Celebrate yourself

As we move through February, Black History Month, let us be reminded to celebrate ourselves. Avoid waiting until your month, to celebrate yourself and see yourself in the world. Every month has a theme to raise awareness and to drive inclusion. Celebrate yourself by being who you truly are every single day.

We still need the black history month, and other months that recognize and uplift stories that otherwise would not be told. Diversity and inclusion are significant to a well rounded and productive future. After all these years of Februaries and other months, there are still stories that I hear for the first time. There continues to be stories that I am proud of and that inspire me. A month may not be enough and it is a start. Imagine those who do not embrace diversity, at least they may have to put up with it and maybe they just might learn something.

Stories, our stories, different stories should not be contained to a month. Black History Month is still necessary and relevant otherwise there are folks who would go unrecognized, not celebrated and overlooked. I believe in these monthly themed celebrations. The intention is to practice inclusion and educate. Everyone should have the opportunity to tell their story, no matter where they come from. Everyone should have the opportunity to be celebrated and recognized as well.

Recognition is something for everyone to learn and embrace. Studies have shown that employee recognition is linked to positive performance and retention. It is about being accepted, being seen as true and valid. There are certainly a number of months that I can relate to and I also do not wait until these months to know who I am and celebrate. At times, these months make it easier to secure that I am included and recognized.

As the United States continues to diversify, these months should be natural practices not just a set aside celebration. How can we recognize ourselves, regularly? How can we celebrate different cultures and different stories? How can we make diversity a natural part of everyone’s life? How can we embrace the invisible as visible, somehow?

Celebrate all of you. It should not only be about celebrating accomplishments and positive feedback. We need our shadow side and mistakes to be celebrated because they teach us and allow us to grow. How can we embrace our shadow side fully so that we celebrate everything about ourselves not only the things we like?

Celebrate yourself by treating yourself with kindness and compassion. Forgive yourself when you need to. Honor yourself and honor your history. When you celebrate yourself, you celebrate those who have come before you. I am thankful for Black History month because remembering who you are is priceless.