{"id":1962,"date":"2011-09-19T12:01:44","date_gmt":"2011-09-19T16:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/?p=1962"},"modified":"2011-09-18T22:23:37","modified_gmt":"2011-09-19T02:23:37","slug":"happy-birthday-to-me-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/2011\/09\/happy-birthday-to-me-3.html","title":{"rendered":"Happy Birthday to Me!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Today is my birthday! Am I sad? No! Lamenting it? Heck no! Feeling bad about another year on my age? No way! Today I\u2019m celebrating me all day long! People as young as twenties begin to tick off their days as one birthday after another counts down the beginning of life going in the wrong direction: the end of their beauty\u2014limits about what they can do\u2014less chance to meet a romantic partner\u2014and in general, make age a sore point that limits your ability to fully enjoy the time you have.<\/p>\n

It is so unloving to act negatively about your age, since your years are part of who you are.<\/p>\n

When I was a DoorMat, I did lament birthdays as another year wasted. I had a different kind of biological clock ticking than most women have. Each year meant I was another year closer to being too old to follow my dreams. I wanted to do things I loved and create a life based on what I wanted to do, not what others chose for me that I went along with. I felt stuck in DoorMatville, looking for a way out but too scared to look too hard.<\/p>\n

When I finally became single and made an effort to find myself, birthdays began to feel better. For my second birthday on my own, I asked people who cared about me to come to a restaurant I loved to celebrate my special day. It was the beginning of a tradition I still keep. I have a friend who invites everyone she\u2019s ever known to celebrate her birthday. I\u2019m a lot more selective. I only want to spend my day with people with positive energy who are real friends. This dinner has become my birthday tradition.<\/p>\n

I celebrate me, my life, how far I\u2019ve come from DoorMatville, and, that I\u2019m comfortable enough with myself to celebrate getting older.<\/p>\n

I was recently at an event with a group of very successful women. One of them said her 50th birthday was approaching and she was dreading it. Another expressed how knowing she\u2019s over 40 depresses her. It began a conversation about how it\u2019s hard to face birthdays. They were all very attractive, fit women, talking about birthdays like they\u2019d bring the plague or worse, dump loads of wrinkles on them. They all looked at me oddly when I said I celebrate my birthday with a vengeance.<\/p>\n

Dolly Parton said, \u201cI don’t know what the big deal is about old age. Old people who shine from the inside look 10 to 20 years younger.\u201d<\/p>\n

I agree with Dolly. I don\u2019t consider myself old by a long shot. I like how I look, even though I’m getting older. Some people might disagree but what matters is what I believe. I still feel young and vital since I love myself enough to get good nutrition and exercise. Like life, age is what you make of it. I\u2019ve been told many times that my happiness and self-love radiates from me. It keeps me feeling and looking younger! I figured out something long ago and it\u2019s what I live by:<\/p>\n

As the calendar reaches your birthday, you\u2019re still the same person you were the day before.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m the same person whether someone knows my age or not. That\u2019s why I don\u2019t like to tell my age until I get to know someone. But I will eventually tell. I just don\u2019t let age define me, or what I do. Don\u2019t be afraid of getting older. Be afraid of wasting your years pleasing everyone but yourself and staying stuck in an unhappy place. But as I said in my post, It\u2019s Never Too Late,\u00a0 you can change your life at any age.<\/p>\n

As the saying goes, you don\u2019t get old because of your number of years. You get old when you stop doing things you love and making the effort to enjoy your life.<\/p>\n

I plan to live till past 100! Every year will be filled with joy that I go for. After all, you can\u2019t stop the aging process so you might as well make the most of your life at any age. Why live in depression, believing life is over for you. Life is meant to be enjoyed at any age. I sure enjoy mine.
\n*********************<\/p>\n

Take the self-love challenge<\/strong><\/a> and get my book, How Do I Love Me? Let Me Count the Ways<\/a><\/strong> for free at http:\/\/howdoiloveme.com<\/a>. And you can post your loving acts HERE<\/a><\/strong> to reinforce your intention to love yourself. Read my 31 Days of Self-Love Posts HERE<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Please leave comments under my posts so we can stay connected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today is my birthday! Am I sad? No! Lamenting it? Heck no! Feeling bad about another year on my age? No way! Today I\u2019m celebrating me all day long! 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Daylle's books have been translated into over 10 languages and are popular around the world. She speaks for colleges, organizations and corporations. Through her company, Project Self-Empowerment, Daylle creates programs and materials to help people empower themselves. One goal is to raise the money to self-publish her book, How Do I Love Me? Let Me Count the Ways and give it away for free in colleges and through organizations, to give thanks for all her blessings. 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