My Birthday Wishes

Few holidays find me giving myself as much protracted self-love as birthdays. I get to gather all my friends around me to appreciate my very existence on this earth – what could be more awesome?

Birthdays can also be a time of self-reflection and regeneration. A time to look back on all the growing you’ve done and celebrate the moments that have formed you, for good or for ill, over however many years of life have passed by. I myself did a retrospective of life lessons by 19 last year for just this purpose.

This year, however, at the (ripe old) age of 20, I want to offer an outward glance to the people who have shaped me along this life journey. I want to wish them all the happiness and love that the world has to offer through two birthday wishes that I myself want to take on in the coming year. Here it goes:

1. Love and forgive yourself every day in a small action. There are so many days that go by uncelebrated, and yet so many ways to celebrate the very fact that you got to experience another 24 hours of our beautiful planet. I suggest meditation, giving yourself time for a creative pursuit, and/or eating something flavorful.

2. Dream outrageously. Do incrementally. Get rid of the destination mentality that says you have to get somewhere in order to be someone. Work on the most outrageous dreams with the smallest of actions. Every footstep takes you further from where you started.

Thanks to all the people in my life that have made this year and every other a special blend of intense experiences, deep conversation, and beautiful silliness. My love to you all!