YOU DESERVE
A GOLD STAR
Just For Being Who You Are!
Do you remember a time in your childhood when a teacher gave out gold stars? Maybe this didn’t actually happen in your classroom, but I’m sure you’ve at least heard about the practice. Gold stars were, and still are, given out to students who get good grades, act on their best behavior, are kind to their fellow classmates, helpful to their teacher, etc.
But then, when kids get older, the gold stars go away. As adults, no one gets an award for simply being a decent person. People aren’t celebrated for treating their co-workers with respect or for taking out the trash. These are things that you are expected to do, and you are supposed to bear these responsibilities happily.
Of course, as a loving and caring person, you should always do good for the sake of goodness itself and not because you are expecting a reward. But a little recognition every now and then for all the things that you do wouldn’t hurt!
Adults also tend to experience less joy than children do. For us, celebrations are often limited to specific major events – birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, buying a new home, having a baby, etc. Days, weeks, months, and occasionally even years can pass without the occurrence of a joyful or festive occasion.
And while fewer and fewer moments are being celebrated, more and more criticism is heaped on to people every day – at work, at home, in relationships with friends and family. The pervasiveness of negative judgment has contributed to an increase in anxiety and depression in our society.
But nothing has really changed since we were kids. We all want to be seen for who we are. We all want to be acknowledged, both for our accomplishments and for our struggles. We want people to see the light we have within us. We all want to be valued and celebrated.
And that’s why I’m here. To acknowledge you. To value you. To celebrate you. To create a safe space where you can let us see who you truly are.
I want you to know that you deserve a gold star, just for being who you are! You deserve a gold star for showing up for life every day – even when, no, especially when, times are hard.
YOU are a shining star! It’s time to celebrate your light and radiate it out into the world!