I am writing this blog post over the holiday season. With that in mind, I’m about to give you a gift… it will be a very short blog post and easy to read. 😊
I’m a big fan of celebrations! I love to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries and holidays and even some of those days that are not so popular like Groundhog Day or national hot dog day or even opening day for baseball season. I just love to celebrate milestones.
Celebrating achievements and momentous occasions is very important to me and very important to my family. We love to lift each other up and encourage one another as best as we can. Often times things don’t go as planned or there is disappointment in people’s lives. That is why it is massively important for me to lift up and acknowledge my people during momentous occasions, events…big or small.
I think it is great to celebrate each other, even if it’s only for a day. There are many traditions that celebrate the ones we love. For example, I know of some families that place out a special plate for someone to eat on during their birthday. When we were young, my mom would fly a flag outside of our home on birthdays with patches and illustrations of things that were important to us. There are so many things that we can do to celebrate each other.
Of course, gifts are often given to celebrate occasions. But I have found the act of being together often creates a more impactful memory, something that one can come back to over and over again. Some of the best times with my family have been our discussions remembering celebrations of the past.
Our home just celebrated Christmas, which has a profound meaning to us as it not only honors our faith, but it represents service, togetherness and love. We have a ton, and I do mean a ton, of traditions. It seems that every year we just keep on adding and we keep that tradition for next year. It truly makes it fun and if we skip one, somebody in my clan of people will let us know.
So, what does this have to do with running an online business? Well, I’m glad you asked!
This is my 52nd blog post and marks our one-year anniversary of documenting my journey with you. This is a very special occasion for me and my online business. As I reflect on the past year my experiences in this online business and how I have documented my path I am overwhelmed and excited all at the same time. 
I went back to my first blog post and reflected on how not only my writing has changed, but how I have changed in my approach to this business. My first blog post was entitled Fresh Starts and I briefly outlined the reason for my change from being an HR Director for a very large company to working for myself in this business. A few of my goals changed but ultimately, I have stayed the course.
I have learned so much in the last year I just can’t believe it. Not only has my business grown but I have grown. I have grown as a business owner and I have grown as a person.
I have discovered that I am capable of being successful. I’m not yet where I’d like to be, but I’m definitely moving forward. I have not only gained not only knowledge, but fantastic mentors who are more like friends, colleagues who are more like family and a deeper appreciation of my business.
I also have an immense amount of gratitude for those who have supported me along the way especially my wonderful wife, who I’ve referenced throughout these 52 blog posts. I will say that I definitely married up!
My blog posts have evolved into starting with a story about something that has happened in my life or something that I have observed, then relating it to my business. I will say that these blog posts have been fun to write. Oftentimes it’s more than just a journal but a little bit of “therapy” as I’m able to document this journey and my path.
I want to thank you for following me along this road. Some of you have been with me since day one and others are just starting and I appreciate you immensely!
What are your thoughts on celebrations? Do you make a big deal of them like I do? How do you put a mark on achievements? I’d love to hear your comments below.
Well, as promised I’m going to end this blog post early. I wish you much success in your journey and I look forward to continuing celebrating successes on all fronts!
“Celebrate what you’ve accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.” – Mia Hamm
“The achievement of one goal should be the starting point of another.” – Alexander Graham Bell
And of course, a few VERY BAD Dad jokes:
“What did the pirate say on his 80th birthday?” “Aye Matey!”
What did the chef say when they finally perfected their recipe? “Now that’s a whisk worth taking!”!
Until next time, STAY FRESH, Friends!
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I like the idea of breaking up each day into moments of celebration, breathing consciously, and pausing to reflect on what I am thinking, and to bring it back to the present moment. In that way, every day is like a stream of consciousness, leading me to new vista, all in the realm of possibility.
Having said that, this last year, we built a foundation for the future of our businesses. This year, the structure will flourish and takeoff. My blog post this week is about Napoleon Hill, the great contributor to New Age entrepreneurial thought. If we only concentrated on the work of Napoleon Hill, we would go far, much farther than we can imagine.
