https://blackgirlnerds.com/celebration-of-life-week-january-1-7-2022/
There are so many things worth celebrating, especially as we embark on a new year. You might celebrate reaching a specific goal, like furthering your education or saving a certain amount of money. Maybe you’ve landed your dream job or a well-deserved raise. Even little things are worth celebrating, like discovering a new hobby. New homes, paying off debt, overcoming fears, and starting a business are all worthy reasons to celebrate.
Celebration of Life Week (January 1–7) reminds us not only to usher in a new year but celebrate life to the fullest. It’s about taking time to focus on the small things, on the big things, all the important people in your life, as well as yourself.
Celebratory energy has a way of making us feel alive. Think about when you have a special occasion to look forward to. You receive immediate joy through anticipating the fun you’ll have. We experience an elevated feeling of hope and excitement for what is to come. But what if our big occasions don’t happen often? We shouldn’t have to put our excitement on hold.
Truth is, we have been conditioned to wait for an external reason to feel excited and energized about life. Unfortunately, when we wait for a reason to celebrate life, we waste precious opportunities to enjoy life right now. There is power in realizing we can feel excited in the moment without actually being in the midst of a special event. All we really need to do is give ourselves the gift of celebrating more often — simply because we can.
I have discovered that joy is a choice. I can have it whenever I want. Even if I find myself in an unfortunate situation or circumstance, I can still have joy. I’ve learned that I can celebrate my small wins each day. I can also celebrate the wins of others.
How to Observe Celebration of Life Week
In an effort to remind ourselves to celebrate life without having a reason, here’s a list of ideas to add more celebration this week and every day:
Start Each Day with Gratitude
It’s natural to feel gratitude when we reach a goal or celebrate a milestone. We can also experience gratitude in the midst of tragedy, realizing how precious life is. Sometimes our wake-up calls remind us of everything we do have to be grateful for. But what about the kind that doesn’t need a reason?
Idea: The moment you wake up, see what feels different when you say: “Thank you for another day. I’m excited to celebrate whatever the day brings.” Then carry that energy around with you throughout the day. You’ll be surprised the difference it makes when you set intentions.
Make the Ordinary Extra
Some days can feel monotonous, for sure. Maybe it’s the amount of work before us, or the weather, or many other reasons. When life feels blah, celebrating is the last thing on our minds.
Idea: Something that always boosts my mood is music. If I’m writing, a little jazz can be relaxing and help the pen flow. If I’m cleaning or working on a difficult task, a little ’90s old-school rap never hurt anybody. Adding music can be a fun way to pass the time. When we set the mood to enjoy the process of whatever we are up to, it can become enjoyable.
Get Moving Outdoors
There’s something about nature and how it gives us everything we need to feel good about life. The outdoors gives us evidence that life is a gift. Even though we know this, sometimes we might forget how much better we’ll feel after spending even a little time outside. It’s important for our well-being.
Idea: If you’re like me, most of your day is spent indoors. If you can, eat outside for lunch or have a meeting while you walk. Breaking up the day with sunshine and fresh air adds a sense of freedom to our day. If you can’t get outside, open the curtains or the window. Go to the mall for those New Year deals, while getting your steps in.
Another Fun Way to Celebrate
Have a Zoom party to celebrate yourself and the important people in your life. Play music and even have games. I have actually done this with my girlfriends, and it’s so much fun. We all live in different cities, so Zoom allowed us all to be together at once. We wore the same color, had our favorite drink, shared what we’ve all been up to, and celebrated our wins. You can use the time to celebrate a birthday or other special event too. Best part, it’s free!
Don’t forget to take time for yourself. Take a spa day or a mental health day. Go on a well-deserved vacation or stay-cation. Watch your favorite movie, or read that book that you’ve been meaning to get to for weeks. Reconnect with a friend. Make a list of all the people you are thankful for and tell them how much you appreciate them in a hand-written note.
Use the hashtag #celebrationoflife on social media to share how you are celebrating all week long.
There are so many things worth celebrating, especially as we embark on a new year. You might celebrate reaching a specific goal, like furthering your education or saving a certain amount of money. Maybe you’ve landed your dream job or a well-deserved raise. Even little things are worth celebrating, like discovering a new hobby. New homes, paying off debt, overcoming fears, and starting a business are all worthy reasons to celebrate.
Celebration of Life Week (January 1–7) reminds us not only to usher in a new year but celebrate life to the fullest. It’s about taking time to focus on the small things, on the big things, all the important people in your life, as well as yourself.
Celebratory energy has a way of making us feel alive. Think about when you have a special occasion to look forward to. You receive immediate joy through anticipating the fun you’ll have. We experience an elevated feeling of hope and excitement for what is to come. But what if our big occasions don’t happen often? We shouldn’t have to put our excitement on hold.
Truth is, we have been conditioned to wait for an external reason to feel excited and energized about life. Unfortunately, when we wait for a reason to celebrate life, we waste precious opportunities to enjoy life right now. There is power in realizing we can feel excited in the moment without actually being in the midst of a special event. All we really need to do is give ourselves the gift of celebrating more often — simply because we can.
I have discovered that joy is a choice. I can have it whenever I want. Even if I find myself in an unfortunate situation or circumstance, I can still have joy. I’ve learned that I can celebrate my small wins each day. I can also celebrate the wins of others.
How to Observe Celebration of Life Week
In an effort to remind ourselves to celebrate life without having a reason, here’s a list of ideas to add more celebration this week and every day:
Start Each Day with Gratitude
It’s natural to feel gratitude when we reach a goal or celebrate a milestone. We can also experience gratitude in the midst of tragedy, realizing how precious life is. Sometimes our wake-up calls remind us of everything we do have to be grateful for. But what about the kind that doesn’t need a reason?
