He had just gotten a new job and was telling me about it. 

“I didn’t even celebrate it,” he said.

“Why?” I asked with genuine curiosity. 

“Well, because I am sure that the position will not last very long. They only hired me because they need an American on their sales team, and the industry is changing and likely going away,” he explained. 

“Yeah, so what?” I asked, knowing that he was working on a career change and that he was taking active steps towards completing the training for what he really wanted to do with his life. 

He went on to explain that he shouldn’t be celebrating a job that was going to end, and that wasn’t what he really wanted to be doing. He felt it was irresponsible to celebrate something he wasn’t passionate about. I made him pause and asked him if those thoughts were even his or if they were his fear of judgment and societal norms talking. 

“I see your point,” he said. “I guess that I am worried that other people will judge me, and I have been taught that if I am not passionate about something, I shouldn’t celebrate doing it.”

“Yeah, but you need a job to pay your bills, and you are actively working towards the career and lifestyle you want, right?” I asked.

“Yes” 

“So, celebrate the f*ck out of it,” I said. “You got hired to perform a job that you are really good at, and it is paying you what you need to get paid and giving you the time to work towards what you really want to do, right?” I asked.

“Yeah, I see your point” he responded in a slow and thoughtful way.

“Well, then celebrate it. Be happy that the universe gave you this opportunity because if you walk around carrying the energy of shame about the job, you are going to attract experiences of that same frequency. But if you walk around celebrating how great this is, you will attract back experiences that are at the frequency of celebration and joy,” I explained. 

“Yeah, good point,” he said gently. 

“I mean, I am not going to sit here and tell you what to do because it is your life, but I can offer you a different lens to look through if you would like,” I said with no attachment to whether he liked what he saw through the lens that I was holding.