You did something Amazing!  Now others are looking at YOU!   How you handle your success  can make or break your reputation.  Follow these 10 Tips and come out shining!

1. Congratulate YOURSELF!  Chances are you worked extremely hard to achieve that award or accomplishment and you owe it to yourself to take a moment and be thankful to yourself for all of the time, effort and sacrifice that went into the journey.  Sit with yourself, reflect on the journey and think about whether you would have done anything different if you could do it over again.

2. Show Gratitude to those who supported you along the way.  Did someone give you a hand, inspire you or encourage you along your way?  It does not even have to be related to this specific achievement, but in general.  Reach out to that person/people and let them know how they helped you and that you appreciate them and how their time/guidance/help.

3. When someone congratulates you, say “Thank you!” and mean it.   You can tell if someone means it when they congratulate you, too.  Also, be sure congratulate others when you see them achieving.  I will forever remember the people who made a point to congratulate me when I received awards.   Those types of interactions can make or break friendships. So make friends!

4. Spread the wealth.  Win something?  Spread the love if you can.   Bring in some snacks, breakfast, sweets and/or make an effort to outwardly acknowledge those who supported you.   Every sign of appreciation goes a long way.

5. Be humble and stay humble.  When we get excited about our successes, it is easy to come off as bragging or having an ego mindset.  Remember who helped you get to where you are and also remember that everything can disappear in an instant.  It is not what you do so much as how you treat others that will be remembered.

6. Don’t burn bridges; Build them.  Sometimes when we reach a new level of satisfaction and power, it is easy to let it go to our heads.  You might even feel superior to others and as though you belong in a new social circle.  Newsflash – you are still the same person and we all bleed red.  Every word you say and action you take has an effect on others.  Strive to be a good person … someone you would love and admire at the end of the day.  Someone who exudes love, honesty, compassion, and class.

7. Be wary of fair-weather friends.  These are the type of people who are drawn to fame, money and power and may show up in your life when it seems that everything is going right.  They will also likely disappear when the next guy tops your achievement or for the newest “star”.   True friends are those who remain by your side supporting you in the trenches, helping you up when you fall and congratulating you (buying the first round) when you succeed.

8. Show passion.  When speaking of your successes, let your passion shine through for the work that you have done to help it succeed as well as the work that others have done to enable it to come to fruition.  Sometimes rewards/awards can come at a point where we are so consumed with our efforts, that the actual award is borderline meaningless.  Trust in the timing never-the-less, relax and enjoy the moment.

9. Reflect on and learn from this experience.  The one thing every experience offers us, whether positive or negative, is an opportunity to learn.  How do you feel having attained this accomplishment?  What did you do right?  Is there anything you could have done better?

10. Pay it forward and be a mentor. How can you assist someone else in their journey to achievement? Make a  commitment to yourself, that in gratitude for this acknowledgement, you will help others who are striving for similar achievements and experiencing challenges.

The more grateful we are for the opportunities we receive, the more opportunities we will receive in the future.  Show gratitude and do your best with whatever you’ve got.  Merely having passion for what you are doing is enough to catapult yourself to success.  But it does not end there.   Be someone you admire.