Idea: The moment you wake up, see what feels different when you say: “Thank you for another day. I’m excited to celebrate whatever the day brings.” Then carry that energy around with you throughout the day. You’ll be surprised the difference it makes when you set intentions.
Make the Ordinary Extra
Some days can feel monotonous, for sure. Maybe it’s the amount of work before us, or the weather, or many other reasons. When life feels blah, celebrating is the last thing on our minds.
Idea: Something that always boosts my mood is music. If I’m writing, a little jazz can be relaxing and help the pen flow. If I’m cleaning or working on a difficult task, a little ’90s old-school rap never hurt anybody. Adding music can be a fun way to pass the time. When we set the mood to enjoy the process of whatever we are up to, it can become enjoyable.
Get Moving Outdoors
There’s something about nature and how it gives us everything we need to feel good about life. The outdoors gives us evidence that life is a gift. Even though we know this, sometimes we might forget how much better we’ll feel after spending even a little time outside. It’s important for our well-being.
Idea: If you’re like me, most of your day is spent indoors. If you can, eat outside for lunch or have a meeting while you walk. Breaking up the day with sunshine and fresh air adds a sense of freedom to our day. If you can’t get outside, open the curtains or the window. Go to the mall for those New Year deals, while getting your steps in.
Another Fun Way to Celebrate
Have a Zoom party to celebrate yourself and the important people in your life. Play music and even have games. I have actually done this with my girlfriends, and it’s so much fun. We all live in different cities, so Zoom allowed us all to be together at once. We wore the same color, had our favorite drink, shared what we’ve all been up to, and celebrated our wins. You can use the time to celebrate a birthday or other special event too. Best part, it’s free!
Don’t forget to take time for yourself. Take a spa day or a mental health day. Go on a well-deserved vacation or stay-cation. Watch your favorite movie, or read that book that you’ve been meaning to get to for weeks. Reconnect with a friend. Make a list of all the people you are thankful for and tell them how much you appreciate them in a hand-written note.
Use the hashtag #celebrationoflife on social media to share how you are celebrating all week long.
Afronerd Radio can now be heard LIVE courtesy of Apple Music/Itunes
Happy New Year to our staunch Afronerd Radio supporters and listeners! So it's off to the races with our first Grindhouse broadcast for 2022 airing this Sunday at 6 p.m. eastern on BTalk 100. Check out your cosmically empowered AFROnerdists hosts as they muse on the following topics: discussing the obvious-our predictions for the ensuing year in pop culture; #Snyderverse, #DCEU, and "Justice League" have been trending on Twitter for the last 24-48 hours including rumors that the upcoming Flash film will dismantle the preceding Snyder canon and introduce a female-led Justice League; more sadness for the top of the year-legendary comedic actress, Betty White (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls) passes a few weeks shy of 100 years of age; groundbreaking Blaxploitation filmmaker and actor, Max Julien (The Mack, Thomasine & Bushrod) dies at 88;
The highly-anticipated Cobra Kai Netflix streaming series returns for a fourth season; HBO Max' Young Justice S4 closes out its mid-season finale with fans already gearing up for a #renewYoungJustice campaign; Dburt continues to lament the possibility that the sequel to Black Panther, Wakanda Forever might turn out to be a bust. Alleged details are being reported that the Wakanda soundtrack will include substandard black pop acts that have very little to do with the franchise's African and Afro-futuristic themes; lastly, Black Girls Code founder, Kimberly Bryant is being ousted from the nonprofit organization she started in 2011 due to allegations of workplace impropriety.
One thing that Dburt is doing (finally) is investing in cryptocurrency, courtesy of Roundlyx. We would implore our followers to investigate, discern and then explore by using our referral code: afro-87A4BF
Call us LIVE at 508-645-0100. AFTER CLICKING ON THE HIGHLIGHTED LINK, GO DIRECTLY TO AFRONERD RADIO!!!
Also, Afronerd Radio's podcast format can be heard via BTalk 100 Pandora, Spotify and, IHeartRadio....more formats to follow!
Writer: Brandon Thomas / Artist: Ronan Cliquet / DC Comics
Three issues in and it seems like we got some clues as to how and why Green Arrow and Aquaman have switched bodies. The answer? Time travel. Get your popcorn ready for Aquaman/Green Arrow – Deep Target #3.
Led to believe they were investigating different cases, Aquaman and Green Arrow separately surveilled a warehouse where criminal organization Scorpio had a time platform, where they would transport small yet influential items from the past to the present, effectively slightly changing the timeline each time. Green Arrow and Aquaman accidentally (to their knowledge) stepped onto the platform, switching identities in the process. Now, they’ve been captured by General Anderton (himself spliced with archaic lizard DNA) as he tells them Scorpio’s grand plan before he sends them to their deaths.
Villains never learn, do they? Why can’t these dudes just work through their plans in silence? They’ll be successful so much more of the time. But nah, their hubris always gets in the way, turning them into Icarus, and giving the heroes the breathing room they need to get free and thwart their plans. It be yo’ own fault.
What I liked a lot about Aquaman/Green Arrow – Deep Target #3 was the way that the panels were laid out. Cliquet did a good job of showing us both Aquaman and Green Arrow’s perspectives, giving us three descending panels on the left from one point of view, and three descending panels on the right from the other. Most of the issue was laid out like this. It was a bit confusing at first, as the dialogue was repeated in almost every panel, but as I figured it out, I could see the brilliance.
The issue breaks that six-panel structure a few times to give us some beautiful splash pages as well as some larger breathing room to convey an image or some form of action, but other than that, Cliquet is being very intentional with the way things are laid out, and it’s something that definitely adds some depth to the issue for me.
8 Villain Monologues out of 10
Enjoying Aquaman/Green Arrow? Check out BNP’s other reviews here.
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