5 Questions to Ask Yourself on Your Birthday
There is something about getting another year older that makes me sentimental about life. I'm reminded how fast time flies and as I get closer to 50, it really forces me to reflect on this 2nd half of life and how I want it to play out.
As you can probably tell, being intentional is a big value of mine. And because I no longer have a set of religious beliefs to bring me purpose and meaning, I am dependent on myself to infuse life with it however I can. Believe me when I say in my 2nd Act, I'm going all out!
So, when I turned 46, I decided to create a new ritual (another value of mine) to be a little more intentional with my birthday by setting aside some time to do these 2 things:
- Reflect on the year that I am saying goodbye to
- Create a special gratitude ritual
To reflect on this year, I created 5 birthday questions to get me thinking more about what is important to me as I approach another year of living. Maybe you want to try this new tradition, too? Go somewhere quiet with a cup of coffee to answer them OR have someone ask them to you over a birthday meal. Maybe this could be a fun tradition to start with your family at dinner?
Setting Up Your Space:
I always like to add a touch of sacredness to my space before I begin. I burn my favorite incense, light a candle, play a special playlist, I might even put out a picture of myself as a little girl (depending on how sentimental I want to get). All of this is just a way to invoke the notiion that I'm intentionally making room for myself in this moment. This, of course, is totally optional.
5 Questions to Ask Yourself on Your Birthday:
1. What stands out to me about this year? What were the moments and events that you will remember when you think about being at this age? List as many as you can think of. The good, bad, and/or ugly.
2. How did I live out what is important to me? What am I proud of? How did I carve out a life that is meaningful to ME?
3. What do I want more of this year? Think of the ways you infused life with what you value/is important to you. How can you keep adding to the list?
4. What would I like less of this year that doesn't represent my values? How can you create sustainable yet actionable steps to let go, release, have less of the things you no longer need/want in your life.
5. What do I want my values to be this year? You are always evolving! Let your birthday be a reminder that this can be the year to reinvent yourself if you want. Get clear on your values and use them to be your inner compass for the year ahead!
What do you think? Are these questions this something you'd want to answer on your birthday?
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