Celebrating Your Wins: The Magic of Self-Praise

Ever felt like no one acknowledges your hard work? Discover how adopting the mindset of self-praise can transform your life and boost your self-worth. In our 25th celebratory episode of Pocketful of Mojo, Steph, your Mojo Maven, shares the week's mantra, "I adopt the mindset to praise myself," and unravels how this simple shift can fill your cup with grace and self-love. Learn to recognize and celebrate your own achievements, guiding you effortlessly toward your goals while making fulfilling choices aligned with your greatest good.

Join Steph as she dives deep into the essence of self-celebration and the profound impact it can have on your personal journey. From the acknowledgment of your daily wins to anchoring yourself in your truest truth, this episode emphasizes that no one is coming to save you, so you must save yourself. Tune in for inspiring insights and practical tips on how to become your own biggest cheerleader and live life on your own terms. This episode is all about celebrating accomplishments, big or small, and evolving towards your best self in a joyful, effortless way.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:11

welcome to your new favorite podcast pocket full of mojo, where you're, you and I'm steph, and we tune in here to tap into some mojo. You see, I think I've cracked the code to being happy. I'm happy every single day no jokes, now, I wasn't always this way, and not to flex, but I've had multiple breakdowns on multiple continents and in two languages. But by paying attention and by living with more intention, I've curated this wellness first aid kit and it's full of amazing tools that help me out of life's most sticky and stressful situations, and do so with grace and self-love. And I'm not here to gatekeep. In fact, I'm on a mission to help you tap into your best stuff and remember that you have everything you need to live your life on your own terms. So settle in. We're here for some positive change. So let's explore together where your mojo beats the road. In today's episode, I'm going to review our mantra for the week, as we do, and then we're going to dig into today's main topic, and that topic is recognition and praise how to find inspiration from self-celebration. We all want that gold star, but do we really need it? Today, we'll dig into that a little bit more. So you, I need you to stick around and I'm going to make sure that you're glad that you did. Let's get started with today's mantra and get tuned in, tapped in and turned on. Hello, hello, hello and welcome to the 25th episode of Pocketful of Mojo. 25, yo, oh yeah, once again, I'm Steph. I'm your Mojo Maven, your cheerleader, your soul sister, and I couldn't be happier that you're here. I'm so proud to have made it to 25 episodes. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It takes a lot to make one of these and I'm super grateful to be able to connect with you in this way and your support. It means the world. So this is going to be a very cool episode. So, pitter patter, let's get at her.

Speaker 1: 2:43

Let's start by digging into today's mantra. Today's mantra is I adopt the mindset to praise myself. Fantastic, that's perfect. This puts us in just the right place to address this topic properly. So let's unpack this one, shall we? I adopt the mindset to praise myself. Adopting a mindset is a conscious choice. This is something that you're doing for you. You're adopting a mindset to praise yourself because there might be a gap between your efforts and how you perceive your contribution, or maybe your self-talk is a little lacking when it comes to highlighting your hard work and the good things that you do in this life. The truth is, you're in charge here and by weaving this kind of mindset into your regular day, you're on the lookout for ways to fill your own cup, which, as it turns out, is more valuable than getting praise from anywhere else.

