, The Christmas Crib, the Yule Log, and so on. In Alsace, however, Saint Nicholas predominates on Santa Claus.

The Netherlands:
They organize their St. Nicholas (Sinter Klaas) festival: the old bearded man traveling by boat and accompanied by many black aids, who distributes gifts to good children. Dutch people reserve the big gifts for Christmas Time because they profit for some great bargains after Sinter Klaas.

Germany:
Christmas in Germany lasts two days. On December 26th they visit their family and their friends. Christ-Kind offers gifts to the children on December 24th families and friends. Germany has also a Saint Nicholas festival on December 6th.

Great Britain:
Christmas is celebrated in England with enthusiasm. Children sing “Christmas Carols” in the streets, they eat the famous “Christmas Pudding” at the end the Christmas Dinner. In England, Santa Claus fills the English children socks with gifts. British people also exchange greeting cards; which are a British creation.

Spain:
If Santa Claus has little importance in Spain (Magi distribute gifts to children on January 6th), Spanish people decorate the streets with lights during the month of December. The windows of the shops are filled with lots of gifts and Spanish celebrate the Christmas Evening with their family.

Portugal:
Christmas Eve is a holiday. The Portuguese attend the Christmas Midnight Mass; which is the “Missa Do Galo.” If there is no Christmas tree in Portugal, there is nevertheless a “Wooden Christmas”.

Italy:
Christmas lasts three days, from December 24th till 26th. However, Christmas traditions vary from one region to another one and, depending on the region it is Babo Natale (Father Christmas) or the “Gesu Bambino” (Little Jesus) who brings gifts on December 25th. The Italian Christmas dessert is “Panettone”.

Scandinavian Countries:
During the Christmas Dinner, Scandinavian people reserve a place for the souls of the deceased members of their family. Once they finish to eat, they read the bible. The whole family is singing Christmas songs and dance around the Christmas tree.

Other European countries:
In Romania, on December 24th, there is a Christmas candle burning until the morning of December 25th. In Russia, Christmas Day happens on January 7th, according to the Orthodox calendar. In Greece the Christmas period begins on Christmas Eve and ends at the Epiphany. Christmas is less important than Easter.

USA:
The Saturday after Thanksgiving, Santa Claus is coming to announce the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. American people love to celebrate Christmas and set up a decorated Christmas in their home. Children hang empty stocks empty on the fireplace and on the Christmas morning they find them filled with candy and small toys.

Canada:
Houses, shops and streets are decorated with lights. Canadian people decorate their house with a Christmas tree, a Christmas wrap, a Christmas Crib… After the “Midnight Mass” people have a Christmas Eve with their family. Turkey and the Christmas log are the essential ingredients of a Canadian Christmas Dinner. They send greeting cards to their friends and family who live far away.

South America:
Peruvian people have Christmas parties but also learn to live better on christmas time. Their Christmas season lasts a full week. Mexican people celebrate Christmas with Las Posadas (pilgrimages representing the path by the Mary and Joseph). They celebrate the last Posada on the Christmas morning and then start the Christmas dinner. I Guatemala, immigrants have imported their German customs and the Christmas tree is essential but the Christmas gifts are reserved to the children. Gift exchange for adults is on January 1st.

Australia:
Christmas happens during the summertime, so Australian people celebrate Christmas at the beach. People eat cold turkey and pudding.

New Zealand:
If there are few decorations, New Zealand people organize Christmas parades and people sing in the parks. They also organize their famous “Christmas barbecue”.

Japan:
Christmas is merely commercial significance in Japan. This festival represents Saint Nicholas and it is an opportunity to offer gifts to small children.

China:
If Christmas Day is not a holiday, Christmas is celebrated in Chinese cities. This festival was imported into this country by foreign missionaries. For the Chinese people who celebrate it, Christmas is a religious event.

Prosperity66 is an European History, Holidays and Tarot cards passionate. For more Christmas Informations feel free to visit Christmas Time and receive a free Christmas Gifts Check List.

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Celebrating the many transitions in your life, from difficult to ecstatic, weaves a thread of spirit into everything you do. It also encourages you to be in the present moment with your full, conscious attention. The act of celebrating keeps you attuned to the gifts of all aspects of life, from birth, to death, to rebirth. Your celebrations can mark not only the expected holidays, but also the mundane, the unexpected, and the challenging.

Creating personal celebrations helps you integrate change because it moves your brain from thinking about the experience to symbolically communicating with your full being and taking physical action. This stance allows your body to embrace the shift and bypasses the habitual, cyclical nature of your thoughts.

Bringing your community (work, spiritual, or family) together to celebrate is a beautiful way to mark the passing of time and to gather energy. Your ancestors probably gathered with their tribes, clans, or families at important times to share information and goods, to reconnect their hearts, and to reestablish ties. Imagine what it would it be like to gather once a year to celebrate your friends and family and honor their internal and external changes: births, deaths, new insights, and growth.

Creative Intent

Creativity and intent are the two aspects of a transformational celebration. Combining your creativity with your intent is a catalyst for alchemy. Creativity invites you to dream big, to use celebration as an artful expression of your heart. Intent gives you focus on what you want to accomplish. These two guiding forces need to be balanced in your celebrations and your life.

To apply creative intent to a celebration, start by dreaming all the places you could celebrate change in your life. Look back at major life shifts and imagine how it would be if you had consciously marked them with a ceremony. Dream big, with no limitations. The question to ask is “How?” How would you celebrate cleaning your house? How would you ceremonialize ending a relationship? How could you honor menopause? Creativity comes when we look at change and explore its gifts and possibilities.

