"You may be wondering why I invited you all here today. Well, I had a really great game of Fortnite and you're going to listen to me describe it in excruciating detail. Here's some champagne; make yourselves comfortable."
My cause for celebration is that last week I was at a crosswalk and for the first time in over a year my first thought wasn't "I could just walk into traffic right now." and I realised that I'm starting to do better.
When I'm having a rough time, I like to listen to a song called My Silver Lining, by First Aid Kit. Since english is my third language, I listen to it while reading the lyrics, and I get overwhelmed with emotion every time. It motivates me to keep going, no matter what. I really hope that things go well with you from now on, and I hope you like the song :)
I love reading all the celebrations in the comments! Here's mine: my sister and her fiance thought that they wouldn't be able to come to Thanksgiving because their dog had fleas and they couldn't board him at a kennel, but the dog is all better and they're coming! Hurray!
Try not to saddle yourself with too much student debt. Universities are price gouging--being in 120,000 dollars of debt in your 20's is not a good idea. It's not necessary, either--this is the age of information. I understand needing qualification, but do whatever you can to avoid being a debtor.
Last week I overcame my social anxiety and went to my Universities career fair. I worked up the courage to talk to the tech companies I wanted to do internships for, and two of those companies gave me an opportunity to do onsite technical interviews. Since last week I have done both interviews, and I think I did okay. I was terrified, and a bit awkward, but I was able to solve the problems they gave me, and I did the best I could. Even If I don't get any internship offers, I was able to overcome my anxiety and fears and actually put myself out there, and I became a stronger person because of it.
Congratulations. No, for real. I'm a scientist myself, often enough struggling to get the pieces together and every now and then ending up believing that I'm not smart enough for what I'm doing. I wish I could get more out just for the sake of confirmation that I'm not just wasting my time (and funds). So, yeah, I really understand what that means and what you probably have been through.
Congratulations! My second first author paper is submitted for review and I know the feeling (especially since I’m on a leave of absence for mental health reasons)!
Every night my bf and I talk through our high of the day, low of the day, and something we're grateful for. It's kind of like a daily celebration (highs), opportunity for empathy (lows), and moment of gratitude. Would highly recommend!
In the past year I’ve been diagnosed with cancer, gone through treatment, lost a few friends through it, but came out cancer free and still made the dean’s list at college. I have been pretty upset about how this year has been so thank you for reminding me that there is always something to celebrate 🎉
My cause for celebration: I have been struggling with health issues for a long time and no one could figure out what the issue is - but recently it became clear what's wrong so now I can finally start treatment in hopes of getting better!
Rosalie Jansen, hooray for finally getting a grasp on this thing, whatever it is. It’s always a relief to have a name for the monster! Good luck & blessings for your treatment. May it go well; may you be well. “Life is good” was my motto through cancer treatment 13.5 years ago (also, “F
Mark Dowdy I’m proud of those black eyed peas. I think I will celebrate by making a big pot of store bought ones and just imagine how great they would be home grown. Cheers
My husband passed away two months ago from cancer, just before his 30th birthday. Watching this video made me think of the two years he was sick. We were so anxious for him to get better that we rarely stopped to appreciate all the small wins and happy moments. I wish we had taken more time to celebrate while we had the chance. Thanks for posting this, John. My husband was a huge fan of your work and of rituals - and he would have so appreciated this little reminder to enjoy the good things while we can.
Thank you for sharing, we all need reminders like this. I just lost my grandmother to cancer and was reflecting similarly on her last year. Take care and cheers to today, tomorrow and yesterday 💞
Little game my family played when we were little; every day we would have dinner together and to inspire conversation we would ask each other "what was the best part of your day?" And the answer could be as simple as "I played with my friends at recess" or "I aced a test" or (the classic) "right now, eating dinner with my family". Now there was one rule: each negative answer meant you had to answer two positives. Whenever other people came, we'd also play this game and my cousins always ask if they can be the one to start it. It's really sweet and simple and made us look at the good parts, even when are days weren't going well.
