{"id":888,"date":"2012-01-23T08:53:56","date_gmt":"2012-01-23T13:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/awakeintheworld\/?p=888"},"modified":"2012-01-23T08:53:56","modified_gmt":"2012-01-23T13:53:56","slug":"knowing-when-to-celebrate-your-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/awakeintheworld\/2012\/01\/knowing-when-to-celebrate-your-birthday.html","title":{"rendered":"Knowing When to Celebrate Your Birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"

Birthdays mark the time when the body, mind and spirit came into the world. Some people moan about another birthday. Others celebrate with parties. Everyday can be a birthday, a day to learn something new and grow. An aboriginal way of celebrating birthdays as reported by Marlo Morgan, Author of Mutant Message Down Under<\/em>, \u00a0reveals that the one who has a birthday will announce to the tribe that they have grown and transformed and so they can welcome a celebration that becomes a mark for their progress and movement into a more vast and mature way of living. Some people will go for years without celebrating a birthday. \"\"<\/p>\n

Today is my birthday and I\u2019m imagining what the criteria should be to decide if I should celebrate. Here\u2019s a brainstormed list:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Am I happier and more content now than this time last year?<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do I continue to grow, shed old habits that no longer serve and discover new things about myself?<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do I face adversity and move through it with grace and a certain surety?<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do I live in tune with my intuitive insights and follow my heart?<\/p>\n

5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do I continue to make new friends and expand my circle?<\/p>\n

6)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do I welcome new challenges and embrace them?<\/p>\n

7)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do I continue to grow and learn professionally as well as in my relationships?<\/p>\n

8)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Am I willing to look at my shadow side and face my fears?<\/p>\n

9)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Am I moving forward or stagnating?<\/p>\n

Last year was one that tried me and forced me to clear away obstacles and hindrances so that I might continue to grow. I left behind a situation of apparent security for one that appears less \u201csecure\u201d financially and professionally, but it has shown me the nature of courage and inner strength. So this year, I will definitely be celebrating a full and good year that was well completed and move into 2012 with gusto.<\/p>\n

Blessings and best wishes to you that you may do the same.<\/p>\n

Bio:<\/strong> Debra Moffitt is author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life<\/a>. A visionary, dreamer and teacher, she\u2019s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices at the Sophia Institute and other venues in the U.S. and Europe. Her mind\/body\/spirit articles, essays and stories appear in publications around the globe and were broadcast by BBC World Services Radio. She has spent over fifteen years practicing meditation, working with dreams and doing spiritual practices. Visit her online at http:\/\/www.awakeintheworld.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Birthdays mark the time when the body, mind and spirit came into the world. Some people moan about another birthday. Others celebrate with parties. Everyday can be a birthday, a day to learn something new and grow. An aboriginal way of celebrating birthdays as reported by Marlo Morgan, Author of Mutant Message Down Under, \u00a0reveals…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":409,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,10,4,26,125,3],"tags":[346,588,345,589],"class_list":["post-888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-buddhism","category-faith","category-inspiration","category-meditation","category-oneness","category-spiritual-practice","tag-awake-in-the-world","tag-birthday-celebrations","tag-debra-moffitt","tag-deciding-when-they-are-merited"],"yoast_head":"\nKnowing When to Celebrate Your Birthday - Awake in the World<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/awakeintheworld\/2012\/01\/knowing-when-to-celebrate-your-birthday.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Knowing When to Celebrate Your Birthday - Awake in the World\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Birthdays mark the time when the body, mind and spirit came into the world. 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