Tomorrow I turn 43 years old. I've lived on this earth for more than 22 million minutes. It literally blows my mind when I think about that.
This past year was a pretty good one for me. I finally started writing after so many years of dreaming about it. I ran my fastest mile ever, and maintained my goal weight for the entire year. I met some interesting people, and took on new challenges at work. I watched my boys grow and learned so many new things about them. And learned a lot about myself along the way.
Birthdays are interesting at this age. Not quite as exciting as they were when we were little, when everyone got us gifts and threw a party and made a big deal out of it. And if you have kids, it's hit or miss whether your birthday will even actually be about you, since of course, life doesn't stop just because it's the day you were born.
This year, I'm taking some time for myself on my birthday weekend. Time to reflect and think about all of the things I have learned on this journey. I'm giving myself the gift of rest for my body, mind and soul.
There are so many more things I want to do in this life, and I know that if I am lucky I might have another 22 million minutes to spend. It's up to me to make those minutes count.
I've spent so many years overthinking things, second-guessing my choices and stressing about whether or not I'm doing things the "right" way. Which, if you've read my previous blog posts, you know is completely ridiculous, because there is no true"right" way, only the way that works for you in your specific situation.
I'm grateful that my perspective is what it is today, as I think the next phase of my life will be so much more enjoyable because of it.
This could be my best year ever, especially because I know now that only I have the power to make it that way.
Life is made up of many ordinary moments that collectively make it extraordinary. I just need to do more of a few simple things.
Spend more time with the people I love
Stress less, smile more
Write like nobody's reading it
Take a few vacation days - go somewhere new
Think before I speak - are the words I am about to say really worth saying?
Remember that we are all struggling, and those struggles affect how we interact with each other
Give more hugs (and hopefully get more back)
Start every day with a positive thought
Lead by example - at home and at work
Remember that my boys are still boys, at least for a few more years
Don't forget to breathe
Communicate - openly and honestly
Let go of the things I can't control
Continue to learn about myself and be the best person I can be
These are the things that truly make the years worth it. The interactions we have with other people that teach us about perspective and make us humble, the things we learn about our children and ourselves, and the memories we make with people we love.
If I can focus on these simple things that add so much meaning to life, I know that the minutes I have left will be well-spent.