Your Birthday is a Major Holiday so Celebrate it! 

Birthdays are supposed to be happy yet often aren’t – especially for aging women. In our youth-obsessed culture, aging has become a four-letter word, and many women over 50 feel there is nothing to celebrate as they turn a year older. So, they self-sabotage their birthday joy, turn it into the birthday blues, and shrug it off saying “It’s just another day.” Does that sound familiar? Well, I have good news!

Your birthday is a major holiday worth celebrating with pomp and festivity every year. Why? Because your life matters. Because you matter. 

Your birthday is the most special day of your year. It marks the day you began your life, and the fact that you were born at all is miraculous. There never was, and will never be another you. And that alone is worthy of respect, honor, and celebration – even if it’s just one day a year. 

Aging is a privilege – especially when you consider the alternative. And, if you are a woman who has realized your potential and lived life on your own terms, then you understand the wisdom that comes with getting older and the pleasure – and power – such wisdom brings. 

So, if you’re ready to have a happier birthday, here are five things you can do:

1. Plan for it as if it’s a major holiday. Start thinking about what you’d like to do at least a month early. Let yourself indulge in doing whatever you desire, and if you want to include others in your birthday celebration, invite them well in advance so they can plan accordingly and show up for you. 
2. Take the day off work or your normal daily responsibilities. Clear the decks and let yourself have the day fully be your own to do as you wish. If that’s not possible, then give yourself the morning or afternoon off if you can.
3. Decorate your home. Put up a “happy birthday” banner and set up a birthday altar in a prominent place that you decorate with favorite photos, flowers, and special items that you love. 
4. Buy yourself a birthday gift. Whether it’s on your actual birthday or just before, buying yourself a birthday present is a celebratory gesture that demonstrates you have the power to make yourself happy by giving yourself what you want. Wrap it in beautiful paper and let it be something you unwrap after you blow out the candles. (Did I mention cake with candles? You must always have a birthday cake with candles!)
5. Make a meaningful birthday wish. Give this magical ritual some thought. What would you like to manifest in the coming year? What do you actually have control over? Do you want to be more creative? Healthier? More social? Let your wish symbolize your deep yearning for that which you can help make come true. 

If you’d like to dive deeper into exploring why birthdays matter, how we sometimes unwittingly sabotage our birthday joy, and how you can plan for a happy day, then read “How To Have a Happy Birthday: Create Meaning, Fulfillment and Joy on Your Special Day” by Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming and/or get the official companion workbook that helps you unravel some of the complicated feelings you might harbor about your birthday, and lets you list out a variety of ideas that can help you celebrate your birthday to the fullest.

We all get one 24-hour period one day a year to celebrate ourselves. By allowing yourself to be birthday royalty when your day rolls around, you get to experience an expanded sense of self-worth and joy that our birthdays promise to give us when we celebrate them with intention, planning, and empowerment. Here’s to you and to having a happier birthday!