Today is my birthday! Am I sad? No! Lamenting it? Heck no! Feeling bad about another year on my age? No way! Today I’m celebrating me all day long! People as young as twenties begin to tick off their days as one birthday after another counts down the beginning of life going in the wrong direction: the end of their beauty—limits about what they can do—less chance to meet a romantic partner—and in general, make age a sore point that limits your ability to fully enjoy the time you have.

It is so unloving to act negatively about your age, since your years are part of who you are.

When I was a DoorMat, I did lament birthdays as another year wasted. I had a different kind of biological clock ticking than most women have. Each year meant I was another year closer to being too old to follow my dreams. I wanted to do things I loved and create a life based on what I wanted to do, not what others chose for me that I went along with. I felt stuck in DoorMatville, looking for a way out but too scared to look too hard.

When I finally became single and made an effort to find myself, birthdays began to feel better. For my second birthday on my own, I asked people who cared about me to come to a restaurant I loved to celebrate my special day. It was the beginning of a tradition I still keep. I have a friend who invites everyone she’s ever known to celebrate her birthday. I’m a lot more selective. I only want to spend my day with people with positive energy who are real friends. This dinner has become my birthday tradition.

I celebrate me, my life, how far I’ve come from DoorMatville, and, that I’m comfortable enough with myself to celebrate getting older.

I was recently at an event with a group of very successful women. One of them said her 50th birthday was approaching and she was dreading it. Another expressed how knowing she’s over 40 depresses her. It began a conversation about how it’s hard to face birthdays. They were all very attractive, fit women, talking about birthdays like they’d bring the plague or worse, dump loads of wrinkles on them. They all looked at me oddly when I said I celebrate my birthday with a vengeance.

Dolly Parton said, “I don’t know what the big deal is about old age. Old people who shine from the inside look 10 to 20 years younger.”

I agree with Dolly. I don’t consider myself old by a long shot. I like how I look, even though I’m getting older. Some people might disagree but what matters is what I believe. I still feel young and vital since I love myself enough to get good nutrition and exercise. Like life, age is what you make of it. I’ve been told many times that my happiness and self-love radiates from me. It keeps me feeling and looking younger! I figured out something long ago and it’s what I live by:

As the calendar reaches your birthday, you’re still the same person you were the day before.

And I’m the same person whether someone knows my age or not. That’s why I don’t like to tell my age until I get to know someone. But I will eventually tell. I just don’t let age define me, or what I do. Don’t be afraid of getting older. Be afraid of wasting your years pleasing everyone but yourself and staying stuck in an unhappy place. But as I said in my post, It’s Never Too Late,  you can change your life at any age.

As the saying goes, you don’t get old because of your number of years. You get old when you stop doing things you love and making the effort to enjoy your life.

I plan to live till past 100! Every year will be filled with joy that I go for. After all, you can’t stop the aging process so you might as well make the most of your life at any age. Why live in depression, believing life is over for you. Life is meant to be enjoyed at any age. I sure enjoy mine.
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Take the self-love challenge and get my book, How Do I Love Me? Let Me Count the Ways for free at http://howdoiloveme.com. And you can post your loving acts HERE to reinforce your intention to love yourself. Read my 31 Days of Self-Love Posts HERE.

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