I just celebrated a birthday.  I had a good day, and since I was traveling for work I plan to continue along with some celebration this weekend.  I’m normally very excited for my birthday, however this year I was aware that I felt different.  I didn’t have that same “go Sonia, it’s your birthday!” feeling all day that I normally have.  I received a bunch of notes, calls, and texts from loved ones wishing me well, and that was fantastic of course.  I even had dinner with family that I don’t get to see too often and did some dancing afterward.  I had lot’s of stuff to smile about, and I did.  But I still wasn’t quite feeling so “extra special.”

Then I realized what was going on.  I’ve been doing things a lot more lately to feel extra special.  I haven’t been reserving that just for my birthday.  I’ve been actively trying to find enjoyment and special things in every day.  Sure, some days aren’t quite as spectacular as others, but I’ve realized that I don’t need it to be my birthday to celebrate.  Everyday should be a celebration.  We should take everyday as an opportunity to celebrate life, by making the most of it and giving it all we’ve got.  So as I continue along over the next few days “celebrating” – it will be just because, rather than just because it’s my birthday.

Hey, maybe I can even re-write that song:  ”Go Sonia, it’s a Monday, go Sonia, it’s a Wednesday…….” you get it!

What do you think?  Are you ready to extend your birthday celebration to all year long?

What does freedom mean to you?  I’ve been having a dialogue with a friend about freedom which has caused me to think a lot about what it means.  Here is what I’ve come up with:

Freedom is the ability to do something because you want to, not because you have too.

Not because there is a law that says you have to.

Not because you feel like you have to to fit in.

Not because someone wants you to.

Not because that’s the way you’ve always done it and you haven’t even considered another way.

Not because someone told you to.

Not because someone expects you to.

Not because it seems like there is no other way.

Not because that is the accepted way.

Freedom is doing (or not doing something) because that is what you want to do, not because you have to.

There seems to be three critical elements that feed into your ability to live a life of freedom:

Self-love: If you don’t love yourself or know your worth, you are much more willing to accept the will of others as the gospel for your life.  When you love yourself, are in tune with yourself, and know your worth, you want and strive for what is best for you, and are less concerned with what anyone else has to say.

Knowledge: When you know better you do better.  The more you know, the more informed a decision you can make about what is best for you in your life.  The more you know, the less limited you are regarding the options that are available to you.  The more you know, the less likely you are to rely on others for information.

The Decision: There must be a decision to put your self-love and knowledge into action to do something because you want to, not because you have to.  Without the decision to live free, you won’t be free.

I don’t want to live in bondage.  Too many people live in bondage.  Not because someone put them there.  Because they chose to stay there.   So I choose to live free.  Because I want to.  Not because I have to.

Are you living free?  What does freedom mean to you?

There are many things that make me smile:  my four year old niece Jade, a beautiful summer day, accomplishing personal goals, talking to a friend, and cupcakes, to name a few.  Lately, I’ve been taking notice of what things make me smile.  I do this so I aware of what things I want more of – so that I can keep on smiling (although I’m not sure that many more cupcakes is such a good idea).  Now that I know what I want more of, the task is to figure out how to get more.

What’s making you smile these days?  How will you plan to get more of it?  We should all smile more.

Get to know yourself.  Get to like yourself.  Get to love yourself.

It will change your life for the better in almost every way.

A few weeks ago I took a surf lesson.  Before getting in the water, my instructor took a great bit of time explaining to me the importance of placement in the center of the board, and balance.  If I’m too far to the left I’ll fall.  If I’m too far to the right I’ll fall.  If I’m too far back I’ll fall.  And if I’m too far to the front, guess what?  I’ll fall (I know this because I fell quite a bit!).  But when I was able to get my footing in the middle of the board and find my center of gravity (balance), it didn’t matter how big the wave was.  I was going to be able to ride it to the end.

The same lessons are true in life.  It is so much about staying centered and balance.  When you aren’t centered (or aren’t in a good place with yourself), it doesn’t matter where you are, eventually you will fall.  When you focus too much on one thing or another, that takes you away from your center, you are very likely to fall.

Me falling after not being centered!

Falling in life is much worse than falling into the ocean.  So as you continue along your journey through life, make sure you stay centered.  Don’t focus so much on career, or riches, or a person, or people, or whatever to the point that it takes you away from your center.  Get balanced.

And if you do fall, get back up.