Speaker 1: 3:45

I adopt the mindset to praise myself. When you praise yourself, you're acknowledging the steps that you've taken to get where you are. The ups, the downs, the getting back up it's all gold and it's all worth your praise, because we all have choices an infinite amount of them, to be clear. So when you make choices that are in alignment with yourself and where you want to go damn right, that's worthy of praise. We don't need to wait for the big stuff, because no one else is in charge but you, my friend. So when you have the option to go low and you go high, celebrate the shit out of that and watch as your choices keep evolving towards your greatest good, and you'll be doing so practically and effortlessly. That's the magic of self-praise. I adopt the mindset to praise myself. Look, we've all heard the warning. No one's coming to save you, so save yourself. This mantra helps to anchor you in your truest truth. That which is best for you will guide you to where you want to go. Look the easy road. It will always be there. Your comfort zone will let you stay as long as you like, risk-free, reward-free. So as you keep going through your own mojo mastery, keep this mantra close and celebrate and praise yourself along the way for all that you achieve and accomplish. You're gonna surprise yourself how often you'll do it and how good it truly feels. I think they call it happiness. I adopt the mindset to praise myself. So welcome back. So this gold star we were talking about, here's my hot take. Do you really need it? Look, if you're anything like me, you know the feeling all too well, that warm, sweet glow that you get when someone recognizes your hard work and then they shower you with praise. It's like a shot of pure joy right to the heart. But don't get it twisted. It feels amazing in the moment, but clamoring for validation from other people can be a really slippery slope. Today, we're going to take a friendly little stroll through the different sides of recognition and praise. We're going to instead figure out how we can balance our need for validation with a healthier dose of self-love you in. Let's go First off. Let's talk about why recognition and praise are so irresistible. We're social creatures. We're hardwired to seek out acceptance and approval. When someone, or literally anyone, acknowledges our efforts, it reinforces our self-worth and makes us feel valued. Normal, right, okay, sure, but for people-pleasers, this can become an all-consuming quest. We can become addicted to praise a hole. Let's check out some of the pitfalls that we face in trying to do this. Number one we become dependent on that outside validation. Relying a lot on other people for validation means that your self-worth is at the mercy of someone else Anyone else. If the praise isn't happening, you might feel unappreciated and that might lead to self-doubt and some anxiety. And if you're not careful, you'll accept praise from anyone and we don't like everyone. The next thing that creeps in is number two you forget what makes you special. Chasing approval can make you mold yourself to fit other people's expectations. Over time, this can cause you to lose touch with your true self as you focus on pleasing everyone else and what they want. Look, there's a reason that you do what you do the way that you do it. Don't forget that you are the magic ingredient in everything you do, passing your gift through someone else's filter takes your shine away and it puts water in your wine. All for a pat on the back, no, ma'am. And then we find ourselves faced with number three burnout. In your quest for kudos, you might take on maybe a little too much striving to be perfect in everyone's eyes, but trust me, look, you're not alone. All this effort can make you feel exhausted, physically and emotionally, and, ironically, you'll end up getting less recognition. You'll end up not showing up as your best, and it's bound to happen. When you're trying to do it all, you're going to end up not doing as well as you could have if you'd done it with some of your own personal flair and with less on your plate. So, now that we've covered all the pitfalls, let's shift gears for a second into something a little more uplifting. Finally, right, and that is honoring yourself calls let's shift gears for a second into something a little more uplifting. Finally, right, and that is honoring yourself. Look, self-validation is the key to breaking free from the dependency that we used to have on all that outside praise. Here's how you can start. Start with some self-reflection. This is the part where you take time on the regular to think about your own achievements and your badass qualities. Who knows these better than you? This is your chance to tip your hat to your own efforts and celebrate your success, no matter how small. Grabbing a journal and writing things down can be a great tool for this. Just write down three things that you're proud of every day and watch how your sense of self-worth starts to grow. It seems so simple, and I'm sure you've heard this advice a million times, but you know why it's super effective. While you've got that journal open, set some personal goals. When you look at your to-do list, how many things are on that list that contribute to you and your own stuff? I hear you. It's easy to get swept away in doing things for other people. So this is your chance. Set one or some goals that are meaningful for you, not just ones that will earn other people's approval. Boring Done that already. Try something that makes you feel fulfilled and satisfied, something that fires you up a little bit. And when you achieve these goals, watch out. It's going to feel amazing and you're going to sense a shift in how and where you want to spend your precious time and energy. Which takes us to number three the practice of self-compassion. Be kind to yourself. Understand that it's okay to make mistakes and that you don't need to be perfect. Did someone neglect to give you your just desserts? Cool. Did someone overlook your worthiness and ability due to whatever reason? Also cool. Your worth. Overlook your worthiness and ability due to whatever reason? Also cool. Your worth and your success are still real and it's still true, and it doesn't have to be decided by committee. Maybe you're feeling the sting of missing cheers for your work. Remember to treat yourself with the same compassion that you'd offer a co-worker or a friend. You'd be all oh, you don't need them. And you'd be right, Because when you create a culture of feedback, it comes naturally and lets you know where you're at and look. While self-validation is crucial, it's also important to find a healthy balance. Recognition and praise from other people isn't necessarily bad, but does become problematic when we depend on it from other people exclusively. And so here's how we're going to strike that balance. Step one get constructive feedback. So, instead of seeking praise, you're going to want to ask specifically for constructive feedback. This takes the ego out of it and helps you grow and improve without tying it to your self-worth or compliments. Plus, it shows other people that you value their input for your personal development, not just for validation. The next thing you're going to want to do is make sure that you also acknowledge other people. Practice giving genuine that you also acknowledge other people. Practice giving genuine praise and recognition for other people. Create an environment, wherever you're at, whether it's the dinner table or the boardroom, where it's just part of the culture. This is going to shift your focus outward and helps you appreciate the