Intent then brings focus and direction to our dreaming. The questions of intent are “Why?” and “What?” Why would you celebrate cleaning your house? What is your purpose? Why honor the end of a relationship? What do you want to get out of the ceremony? Why would you mark the start of menopause? What would you like from doing it consciously? The intent gives the celebration purpose, guiding its direction and outcome.

There is no right or wrong way to celebrate. Ceremony is three-dimensional, physical art, wide open to possibility. As with all art, there are some guidelines and tools that provide a structure to work with and enhance the impact of the creation. Remember that these guidelines can be gleefully abandoned as spirit moves you.

Steps to Create a Celebration or Ritual

After you explore your creativity through sacred brainstorming and get clear on your intent, there are five steps to create a spectacular celebration: contain, release, invite, deepen, and open. These work whether the ritual is for you alone or for any size group.

1. Contain

The first step to ritual is to move out of your daily world into a world of magic and possibility. Create a sense of the sacred by lighting incense or candles, picking smells or colors that support your intent, and/or building an altar. Use pictures, statues, natural objects, or crafts to create a place for meditation, reflection, or inspiration. Your altar can be for used as a general anchor or for a specific intent.

For a general altar you may use your favorite deity or guide, an object for each element in the four corners, candles, crystals, found and natural objects, or a bowl of water with flowers. If you want to build an altar for a specific purpose, ask yourself, “What will reflect the specific thing I am working on back to me?” For an abundance altar, you may use money from around the world, overflowing fruit baskets, and pictures of what you want to manifest. For an altar to release a relationship you could use pictures, writings, and a candle with the intent to release the person. For an altar to dedicate yourself to your spiritual path, try a picture of an open road, a beautiful inspirational nature scene, or your favorite superhero (to remind you of your power to move past obstacles).

Once you have set up sacred space, you can call in any guides, deities, power animals, ancestors, or teachers. Many traditions call in the four elements (air, fire, water, earth), which are the foundation of life. The elements also represent a part of our being, and hold a direction (east, south, west, north). By calling in guides and helpers and/or the four elements, you amplify the energy of your actions.

2. Release

To create space for new things in your life, you must first release the old. It is vital that you let go of what no longer serves you, and doing so with gratitude and love encourages the release to happen gracefully. Doing release work makes the obstacle conscious, which then gives you the ability to move it out.

Questions to ask:
- What can you release to bring more space into your life?
- What emotion, pattern, agreement, or fear is keeping you stuck?
- What are you willing to let go of?

Creative ideas:
- Write down the fear or emotion you want to release and burn the paper (fire), bury it (earth), tie it in a tree (air), or wash the ink off (water).
- Dance, tone, chant, or speak out the pattern, emotion, or fear.

3. Invite

Now that there is space, what do you want to invite into your being? Inviting in the new allows the universe to align with your desires and support you fully.

Questions to ask:
- What do you want more of in your life?
- How can you open to bring this in?
- What emotion, new agreement, or perspective do you want to experience?

Creative ideas:
- Write down the feeling state you want to bring in and burn the paper to bring more energy (fire), bury it to ask for grounding (earth), or tie it in a tree to fly (air).
- Dance, tone, chant, or speak the pattern, emotion, or state you want to create. – Hold the emotion or pattern consciously and anchor it in your body.
- Visualize or meditate to ask for guidance and open to the new.

4. Deepen

Leave space for stillness and integration to absorb the effect of your release and calling in. Meditate, write, create artwork, eye gaze with a partner, or sit silently.

5. Open

Just as you consciously created a container for your celebration, you also want to consciously open your container and bring what you learned back into the world. Make sure you open your circle by thanking and letting go of anything you called in at the beginning of your ceremony. State your intent again, and then feast or do something nourishing for yourself. Many ceremonies and celebrations end with good food and communing.

Example:

Now that you have the guidelines, let’s see how it works with a specific example. For a celebration to clean your house, your creative brainstorm may bring you the following ideas: play loud music and dance through the house, call your friends and pick a day to clean your home at the same time and then go out to lunch to celebrate, spend fifteen minutes every day loving your home and belongings by putting things in their proper place.

When you look at your intent, it may be anything from: “Make sure I can find my keys and important items each day,” to “Use my housecleaning as a symbol of clearing away my fears and mental clutter.”

Suppose you decide to pick a time each month to clean, and you invite your best friend to join you, with the intent to use the cleaning to clear your own mental clutter. Here is how you could use the five steps of ritual:

1. Contain

Light a candle in each room to remind you of your intent for clarity. Call in the energies of your grandmother, who was a fabulous housekeeper, and your spiritual teacher. (You may have pictures of them both in a specific place in your house during the cleaning.)

2. Release

Go through your house dusting and cleaning all the rooms, stating an affirmation to yourself, i.e., “As I clear this dust and clutter I clear my mind.”

3. Invite

Go through your house again with a scented spray, bells, or flowers. Say out loud in each room, “I invite harmony and joy into this space.”

4. Deepen

Sit in your favorite room and send blessings to your space. Let the silence quiet you.

5. Open

Blow out all the candles, and thank your grandmother and teacher for their support. Call your friend and make your date for lunch.

Celebrations bring joy and play into all the nooks and crannies of your life journey. Instead of waiting for the “big moment” in the future, celebrate each day, from the simple tasks to the challenges, from the mundane to the sacred.

Heather Ash Amara weaves powerful practices of shamanic traditions to help people reach their potential. She apprenticed and taught extensively with Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements. She wrote Four Elements of Change and Toltec Tarot. She co-authored Spiritual Integrity and runs Spiritual Integrity Coaching with Raven Smith. Get more great ideas from Heather Ash.

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