章 17: Celebrating Small Wins

As Jake's journey continued, he learned to savor the small victories in his life, moments of growth that might have once gone unnoticed. In the past, he had often overlooked these little wins, feeling they weren't enough to be proud of. But Dr. Lane encouraged him to recognize each step as part of his progress, no matter how small. "Celebrating these moments," he told him, "is how you build resilience and to remind yourself of how far you've come." One morning, Jake was running late for work and spilled coffee on his shirt. His first instinct was to feel frustrated and spiral into a negative mindset. But then he caught himself, remembering the work he'd done in managing his emotions. Instead of letting it ruin his day, he took a deep breath, changed his shirt, and moved on without giving it any more energy. It was a small moment, but it felt monumental. He recognized how this reaction was different from the past, where something so minor might have derailed his mood for the whole day. In his next therapy session, he shared this with Dr. Lane, who encouraged him to keep noticing and celebrating these shifts. By acknowledging his growth in everyday situations, he was reinforcing his progress and learning to be proud of the person he was becoming. Another moment came when he was out with friends from the book club. They were discussing their achievements, and Ava mentioned a recent promotion. Instead of feeling self-critical or envious, Jake genuinely celebrated Ava's success, realizing how much he valued his friends' happiness.