Acknowledge Accomplishments

When you get to the top of the mountain, your first inclination is not to jump for joy, but to look around.

James Carville

Acknowledging accomplishments is an important element of the creative process. In 1982 when I studied with Robert Fritz, author of The Path of Least Resistance and a creator of DMA, a powerful course in developing the powers of our consciousness in creating our reality, I learned about the importance of acknowledging our accomplishments. He described the creative process as having the following three components:

• Germination – an inner process where the seed of an idea is planted in the fertile soil of our consciousness (the idea for this book).

• Assimilation – when we begin to see the fruits of the seeds we have germinated in our life (a book proposal is written; the proposal is sent to publishers; a book contract is signed; the manuscript is completed and sent to the publisher).

• Completion – acknowledgement of the completion of the creation (Yippy, I completed my book proposal; I’m so glad my friends spoke with their publisher about taking a look at my proposal: Y E S, I have a book contract, thank you God, Loving Power of the Universe for guiding my way, Hooray, I’ve completed my manuscript; I am thrilled my book is a best-seller).

He told us that in his research of composers, all had the artistic and technical skills to compose music and the difference between the ones who were successful and the ones who were not was that successful composers demonstrated all three steps of the creative process. Some people had great ideas and stopped there; others had ideas and took action; and it was the people who had ideas, took action and acknowledged their accomplishments who experienced success.

We feel good when we acknowledge our accomplishments but many of us are not skilled at doing this. We have more practice focusing our attention on what didn’t work, or what is left to be done. We acknowledge, but what we acknowledge is what is lacking. Think about it, have you ever completed ten items on your daily to-do list and at the end of the day your mind is filled with the two you didn’t complete. This drains our energy. When we focus on and acknowledge our accomplishments the force is with us. This gives us the energy to move with grace and ease and at the end of the day, we feel alive and good about who we are. Not only does acknowledging our accomplishments enhance our personal well-being, it contributes loving energy to the collective consciousness of peace and happiness in the world. Each and every moment we have 100% power to choose what we think, where we focus our attention so, acknowledge your accomplishments this week. This is a week for celebration!

Practicing Acknowledging Accomplishments

• At the end each day write down 5 things you accomplished. Do this when you are questioning your ability to get things done or feeling blue. This exercise is less about the content of your items and more about seeing yourself through the eyes of accomplishment. For some of you this will be like wearing new glasses. You may not be used to them at first, or suddenly your vision becomes clear.

• Choose an Accomplishment Symbol (based on Robert Fritz’ Symbolic Gesture). An Accomplishment Symbol is something you normally do each day that you endow with the power to represent an accomplishment. Your Accomplishment Symbol may be: brushing your teeth, washing your face, shaving, having breakfast, getting out of bed. Remember, it is something you are already doing, NOT something you think you should be doing.

Since 1982 my Accomplishment Symbol has been brushing my teeth. The association between accomplishment and brushing my teeth is now so strong that I go to bed and wake-up feeling a sense of accomplishment just by brushing my teeth. Even if it is just a glimmer on some days, the energy of accomplishment is still there. There have been some days just getting the toothbrush to my mouth felt like a major effort. I would just wet it a bit, not even use toothpaste, and still I would go to be thinking, ‘Well I brushed my teeth today, I accomplished something!’

• Use your self-talk, talking to yourself, to acknowledge your accomplishments. You might look in the mirror and say: ‘Good for me today I wrote, exercised at the gym and called prepared material for the class I’m teaching tomorrow.’ While waiting in line at the supermarket you might say to yourself: ‘I got a lot done today: I sent a birthday gift to my Mom, I paid my bills, I went to the gym and I’m getting the weekly supermarket shopping done right now.’ While you are on hold on the phone you might say to yourself, ‘I’ve accomplished a lot today, I went to the barber, I saw my son’s school play, and I spoke with the mortgage broker about refinancing our mortgage at a lower rate.’

• Brag to three people about your accomplishments..

• Acknowledge something of value in each encounter you have today. See everything you do today through the eyes of accomplishment. Sometimes, when I am stuck in traffic and on the verge of giving the steering wheel of my life over to impatience I remind myself of this great opportunity to practice patience, and I acknowledge myself for turning lemons into lemonade. Becoming the greatest lemonade maker in the world is a terrific accomplishment and a sure way to be peace and happiness.

• Write reflections on Acknowledging Your Accomplishments:
? What did you accomplish?
? What did you learn?
? How can you keep your Muscle of Acknowledging Accomplishments firm, strong and well-toned? Do It

The Cracked Pot

Author Unknown

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master’s house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

“I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”

“Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers and to decorate my master’s table.

Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house. Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, our flaws will be used to grace His Father’s table. In God’s great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don’t be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty.

© 2003 Susyn Reeve. From Choose Peace & Happiness