Celebrating the accomplishments and successes of those around you can be a special experience. Not only do you get to show your friends and those you love most that you care about the success they are experiencing, but you also get to give them their moment “to shine.” However, what happens when you have a moment, but it gets overlooked because of someone else’s success? Would you bring it up or just let it pass by because you think that maybe it’s not “a big deal?"

Although it can seem challenging at times to give ourselves credit and allow ourselves to celebrate our own accomplishments, this is something that needs to be done more often. Nothing is too small to be overlooked, and this mindset needs to be shifted.

You are important, and your success is something that should be celebrated!

When we are around the people we are closest to, we may not want to seem like we are bragging about ourselves because this can make us uncomfortable. I have been in this situation; sometimes, I don’t know how to go about telling people about my accomplishments because I do not want to seem too arrogant. However, I’ve learned that praising myself is okay because I deserve to do so.

I deserve to feel successful and thankful for the opportunities that I have earned, just like those around me. It seems easy to post a picture showing your accomplishments or to write a short post on Facebook, and that’s all. We should deviate from the world of social media and celebrate what we have accomplished here in the "real" world, instead of behind a screen.

Several people I know, myself included, have been in the situation where an accomplishment is brought up, but it’s totally disregarded. When this happens, thoughts such as, “What do I do now? Do I let it go? Did they not hear me correctly? Do they not care?” may run through our minds.

Perhaps if the person we are talking with really doesn’t care, then it’s time we reevaluate who we are spending our time with because friends and peers should lift you up, not ignore you. Friends should be excited for you, especially if it’s something that you’ve been wanting to achieve. It’s time to realize that when people don’t care, we have the power to find people who will. We have the power as people to let people go, even if it is difficult.

I know that celebrating yourself can be hard, but give yourself some time to shine!

Maybe you got a high grade on a test you studied hours for, you got the job you’ve been hoping for, or maybe you just saw bought an outfit that makes you feel extremely confident. No matter what your achievement is, whether it’s something you view as "major" or "minor," it’s important. What seems to be the “small” things can have the largest impact on our lives.

Don’t allow yourself to be overlooked. You are allowed to take up space. You are a worthy individual, and don’t ever let anyone take away the moments of happiness and celebration. You deserve to have your moments to shine.