Another Year Down....Hip Hip Hooray!
I am a person that loves birthdays. No, I do not declare the whole month of July as my month. Or, scream it out every day to any one that will listen that my birthday is here. (It’s today, btw!! :-)). As I turn another year, I realize that I love getting older. I feel more vibrant, more connected, and more forgiving. I do not know if that will be true when I start having more and more over the hill birthdays, but for right now, in this moment, I embrace getting older. My being. My life. All that I have learned. And, will continue to learn and experience.
My Birthday Gift to Myself
I do not “work” on my birthday. It is a holiday in my opinion and I take it off. I urge you to do the same for yourself even if all you can muster is a few hours. It is a day that is specifically about me. When else will you get a day that is all about you? If I want to sleep late, lay on the couch all day with my dogs, or shop till I drop, I do it. I allow myself to be in this moment and to let myself have time just for me. I also welcome the calls, messages, and cards that I receive of people remembering me. Every year, I feel so grateful for all the love that comes in and it warms my core. I am open and receptive to love and joy. I stand with hands outstretched welcoming it in. When I welcome it in, I am able to give it back out tenfold. Thus, it fuels me all throughout the year.
Forgiveness & Praise
Each year, I look back at all that I have accomplished, messed up, things that have given me life, people that I have met, people that I have grown apart from, and how I have grown as a person. I forgive myself for letting fear hold me back on some things. I forgive myself for not having the answers. I forgive myself for making mistakes, for not being super kind on some days, and for not handling things as gracefully as I could have. I praise my body for getting me through another year. I praise it for working hard and for going to the gym. I praise myself for loving on my dogs, connection with different souls and for constantly learning, growing, and thriving to go forward on my journey.
Celebration
"Celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music" I do plan a celebration or gathering with friends and family to help bring in the day. I have a posse of peeps and we celebrate life, the life that we have shared together and we dance. We dance to all the old 90s hip hop hits, twist and turn to country, and just live in the moment of the night. The car rides to and from the places, the laughter, and the drinks that we share on the celebration evening as we celebrate each other makes me fly higher than high. The posse is a mixture of high school friends, college, and newly brought in friends. I value them and I love that they come to celebrate each and every year!
Gratitude
My heart swells up along with my eyes when I truly sit in my backyard on the patio surrounded by the loves of my life (Gaby, Otis, and Judd) and think that I am so grateful for everything. Every tear, every heartache, every victory, every little blessing that I see on a day to
day basis….I am filled with gratitude. It pours from me. Honestly, this goes perfectly with the new Oprah and Deepak Chopra meditation series going on that I am participating in. I did not know where I was going three years ago. I was chaotic, scattered, and trying to piece together my life. I am now stable, not yet mellowed, still vibrant but definitely not scattered. I could not possibly imagine where I was going. I still do not know but I am on the path to getting there. That is the beauty of working with someone like a life coach that helps, encourages, guides, and supports you. I urge you to consider one (hello, me!) and get started. It is a beautiful experience.
"Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer." — Maya Angelou
Dream & Wish
This my "New" year. Therefore, I dream and wish about what my new year will bring, what I would like it to look like, what I what to achieve, and what I want to do. I have not mapped this all at yet but I will be putting together and jotting down a few thoughts in my journal. I do not know what the next year will bring. I pray that it brings happiness, joy, love, light, and lots of fun. I also wish that everyone that I work with, interact with, and love has all of that joy and happiness and more. Even though today might not be your "new" year, I ask that you consider to dream for yourself and put yourself first. What do you want to achieve? What does it look? Do you know? If you don't, that is okay too. My wish is that you reach out to me and let me help you walk into your greatness! xo
