The Renewal Of A Birthday
A New And Fresh Start
I am on such a high after my 25th birthday last Saturday. At first, I was nervous to be turning 25, but now I just feel renewed. I honestly don’t know why I felt so uneasy with turning this age. It could’ve been, because I’m only five years to thirty. Another reason could’ve been, because when I thought about how and where I would be at 25, I wouldn’t think here. Once the clock struck twelve, all my uneasy feelings simply disappeared. The only feelings I felt on my birthday was happiness and gratefulness. Why doesn’t anyone talk about the gratitude that birthdays bring. I found myself filled with pure joy. The more I looked around, I saw all the reminders of how loved I am.
Let’s Recap
I brought in my birthday in Chicago. Anyone who knows me knows I love being in the heart of a city. Waking up in a hotel on Michigan Avenue, was just what I needed. I even got to go to a rooftop bar to bring in my birthday. That morning, I got to shop and eat brunch at the cutest restaurant before I headed home. Once I got back to Michigan, I had a dinner with my family and friends in a heated igloo in downtown Detroit. The experience was so special. The next morning I got on a flight and went to Jamaica with my best friend. My overall birthday experience was nothing short of amazing. I’m so thankful for all the people who made my day special. As I drove home after dinner, I was overwhelmed with feelings. I was so thankful that God allowed me to see another year. I literally sat in my car in my driveway and cried. I’m so thankful for the life God has given me. Although I’m not where I thought I would be, I am in a pretty great place. I have so many people in my life who genuinely love and want nothing but the best for me. God blessed me with the gift of a new year.
Since my birthday, April 9th, I’ve literally been walking on a “gratitude cloud.” I find myself saying thank you God like twenty times a day. When things are going wrong, I still give thanks. It’s so hard to explain, I’m just looking at life with a new lens. Whenever something unexpected happens, I look at it with the “glass half full” mindset. Yesterday, I had to buy four new tires and rather be mad about the money I had to spend, I found myself thankful that I had the funds able to do so. I was so thankful just to have a car. Before my birthday, I would’ve been complaining about it, but now I can’t even find the words to do that. I’m currently reading the devotional, “It Always Begins With The Heart,” and it’s truly opening my eyes and heart. Even if you aren’t religious, having a grateful heart helps you be more optimistic with life. I always find myself striving for more, but I learned to be more content with what I have. I used to think being content was a bad thing, but the truth is, in order to get more you must be happy and content with what you have.
My trainer always tells me that life is going to happen. Things won’t always go as planned. It’s not about what happens to you, it’s about how you respond and react. I’m so happy my birthday brought a new sense of peace and thankfulness to my life. I had to share this with you, because I never see people talking about the renewal of a birthday. We tend to focus more on what we are going to do to celebrate our birthdays, rather than how we will feel once our birthday passes. I’ve learned, when you have a heart of gratefulness, things work out more in your favor. When you are truly thankful, you have a better outlook on everything. Thank you again to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. I’m so excited to see what this year brings. I have truly surrendered my life to God and want his will to be done. Of course I have goals and plans, but my prayer is that they align with the plans he has for me. Even if you are not religious, I challenge you to lean into thankfulness. Start with a gratitude journal where you write three things you’re thankful for. Watch how it changes your life.
