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Heartwings Lovenotes 904 - Birthdays are New Beginnings

Heartwings says: "Each beginning is an opportunity to start anew."

This coming week marks my birthday. Preferring to remain ageless, I don't divulge the year. My mother always said, "you should be proud say how old you are." Perhaps, yet there is a lot of ageism in our society, and it creates instant prejudice. Rather than wisdom, generosity and thoughtfulness, being an older person infers decrepitude, absence of mind, ineptitude and general weakness. I prefer not to invoke that negative perception. The women in my family were for the most part vital, strong and capable at every age.

I love birthdays. They are an excellent chance to celebrate. Also, being at the close of one personal year and the opening of another helps me employ a New Year's mindset: I can survey my accomplishments and achievements of the past year as well as what might come in the next. I am given a special chance to correct any perceived mistakes or missteps. If I am willing to look at myself objectively and without judgment, to see myself clearly, I can make good decisions about what I wish to do next or to accomplish in this new year to come.

This is not always easy to do. It helps to practice a sense of detachment. Most have an inner critic that points out what about us and our behavior is undesirable or unwise. It is often prejudicial and inaccurate. Many find it difficult to ignore. They think of it as an immutable part of them rather than something acquired too long ago to remember. This inner critic needs to be told very kindly that it is no longer useful or needed and to please be quiet. Applied consistently, this technique helps us assess ourselves and our accomplishments in a realistic fashion. Having this attitude helps me to plan better for my personal new year.

It is important not to plan for to accomplish too much, thus creating a negative feedback. I have done this too many times. While I will make some plans for the future, I will make only a few. Instead I will look forward to serendipity, clarity, and many opportunities to learn and grow that I may share with my readers as well as enjoy for myself. As I stand on the threshold of this new year of my life, I anticipate only positive experiences or if not so, helpful ones that I can mine for what I can learn.

May your birthdays all be special and bring you happiness and joy.

PS When is your birthday and how will you celebrate? Do you agree about not divulging one's age? I love it when you share with me. Your emails make my day.
 

I love to hear from readers and would be honored if you would comment and let me know any suggestions or thoughts. If a friend sent you this, you can sign up at my web site, www.heartwingslovenotes.com, where more love notes can be found in the archives.

Blessings and Best Regards,
Tasha Halpert
 

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