Cause for celebration: Recently graduated with my master's degree and landed a job as an occupational therapist treating individuals with brain injury! Survived a month so far and going strong!! :)
My celebration: after years of telling myself I'll finish my novels someday and someday get published, I quit my main job a few weeks ago and actually have done what I said I'll do. I've written at least a 1,000 words everyday since, and it's been a long time since I've felt such satisfaction and happiness in my own capabilities.
My short film I shot in June got accepted into it’s seventh festival last week. It’s the first thing I worked on with other people after my university course gave me a crushing feeling of not being good enough.
I had to write my first 2,000 word essay this semester as well. It's a challenge but feels like such an accomplishment when you get it done! Congratulations!
You’ve shaped so much of my life. Today I’m celebrating 30 days of being sober and I’m toasting to you for teaching me how to be a good person even when I’m not at my best.
My cause for celebration - I just started teaching undergraduate students, it's the end of the semester here in India and I had them fill a feedback form. Anonymous, of course. There was constructive feedback, sure, but the vast majority of them seem to really like me and my teaching style. Many of them told me how they've never seen certain traits I have in other teachers their entire life and how they wish I teach them in the upcoming semesters as well. It felt great to be good at something you enjoy doing.
I'm old, in less than perfect health, and I have mobility issues. I also have a wife who has been by my side for 49 years. I have cats who fight over who is my boss for the moment. My painting instructor and classmates tell lies about how good my paintings are. I worked for over 40 years as an educator to change the world for the better, and I think I did. (Okay 2 students became lawyers & 1 a professional politician .) Life isn't perfect but it sure has been good.
Well, I got my first job last month, I started hanging out with friends I had not seen in years and my best friend is getting married. But what I’m really going to celebrate this weekend is finally catching that shiny gastly in Pokémon !
Taking time to celebrate is a form of self care. In fact, it /is/ self care, in the most basic sense. Reminding yourself that there is joy by means of celebration is a great way to take time for yourself. Also I'm a folklore nerd (technically university major) and calendar customs and rites of passage and other things that are met with celebration are counted among that stuff. It honestly fascinates me that people stopped celebrating so much, and I would love if that started again.
Now that me and two of my friends I meet in my freshman dorm are seniors in collage we have been doing something like this! We have a Snapchat group chat and each day one friend snaps how many days are left until the next school break, one snaps us some art, and I snap a happy thing I find on campus. These pictures disappear and are very short lived but I find myself looking forward to these pauses for celebration every morning (and they really help combat senior burn out).
I'm celebrating that, despite being very sleepy, I went to an event today that relates to my work as a therapist, and it ended up being a lovely morning. So worth the involutary yawning.
I finally found a way to focus on reading for my thesis, after months of dealing with a burn out and low concentration. I don't think reading for half an hour has ever felt like such an accomplishment.
@@Natalie-101 @classymonkee08 sorry for the late reply, I just got notified! I'm sure by now you'll have finished, but for any that are wondering: I tried the pomodoro method, which is setting a timer for 25 mins to work and then having 5 mins breaks in between. It doesn't always work, but somehow telling myself I only have to do something for 25 mins makes it easier to start and to stick with it. Hope it helps you!
For the record, many nerdfighters are sharing their celebratory good news here in comments and it's just so lovely to read about everyone's successes. Y'all're doing amazing, guys. For anyone needing a pick me up, I wholeheartedly recommend giving them a good read. DFTBA!
my teenage years have been filled with ironic celebrations of the smallest accomplishment or mistakes, but even though ironic, they still brought that joy and awareness of my surroundings that i continue to hold dear
I’m feeling joy over my impending birthday. It’s 5 years past the age I thought I’d live. While I still struggle with anxiety/depression (taking a leave of absence from my PhD program), I’m happy I’m here.
