On November 4th, I celebrated another birthday. Thank you for the email messages and social media posts. I am grateful for one more year and a job with a policy that gifts employees with a day off for their birthdays.
My children tried their best to stay at home from school with me. They cried and pulled out all stunts to convince me that they needed to miss school. My middle son asked me, “What’s more important, sitting in class next to morons or spending time with your family before they die?” He’s seven-years-old going on seventy! I sent him along with his brother and sister to school.
I recognize my birthday by touching everything that I hope to continue in the new year. It’s my annual ritual. I make time to think, write, train, and be with my family.
My day started EARLY on Monday. I was out of the bed by 2:45 AM. After going through my morning routine and extending my reading time, I began to write. I planned my day to include my favorite mind, body, and spirit activities.
Writing, training Capoeira, jogging, swimming, and practicing yoga made the cut. Before my family returned home that evening, I achieved my goals and made time to relax. I had a great day.
How do you like to spend your birthdays? Do you let it pass and hope no one recognizes the date? Are you someone who enjoys throwing a big party?
Often on birthdays, we do things that we would not do on any other day of the year. I also had an Oreo feast to complement my healthy activities. Your thing might be drinking copious amounts of alcohol or celebrating life in another way that is atypical from your regular schedule.
Birthdays are important and worthy of recognition. The number of days we have on this earth is limited. Remember, according to my seven-year-old, birthdays justify neglecting responsibilities including school to spend time with family!
We should create habits that include daily opportunities to celebrate life. Acknowledging the beauty of this world, talking with a loved one, and taking time for ourselves is difficult on some days, but they are essentials to appreciating life.
Go for a walk. Sit and listen to the birds for a few moments between tasks. Give someone a handwritten letter.
Being alive is a blessing.
This week, I want to encourage you to take ten minutes for gratitude. Make time in the morning to create a list of three to five things in your life that bring you joy. This list can include people, events, material things, or your health.
For further explanation into the importance of daily gratitude practices, enroll in my self-paced online course, Frequency: Personal Development 100. I have an entire lesson dedicated to gratitude practices that can help you to better appreciate the small beautiful moments of today.
Thank you again for the birthday wishes and for reading this blog. I am grateful for you!