YOU CAN’T BUILD A LIFE YOU LOVE IF YOU ONLY HONOR THE PARTS OF YOU THAT PERFORM
- Rachel Giordano
- Jun 29
- 3 min read
By Producer Rachel Giordano
I know how to celebrate the finish lines.
The launched thing.
The signed client.
The well-executed plan.
I know how to high-five myself after a packed production day, a successful event, a polished final cut. That kind of celebration is familiar, expected, even safe.
But recently, during a conversation with numerologist and energy strategist, Jessica Cerato, on my podcast, she said something that completely brought me to tears.
“I don’t want you to celebrate what you do. I want you to celebrate who you are.”
I was mid-conversation and suddenly I was crying. Not a graceful, misty-eyed tear. A full-on emotional unraveling. Because in that moment, I realized:
I didn’t know how to do that.
I didn’t know how to celebrate myself outside of accomplishment.
And I know I’m not alone.
Why is this so hard?
We live in a world that rewards performance.
From school to corporate life, from social media metrics to business milestones, we are taught that value is transactional. Do more, earn more. Achieve more, become more.
So we learn to equate output with identity.
For high-achievers, creatives, and entrepreneurs, this pattern gets reinforced daily. We’re praised for what we finish. Applauded for what we deliver. Celebrated for the visible results of our effort.
But rarely, if ever, are we taught to celebrate our essence.
Our values.
Our presence.
Our being.
Jessica said something else that landed deeply:
“If you only ever celebrate what you do, you’ll lose yourself in the business.”
And she’s right. Because at some point, success starts to feel hollow when it’s only built on output. You hit every goal, but you’re still asking: Why do I feel so disconnected from myself?
Resistance isn’t a block - it’s a signal.
As we sat in that moment, me raw and emotional, Jessica gently reframed what was happening:
“Whenever we hit resistance like this, it’s not a block. The antidote is curiosity.”
That opened a portal for me. Because I wasn’t broken, I was just caught in a pattern. A pattern where I only felt worthy when I was doing something for others.
And that’s what makes this work so hard. Celebrating ourselves without an external trigger, without a checkbox or a deadline or applause, feels vulnerable. Almost rebellious.
It requires us to ask:
Who am I when I’m not producing?
Can I hold space for my value without proof?
What parts of me have I ignored because they didn’t "perform"?
The Practice of Celebration Without Condition
Jessica shared the simplest ritual:
Put a candle in your dinner, yes, even the pizza or the meatloaf, and name something about you that’s worth celebrating.
Not what you did.
Who you are.
At first, I couldn’t name a thing.
But I’m learning.
Some days, I celebrate my honesty. Other days, my creativity. Sometimes it’s just the fact that I got out of bed with an open heart.
And slowly, I’m remembering that I am not just the things I make.
I am the architect of my dreams.
I am the fire behind the execution.
I am worthy of celebration even when I’m still becoming.
If this hits you like it hit me, I hope you’ll try the candle.
Blow it out in your own honor.
Let the flame remind you that being is enough.
And remember:
You can’t build a life you love if you only honor the parts of you that perform.
For more with Jessica Cerato watch our YouTube episode together HERE or go to her website:
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