Hi Kate – Celebrating each day and every day as a gift is such a good idea, Kate! Pausing and reflecting is one way to not only jump into reality, but to take action where needed. I agree that the foundation for our business has been laid and has hardened. Now it is time to build and build and build! We will continue to be successful. I just read your blog post and as usual, it was calming, meaningful and impactful. Have a great week, my friend!
Hi Ernie,
I love how you tied celebrations into both personal and professional growth. It’s inspiring to see how much you’ve grown over the past year, not just in your business but as a person. Congratulations on your 52nd blog post, what an amazing milestone!
I completely agree that celebrations, big or small, are so important for lifting each other up and creating lasting memories. My family also has a few traditions that we cherish, and it’s those little moments together that truly matter.
Thank you for sharing your journey and for reminding us to pause and appreciate our achievements. Looking forward to seeing where your next year takes you!
Happy New Year! 🥂🥳
Meredith
Hi Meredith! Thank you for your very nice comments and for consistently showing up and reading my blog posts! It means so much to me that you care to read my posts and comment and that is also worth celebrating. Thank you for celebrating with me and I look forward to celebrating you on your many successes now and in the future! Happy New Year!
Congratulations on your one-year blogging anniversary, Ernie! 🎉 I love how you connect the joy of celebrations to both personal milestones and business growth. It’s so true that celebrating small wins—whether in life or business—helps build momentum. Cheers to many more celebrations ahead, and thank you for sharing your journey with us! Here’s to continuing to raise the bar! 🚀
Hi Alison! Thank you for your extremely nice comments and for your friendship over the past year. I have learned so much from you and for that I am truly appreciative of the value that you have provided to me. I look forward to watching this both succeed even more in this upcoming year. Happy New Year!
Hi Ernie,
Great post and reflection of a year well spent!
I’d like to think that, like you, I’ve spent the past year honing my writing skills and becoming better at putting my thoughts to words.
That being said, I’ve also reflected on what 2024 brought and how I could have been better at other things during the year.
I also took the time to write down what I’d like 2025 to bring. Many of the objectives I look forward to attain seemed so out of reach at the beginning of this year and yet, I now think that I can attain them in 2025 with the training and education I received or took this year.
Wishing you all the best and like Dean told us so many times: here’s to you becoming a person capable of success!!
Hi Marc – Your comments are very wise and well received! Thank you so much for your consistent visits and comments to my blog. It is certainly wise to plan for this upcoming year and to reflect on what I have learned from last year. I plan to do just that as this new year is fresh and hid it hard in order to enjoy even more success. I also plan to have a lot of fun and that’s what this type of business will offer me… flexibility! Happy New Year to you!
Hi, Ernie!
I love to celebrate, too! I make a big deal of birthdays and traditions. I love to revel in them! They give us a chance to tell our loved ones how much we love them and be a bit over-the-top fun, too! Congratulations on your 52nd blog! Consistency is something to celebrate! It’s a really big deal to have consistently blogged every week for a year. A great, big, monumental Wow! for you. And thank you. Your posts are something I’ve come to enjoy weekly. I can always depend on you to make me smile and lift my spirits!
Nakina
Hi Nakina! Even though we have never formally met in person, I feel like I know you a little from your comments to my blog posts and from me following your journey. For that I appreciate the value that you continue to provide to me and for our online friendship as we endure this business journey in similar fashion. As always, I do appreciate your visits and comments and especially your positivity! Happy New Year and here’s to your success in 2025!
Ernie, I continue to enjoy this “therapy” you present for us readers weekly.
As for making a big deal about celebrations – some I do, some I don’t. I often think that if I make too much of a celebration of my own accomplishments, it’ll just go to my head and I slough it off and make things worse. But I certainly love the traditional celebrations in the company of like-minded.
“Aye Matey!”…I had to read that one a few times…yes VERY BAD LOL. I look forward to more of your content in 2025.
Hello friend! I feel like I can call you that even though we have not formally met in person. You helped introduce me to this business and I look forward to hearing from you through this blog and reading your emails and blog. And I appreciate that you read and have somewhat of a chuckle on my very bad jokes. I don’t plan on changing those, so sorry about that :). Happy New Year!