10 Birthday Reflections in 2025
I celebrated my birthday this past weekend. It wasn’t a special milestone birthday or anything like that, but it did allow me to pause and reflect on a few important things about life and living …
Below are ten reflections I had on my birthday this year. I hope they serve as useful reminders for you, too.
1. Find inner joy and peace to feel young as often as you want. Youth is a figment of everyone’s imagination, including your own. Joy and sorrow and wisdom (etc.) are for all ages. And no amount of outward alterations or props will ever be able to change how young or old you feel inside. It’s cliché but true: Youth is nothing but a state of mind. And if you feel like dancing and singing or playing, no one is stopping you but you.
2. All things in our lives are temporary, including our lives themselves, so do what feeds your soul. Time is too precious to do things that don’t feed your soul. Nothing is forever, and it’s never too late or too early to do what feels right for you. Find or appreciate what feeds your soul and find a way to nurture it every single day. And if something stops nurturing your soul one day in the future, it’s okay to let it go. It’s more likely you’ll regret the things you didn’t do than the things you did do in the end anyway.
3. It’s important to celebrate the little things, big things, and everything in between, with those who genuinely enjoy seeing you happy. There’s never anything too small to celebrate and appreciate with the people you care about. In fact, the often overlooked moments and people in our lives are usually the most important. It’s always the right time to stay connected to the people we care about and who care about us. Send that text, have that long-overdue coffee chat, schedule that vacation…
4. Be grateful, every day, for who and what you have, and mean it. Giving and receiving gratitude on a regular basis always leads to a more joyful and fulfilled spirit and life. If you are unhappy or upset, express genuine gratitude for something or someone, then you will instantly feel better, lighter. And don’t forget to pay it forward.
5. The best gift you can give anyone is your time and attention. If you think about it, most people undergoing therapy right now are simply trying to heal from issues with some kind of neglect or unhealthy attention from someone in their present or past. It’s important to be present and pay attention to those we love with care and kindness. People will always remember how you make them feel more than anything else, and vice versa.
6. Nature nurtures. Get outside and enjoy the breeze and nice weather for as long as you can, as often as you can. You never know when it will be as lovely out again, or when the next storm will arrive. Every sunset and crisp autumn day is worth experiencing. You’ll never regret spending a beautiful day outside.
7. The fabric of our lives will always consist of what we decide to pay attention to every day. Want to reflect on your character and values or what you should do next? Take a look at your daily routine. Celebrate what you like and change what you don’t, especially if what you want to change will require great patience and diligence in the long run. The effort will be worth it. What isn’t worth doing when it comes to leading a more authentic and meaningful life?
8. Today will always be different than yesterday, and different than tomorrow. Even if today feels the exact same as yesterday felt, it’s not the same day. Always try to use that to your advantage to remain present to move forward.
9. Nothing can replace a pet’s love. It’s okay to miss your pets when they aren’t with you, and to want to celebrate everything you experience in life with them, and to want to sing to them and make sure they’re warm and well-fed and loved. They deserve it, and so do you.
10. Peace and joy always start with you. If you want a more peaceful and joyful life, reflect on the things you are doing and focusing on every day that aren’t serving the version of yourself that you wish to be. You can never rely on anything external to make you happy or more fulfilled. Happiness always starts with you, which is why it can seem elusive without accountability, proper care, and well-set intentions.
Birthdays offer a great time to reflect. I wonder what reflections I’ll experience around my birthday next year…
Want to express your appreciation for this particular post?
Buy me a coffee one time, or become a free or paid monthly suscriber for less than the cost of a fancy coffee. Please and thank you! My writing and I are fueled by loyal readers, caffeine, and kind gestures.