Does it seem wild to other nerdfighters that Alice is going to kindergarten? It seems like she should still be a baby! Congratulations, Greens!! What you said about babies reminded me of the podcast this week (which was so good!! my new fave I think) and babies are such a good reason to celebrate the world and take care of it.
Cause of celebration? I'm a breathing and healthy human being, with friends and family that support me and I support them. And also, last Saturday I went up to the ring for a Muay Thai match, and even I lost, I still celebrated because I tried and challenged myself to do it.
My cause for celebration: earlier this month I was in John’s hometown of Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium to perform at one of the biggest marching band events in the country! It was one of the best experiences of my life!
As a fellow marching band member (going into my fifth and final year of college band next fall), I'm insanely jealous! Glad it was a good time. I bet you'll remember that experience for a long time.
That's dope! As someone terrified by public transport I'm very impressed :) Great things to celebrate! (Also the Fans of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing discord is pretty cool, you should come check it out!)
@@thismianeptunis Nice, thank you. Yes, life-hood feels like a bunch of victories! To be proud of all the points between A and B. Awesome, I'll check it out.
I'm watching The Office, Season 6, Episode 11... And the moment Michael says "cause for celebration" I got a notification for this upload. Consider my mind officially blown. 💥
Two celebration things! One is that I just quit my retail job to go back to the only job I’ve ever loved which is subbing at a school. Two after next quarter I will have my associates degree! Side note: I’ve also want to celebrate the fact that I finally decided that money isn’t as important as doing something I love and I’ve decided I’m going to be a teacher.
You're so right, John, and I really appreciate the reminder as we head into "Oh, I forgot seasonal depression was a real thing" season. Celebrating beauty and achievements small and large is essential to maintaining our ability to move forward, especially but not exclusively when times are as dark and difficult as these. It's one of the things that I love most about Judaism, my chosen religion - despite and often because of terrible, terrible things happening, we have a constant cycle of joyous holidays, keeping us grounded throughout the year, and I'm especially grateful for Hanukkah, making a whole week feel light-filled and special in the darkest month of the year. Thanks as always for the reminder, and congratulations on your beans!
I finished my first trimester of senior year, and I now only have two trimesters of highschool left! The feeling of being so close to graduation, so close to adulthood, is both wonderful and utterly terrifying.
Hey, as someone in their late twenties who was starry eyed and thought they knew how they were going to be an adult, I want to wish you well; I want to go ahead and tell you that you needn't graduate knowing what you're going to do, that you needn't chase the college dream immediately or at all, that if you do, it's alright to take your time, to explore options as best you financially can; to really think about your goals, and take your time thinking about your goals. I wish I'd had people telling me to play loose with my intentions, that I needn't feel a failure from the moment I missed my first set benchmark, or the next or the next in an ever devolving spiral. Do your best to avoid those loans. Know it's alright to rejudge those goals and adjust for slightly more accessibility- know that isn't laziness. And do pay attention to your emotional and mental health. Don't let failures get you down, but instead look for how you can learn and benefit from them. Admittedly, this response is wish fulfilment; I wish I could tell the me that was at your point these things... Just, be easy on yourself. Look for your reasons to love and value yourself. I wish you the best.
I feel this video on an emotional level. I got a pretty good grade and didn't celebrate, it was when a friend "forced" me to celebrate that I could feel the joy and the accomplishment. We really should celebrate the small stuff, it brings so much joy, happiness and hope. Thanks for the reminder John!
After returning home from college early due to the wild fires in Northern California, I have an extra two days to explore my childhood city. Best part is my perspective is now that of a curious visitor, rather than a discontent native. Cheers to growing up and coming home.
I don't usually comment on youtube videos but seeing the comments and since it's almost thanksgiving, I propose we all write down our own celebratory rituals. Today I recieved my last high school report (southern hemisphere) and I was so happy I couldnt wipe smile out of my face, according to my friends. Despite my extended family lives far away and my dad being away travelling, my mother, my sister and I all went to the restaurant we like and ate puddim so yeay to cellebrating!
