BIRTHDAY BLOG

Hi, y’all!  It’s my birthday.  Everyone that knows me, knows that I L-O-V-E my birthday.  Birthdays are blessings.  It’s like your own personal holiday which, like any holiday, deserves to be celebrated.  Not necessarily a big party with presents and all my loved ones around me —-though that would be nice, I never expect everyone I know and love to want to celebrate my birthday.  Actually, I hate parties and presents in my honor.  It’s awkward.  I’m awkward.  Regardless of a party or presents, I make sure that on my actual birthday, I celebrate me with me.  Written down like that…it sounds so narcissistic!!!  But listen, early on as a young, full-time working mom, I decided that I would not work on my birthday and instead, celebrate me with me.  Each year, I look forward to this day because I know I am going to only leave room for the things that I want to do —and though that’s been challenged some years, I’ve managed to stick to it. 

I firmly recommend this practice to y’all.  It’s one day a year.  One day.  I’m not excited about aging either.  Getting old sucks but taking time to really love yourself on the day you were born, to expect nothing from anyone except yourself; to breathe, reflect, count blessings, acknowledge your gifts, smile back at that person in the mirror, get a massage, read, take a yoga class, meditate, take a nap, take a hike, shoot some photos, take a bath, make a pitcher of sangria - whatever you want to do, it’s your day.  DO IT!  We’re not gentle enough with ourselves.  The world likes for us to think we’re not worthy of self-love.  YOU ARE.  I’m here to tell you, YOU ARE.

So I’m off to spend the day with me.  I hope you have a fabulous day and find a way to practice some of your own self-love today.

I’ll leave you with 47 things I’ve learned in my lifetime

1. Be nice to people; especially the ones that are jerks;

2. I’m intuitive and emotional;

3. People are fools©;

4. My purpose in this life: use my gifts to make the world a better place;

5. I am the boss of my body;

6. If I pray hard enough; I’ll get an answer;

7. Listening well is a learned skill;

8. Sometimes I have to ask for what I need;

9. Dogs really are proof that God loves us;

10. The right thing is always the right thing;

11. I am enough;

12. Command + Shift + 4 on my Mac keyboard is my favorite keyboard shortcut;

13. Taking the back roads is far less stressful ---and fun (bonus!);

14. Charity starts a home;

15. Growing our own food is super-satisfying;

16. Look people in the eyes when I’m listening;

17. Send thank you notes, no matter how late;

18. Never stop trying to be the best version of myself;

19. My enneagram number is 4;

20. Self-love is hard but the key to so many things outside of me;

21. Listening to negative thoughts in my head is easier than the good ones;

22. Driving a car turns otherwise nice people into assholes;

23. Goats are my spirit animal;

24. Turn the pillowcase inside out before you put it on the pillow;

25. Meditation and breathing can change my mood dramatically;

26. Yoga has changed me;

27. Forgiveness is easier than holding on to anger;

28. Turmeric has amazing healing and anti-inflammatory powers;

29. American Eagle jeans fit me the best;

30. Men really are from Mars;

31. Optimistic people are always late;

32. I’m an optimist;

33. Owning my mistakes is easier than making excuses;

34. Spend more time with people who feed my soul and less with those that don’t;

35. The aisle seat is far more comfortable than the window seat;

36. Parabens are banned in Canada, most of Europe, and Japan.

37. Parabens are allowed in the US;

38. Perfection is poison;

39. No, he doesn’t see that ring forming inside the toilet bowl;

40. My kindness goes a long way; farther than I’ll ever know;

41. Karma is real;

42. Self-awareness is an on-going lesson;

43. I’m more productive when I have a lot on my plate;

44. Always make time to cherish and nurture relationships in my life;

45. I am complete in Christ;

46. Laughter is great therapy;

47. Life is hard©.

xotrish

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