value of other people's contributions. It really creates a positive feedback loop, as people are more likely to reciprocate your appreciation, and that's where you'll be able to create a supportive network. You've got to surround yourself with people who support and uplift you. Your VIP list is for superstars. Only A strong support network can get you the validation we all need, but in a healthy and balanced way that doesn't overshadow your self-worth. And look, it's not about surrounding yourself with yes people. It's about hearing the cheers from people that matter and being able to hear the critical stuff from people who know and love you. So, in order to do all this, we're going to need to do some recalibrating. So let's first look at our need for approval. Breaking the habit of seeking outside validation is challenging, but it's not impossible. So let's look at some practical tips to help you recalibrate your need for approval. The first thing you're going to want to do is tap into that mindfulness and some meditation. Practice mindfulness and meditation, and that'll help you stay grounded and connected with yourself. These practices are going to help you become more aware of your thoughts and your feelings, and this just makes it easier to recognize when you're seeking that outside validation, and maybe even why. The next key is to set some boundaries. Learn to say no. It's okay to decline requests when it doesn't line up with your priorities and your values. Setting boundaries, it's a form of self-respect and it helps prevent burnout, which takes us to number three. Celebrate those small wins helps prevent burnout, which takes us to number three. Celebrate those small wins. Don't wait for a major achievement to celebrate, acknowledge and reward yourself for small victories along the way. What this does is it reinforces your sense of accomplishment and it reduces that need for praise from other people. And this is where your self-talk is going to make center stage. Make sure that that voice in your head is your biggest cheerleader and not your own personal peanut gallery, which leads beautifully into number four. Affirmations Using some positive affirmations will boost your self-esteem. Repeat some affirmations like I'm worthy, I'm enough, I'm fabulous, I'm awesome. Whatever feels right for you, make it yours. You do you, and this can help rewire your brain to seek validation from the source that's you. So let's go through some real life examples and some possible responses that you can weave into your day to day. So, like scenario one, you've worked hard on a project at work and, instead of waiting for your boss to acknowledge your efforts, just take a beat to recognize your own hard work. Think about it for a second. Think about what you learned and how you grew and how you're better now than you were when you started. When the feedback does come from the old boss, use it to improve rather than to confirm your worth. You know your worth. So the old response would have been feeling anxious or unappreciated if there's no immediate praise. But the new response feeling proud of your hard work and open to constructive feedback for getting better the next time. Then there's scenario number two the social media validation. So let's pretend that you post something meaningful on social media and it doesn't get as many likes as you'd hoped. Hmm, been there. So, instead of feeling down, remind yourself that your worth is not determined by likes or comments Engage with your post by sharing why it's important for you, and what that does is it reinforces that internal validation. So where the old response would have been checking for likes obsessively and feeling deflated if they're low, the new response is just thinking about the impact of the post on you personally and thinking about it from your perspective. This is obviously one that I've had to work a lot on recently, and the comparison trap is just that it's a trap. Comparison trap is just that it's a trap. The first thing that I do when I post something is that I watch it and I like it, and I usually share it with my own other account and I think about how it makes me feel and hope that it connects with the right people and the rest it's just up to that crazy algorithm. But let's look at scenario number three. You've gone out of your way to help a friend and they don't quite seem to appreciate it. Rather than feeling hurt, you can remind yourself why you chose to help them and recognize your kindness, Understanding that your actions are valuable. Regardless of that outside acknowledgement. It can be liberating. So where the old response was feeling resentful or undervalued, the new response is feeling satisfied with your act of kindness, understanding that appreciation doesn't always need to be verbalized. It's a big one and it's one our ego doesn't like very much. It's a tough one for the ego to swallow. But look, you don't know what you don't know. Your friend may have all the appreciation for what you did, know, your friend may have all the appreciation for what you did, but just didn't get the chance to thank you in a way that resonated with you. And when you fill your own cup, you'll never be thirsty. Now, when we talk about celebration, it starts with a party for one. So when we talk about that, the path from jonesing for outside validation to getting good at self-validation it's a gradual one. It's about learning to appreciate yourself and your hard work without relying on other people's opinions. Remember, opinions are like assholes Everybody has one, and if they're not paying your bills, it's okay to pay them, no mind. Everybody has one, and if they're not paying your bills, it's okay to pay them, no mind. The key here and I stole both of those actually is by practicing self-reflection, setting some personal goals and being compassionate with yourself, you can build a strong foundation of your own self-worth, and then you're well on your way to being untouchable. No one can come for you when you know your own worth. Remember, it's not about completely disregarding recognition and praise from other people, and it's not about letting them be the one and only way that you measure your self-worth. Balancing the internal and external validation it allows you to appreciate your achievements and stay true to your fine self. To wrap this up, my fellow recovering people pleasers, let's honor our efforts and value our worth. It's sexy. Let's show the world that, no matter what people think, we show up for ourselves with kindness and patience, knowing that we are enough just as we are. When we do that, we're going to find a deeper, more fulfilling sense of self that no amount of outside hype can ever replace. Be your own publicist. Speak about yourself and to yourself with glowing, loving praise, and you'll never look back. You've got this. Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. Remember, self-love and self-acceptance are the foundation for a Mojo Master, and I know that you've got everything you need to live a full life, to fill your own cup and to drink in all the good stuff that this life has to offer. You deserve it. I invite you to please come back next time where we're going to explore all that is self-image and self-esteem A juicy topic where we're going to explore the difference between the two and how to be a master of both. So make sure you subscribe to Pocketful of Mojo wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and come back next week to level up how we feel about the masterpiece that is our life. So until then, stay awesome, keep spreading those positive vibes and be kind out there. Toodaloo kangaroo.