I’m loving reading everyone’s causes for celebration so I’m sharing mine as well. I went to Europe for free last week. Also, I finished my 2 essays last night.
I think the fact that this video is making me tear up in the middle of Banes and Noble is a sign that I don’t celebrate the good stuff enough. Thanks for the reminder.
Funny this edition of Vlogbrothers time came out today because today I changed the second set of bushings in my car's suspension. I've been teaching myself mechanical stuff about my diesel Jetta and it was triumph to have it working again. I just drove it home from my parent's place. I'm very proud of myself! My parents and partner ate dinner together afterward. The get together wasn't for me or my work but it kinda felt like it. 😁 Thanks for the reminder John!
Nice! Bushings are a pita. Im not a big VW fan but those Diesel Jettas will get a bajillion mpg if you drive them right. Just keep up with the maintenance.
That kind of knowledge needs to be valued more. Not only money saving, but one of those life skills that people need so much more than some of the other things people give value to these days. Nice work!
This is a great idea! I don’t really have anyone near me to celebrate, so I’ll celebrate it with Nerdfighteria here in the comments: After a long 2 years of bouncing around postgrad, I got my first real, permanent Big Adult Job earlier this month! With a salary and benefits and everything! 🥳
This cat that is not mine but lives around the neighbourhood visits us and stays sometimes for severals hours till it's night and my mom wants him to leave... This is a cause for celebration for me everytime. I really do love this cat
@@ampz1466 Sammy (I gave him this name because I don't know how how he is called) is one of the most beautiful cats I've ever seen! With yellow eyes and red/orange fur =D (For anyone who'd like to see him there are some photos on Instagram @ patlizblack :'D) Everytime I see him outside I open a door and call him and when he comes running over to me he seems almost as happy to see me as I am to see him :D
My family isn't sure if he's a stray or not but this cat keeps coming to our front porch chaise for sleeping and after a while, I wanna celebrate how a small life finds comfort in something I often look over. (the chaise is stiff and too small for me--oh maybe thats why)
@@elektrotehnik94 Aww, thanks that's so cute! :D Yes, he's a real beauty! And such a good-tempered, confident and playful cat. He even tries to bond with the dog! Maybe I'll catch them on picture some day (:
This seems like an excellent start on "more joy in 2019". I look forward to more of this. Thank you for your video, John - and thanks to all of your for your celebratory comments. I'm enjoying them immensely. :)
Me too! Well, not all day, I'm only just starting out as a market gardener and it's Autumn, so there's not much growing and the business side needs doing and that's an inside job, but enough :D
John this video damn near made me cry. I’m a first year student in pharmacy school which is bananas stressful. I passed my first REAL™️ final today so the timeliness of this couldn’t possibly. Salud.
Last night I edited together a video about my experiences being trans and depressed, and I've been wanting to and failing to figure out how to approach it for like a year now but I think I just needed to be the right amount of happy and have the right amount of care-free attitude about it, and I finally did it last night. It's not done, but it looks really good so far. I've been pretty excited abd confident all day today, after weeks of feeling bored and exhausted.
My cause for celebration, I got an A in an English class despite the fact that my teacher discriminated against me for having dyslexia. But what I am most proud of is my ability to stand up to her.
A cause to celebrate right now: That we all have become better people than who we were before! :D This is quite long. I apologize but: I found a book that happened to be a "sequel" of the Little Prince (The Return of the Young Prince. By A.G. Roemmers) and I find it profound yet tender as it points out the nature of "typical" adults as the Little Prince (now the Young Prince) learns how to "grow up" but with the loving, honest way he's always done everything with. And as it is raining right now (well, not really, more like drizzling), I'm reminded by you and this book to pause and look at the world, and to learn from it. And that-, "Feeling valued and knowing that you matter is more about how you think of others, than how others think of you." Thank you and Hank always. ^_^
This was my argument to have a big wedding and why people saying ‘just buy a house and elope’ drove me nuts. We could afford it. We wanted to have a celebration because we wanted to pause with the people who were supporting us!
