Recognition and being seen by all for your progress and personal development is not only a fun thing to do, but an absolutely critical part of our society which bolsters relationships and motivates teams to reach for greater heights.
Fortune 500 companies give out trophies and awards, thespian groups like The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences give out an Oscar for outstanding performances, and professional sports teams award trophies.
Without them, we would live in a much sadder world where everyone keeps their accomplishments to themselves.
Here are some of the benefits that being awarded for personal growth can have.
First and foremost, a physical reward is an everyday reminder we can keep at home or in the office. Having something to touch not only feels great and looks great, but our continual noticing of it is a great daily reminder to not forget the greatness that lives inside us.
Every one of us has a choice every day to live the best lives that we can possibly live. Whether we want to watch T.V. and eat cheesy poofs or combat homelessness, we as humans have the innate potential to do great things on a daily basis.
But because life can be so chaotic at times, one of the best things to help us mentally get back into a positive space is by physically being in the presence of an award.mn.,
On top of this, what an award stands for is a huge motivating factor on a personal level. Having the motivation to keep going is vital to longstanding, continual success over prolonged periods of time.
Not only as a method to keeping up the existing pace, but as fuel to improve and do even better than we were before since it can truly make us feel on top of the world for any facet of life that we exist in: business, sports, finance, philanthropy, and beyond.
It reminds us of the smart decisions which we made in a difficult situation that was so crucial and ended up not only benefiting us but benefiting everyone around us!
When we succeed, it’s not just a personal endeavor. Instead, it inspires others to succeed. Even if others are at a different level of personal growth then we are, any type of marked change that becomes acknowledged creates an environment of more opportunity and possibility that others can strive toward–a wave of change.
The old Buddhist adage goes something like, “A thousand candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases from being shared.” And so when a successful accomplishment goes unnoticed, it is wasted fire in that way; it becomes a less ecstatic world.
Personal growth may be a private thing which is not always easy to share, though. Perhaps someone used to be overweight and now is extremely fit, or they were just getting by and then one day decided to really take charge of their life and make something of themselves.
No matter the exact change that occurred, the positive growth opportunity that it creates for everyone else is so good that a rising tide typically lifts all boats. Some people may see trophies and awards as corny or unwarranted, however when we actually live with awards then we realize the transformative properties which they truly hold.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the journey of transformation and personal growth is that it does not merely exist within the realms of pop culture, business, and sports. Hunters have long used physical items to help them along their transformative path… for thousands of years.
First derived from hunting, trophies started out as something as primitive as mounting a buck’s antlers on the wall; they later evolved to the Greco-Romans and their method of placing conquered foes on trees.
Put more pleasantly, religious institutions have also made use of gifting physical items for millennia. Polynesian cultures have given leis as a greeting and honoring of the journey because they understand and respect the inward journey that occurs along with the physical journey.
Hindus, Buddhists, and many other religious practices have given themselves and loved ones statued figurines of various Gods as a form of self-love to better reflect their inward accomplishments.
And then as the most common form of a trophy, don’t we give each other bonuses at work for outstanding work? What about giving more personal gifts when someone just got married or had a baby because of how it inspired something inside of us?
When we love ourselves and those close to us unconditionally when nobody is watching, the eventual outward acknowledgment of that love should be rewarded and acknowledged! There can be no better-continued practice than to give someone a trophy or award to acknowledge the greatness in them because it makes the world a better, more connected place.
Identity Magazine is all about guiding women to discover their powers of Self-Acceptance, Appreciation, and Personal Achievement.
We ask that every contributor and expert answer the Identity questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the current article they have written. In that way, and as a team, we hope to encourage and motivate each other, thus inspiring you to Get All A’s.
1. What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? What are you still working on accepting?
That we have to all appreciate the little things and to not take anything for granted.
2. What have you learn to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? What are you still working on to appreciate within yourself and/or life?
I’m blessed to have loving family and friends in my life.
3. What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? And what makes YOU most proud? Any goals and dreams that you still have?
Graduating from Arizona State University in 2013
Photo by Ariel Besagar on Unsplash