We don't have any particular plans to get legally married (because Uncle Sam has fuckall to do with my interpersonal relationships) but my partner and I have often discussed having a wedding-style-party for this very reason.
If you can comfortably do it, and it is what you want, then by all means do what makes you happy. I think the big problem is when people go into debt or are already in debt and spend a lot of unnecessary money because they feel social pressure to do so.
Everyone I'm talking to about my wedding somehow makes me feel guilty about the money we're spending, but we're making informed financial decisions and we can/want to spend the money. It's nice to see other people feel the same way.
An affordable, enjoyable event where everybody gets together and has a good time is a good thing to do. An "oh my god everything must be absolutely (expensively) perfect on the day or my life is RUINED!!!1!!" party is not healthy or fun for anybody. I think a lot of people forget that the better thing to have is the former, and you can't really get there via the latter.
I think the problem is also that traditional celebratory moments have been "corrupted" (I don't know how else to put it) so that they bring you more stress than joy. Like having a baby...babyshowers are suppose to be happy and a chance to celebrate, but now there are professional babyshower-planners because they have to be perfect and bring too much stress. Relaxing hobbies have become competitions among friends and colleagues. Getting into a school or getting a job offer is nothing if you haven't gotten more offers than your friends... *Relax and be celebrate every opportunity!*
My cause for celebration is deciding to sign up for a photography class at my community college despite having bad anxiety about it. I'm trying to get better😊❤
WE NEED A NERDFIGHTER FESTIVUS. A yearly celebration of joy that There Is Good Stuff, not related to any religion, country or ethnicity. We have other Nerdfighter holidays, I think there's room for one more!
Yeah maybe something towards the beginning of the year! the nerdfighter holidays are spaced out pretty well except we’re missing the first four months lol
I got my dream internship for next summer. I've worked my butt off. But because it feels so far way I keep forgetting about it. But I'm taking this moment to be proud of myself. Cheers with my hot chocolate!!!
It’s almost thanksgiving and I get butter beer pie so I am most definitely celebrating. I also listened to my first podcast, and I wrote a 4 page paper on Alexander Hamilton I know that’s not a lot but I had never written that much.
I needed this today. Thanks John:) I'm going to celebrate my fitness journey. My exercise routine started as a way to manage my anxiety, and now, it's a way of life!
We do this every night over dinner. We call it "Foodtitudes and Gratitudes." We talk about what we're grateful for and/or thank the people at the table for something specific we appreciate about them. It's conspicuous when we haven't done it for even a few nights and feels very joyous and comforting when we do it/get back to it. Great advice, John!
Wow you practically just read my mind! Lately I've been trying to embrace all feelings, but today specifically I've been focusing on enjoying the small things. I drove past a field today that looked like a real life painting, I got a really delicious peppermint hot chocolate today (that I totally used to cheer with just now). And even the disastrously packed grocery store I just came back from was kind of fun instead of stressful because I reminded myself everyone there was getting food to share with friends and family, so I smiled at everyone I passed and most of them even smiled back.
Last Saturday I was having lunch with some friends, celebrating one their birthdays and he was like "I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE NEED TO CELEBRATE IT, IT WAS FINE WHEN WE IT WAS MEDIEVAL TIMES AND TURNING ANOTHER YEAR OLDER WAS AN ACTUAL ACCOMPLISHMENT BECAUSE YOUR LIFE EXPECTANCY WASN'T GOOD" And it got me thinking, and now this video's got me thinking And... I have no conclusion, except that it's okay to celebrate, not everything has to be dark Okay that was it, thank you John! Thank you DFTBA community!
I'm not going home to see my family for Thanksgiving, so I bought a bottle of sparkling cider and I'm prepared to celebrate the wonder of human consciousness alone :D or maybe with some internet friends :)
