Another Year Around the Sun: 30 To Be Specific
Originally published September 1 2022
Today I’m celebrating a big birthday one that growing up I thought would mean so much. I thought it would mean having a successful career, being financially stable, being married, having a solid living situation, and living some version of the life I was “supposed” to be living. Life looks much different than my younger self thought it would but when you trust in the timing of your life things happen when they are destined to.
Every year I take the time to reflect on the past year and years of my life. I enjoy processing the past year and evaluating where my life is and where it is going. I learned long ago there is only so much planning of one’s life that can be done and that most of it just needs to be spent living, things will happen as they are meant to. My yearly reflection is a daily practice and starts with my morning run. My birthday run is one of my favorite days of running. This year I got to watch the morning go from dark night to a bright beautiful day as the sun rose over Lake Michigan. I get to process, through my favorite kind of meditation, this beautiful life I get to live. The other way I like to reflect is through asking myself the same set of questions each year. Through these questions I can see how I grow, change, adapt, and thrive in this wonderful full life.
Questions for my Thirty Flirty and Thriving Year
How do you feel about this birthday?
30 was a year I was nervously anticipating but now that it is here I feel really good about this birthday. I feel incredibly clear on what I want from my life and like for the first time I am doing what I want and what makes ME happy. I’m excited to continue to grow the things I have started in the past year.
How do you feel about aging and people knowing your age?
I’m scared to die, more than anything. The thing is, that fear comes from dying before I live a life that is truly mine, that is the true fear.
I think aging is a wonderful thing, there is only one alternative to getting older. I’m very interested in longevity and how to live a long full life. Aging is part of this beautiful thing we call life. I don’t care if people know my age, they are often shocked that I am not younger which is an added bonus.
What made me happy this year that I’d like to see more of next year?
So much made me happy this year! I moved to a new city unsure of how everything would turn out and life has unfolded beautifully here. Love, focusing on myself and new friends made me happy this year. I would like to see all of this grow in the following year.
What are your most cherished moments of the past 12 months? What made these moments memorable?
Meeting my partner: Not only did I meet the best person that has entered my life but so many moments during this time have been incredibly memorable. The night we met (finally), the best friends wedding, growing our relationship…I cherish it all.
Focusing on myself: I took the time in a very serious way to work through things that I had not been focusing on for myself. The moments I have put into working on myself have meant everything to me.
What has surprised you most over the past 12 months?
The thing that has surprised me the most is the relationship that has grown with my partner. I was hoping that the last year would be my year of love but I never expected it to happen how it did and I couldn’t be any happier.
Have I changed this past year for the better? Am I proud of the person I am becoming?
I have truly changed this year for the better. One year ago, exactly, I realized I needed to spend energy on myself and took action to make sure that I made myself a priority. I am very proud of the person that I am becoming and am excited for all that is coming my way.
I came face-to-face with some hard realities and am so glad that I did. With the love and support of some close friends I worked through some tough realities about myself.
What are some things I want to be different by next year?
Next year I want to be in a better financial situation and be my own boss. I want to be able to travel more often, see friends more often and have my coaching business up and running.
Who are the people who most add to my life?
Apollo, Sam, Claire, Nieces and Nephew
Who is someone I can trust to help me get to where I want to be over the next year?
Myself, I learned this past year that I cannot rely on anyone else to get me where I want to go. I know what I want in a way that no one else can.
Am I doing everything I can for the relationships I value? Could they be better?
No, I could be doing more for my relationships. In all my relationships, romantic, family, and friends I could be doing more. The thing is I want them all to be doing more for the relationships also, but have recently come to the realization that if I am not giving out the love and time I want how could I expect it in return?
What are you open to welcoming into your life over the next 12 months?
A lot. I want new challenges, new experiences and travels, I want more positivity, and deeper connections.
What are you ready to let go of?
I’m ready to let go of the mindset that is so worried about what anyone else thinks about me. I realized very recently (on a sunrise run) that I fear losing love. The reason I am scared to get another tattoo has nothing to do with me but instead fear of losing the love of those around me, I fear jumping into my own business because I fear that my family won’t support me and my other jobs will challenge me on it, and that fear is holding me back from my best self. I’m ready to let go of the negative thoughts that are standing in my way from achieving the life I know I deserve.
Do I carry negative thoughts with me? How can I address them?
Absolutely I do. What authority do I have to coach people on nutrition, why can’t I do more, why am I stuck as a fringe friend to everyone, why can’t I be better…The short answer for how to address them is to change my thought patterns and interrupt those thoughts as they enter my mind.
What authority do I have to coach people on nutrition? A lot! I have been there, I had the eating disorder, I changed my own life through learning more about nutrition and everything in my life has improved because of the changes I have made. I have extensive knowledge and constantly am reading the latest research on living the healthiest most planet conscious life possible. I absolutely have the authority!
Why can’t I do more? I can do more, I will do more, I am doing more!
Why am I stuck as a fringe friend? Am I though or am I making it up? Can I give more to my friendships myself?
Why can’t I be better? But what does that mean better at what?! I have finished multiple marathons, eat ethically and healthily, completed a triathlon (more to come), finished undergrad and a masters degree…what is better? I am better! Open your eyes girl!
What is the most important habit or activity to add or subtract from day-to-day living?
Add: Journaling, Stretching, Reading more
Subtract: Social Media, Wasted Time
What do you hope to experience over the next 12 months?
Over the next 12 months I hope to experience financial growth, more travel, more time with friends, improved fitness performance, and new life opportunities.
How can I remember my plan throughout the year?
I can remember my plan by revisiting my goals and reminding myself why I am working so hard. Remembering the pain of putting off so many things in my life for so long will keep me on track with my plans.
If there's a gap between where I am now and where I want to be, what's one step I can take now to close that gap?
I have already taken a step to close that gap by getting a coach to help me build the life I want for myself. I am working to get myself closer to the life I know is my own.
What is something I can do to be one step closer to where I want to be?
Focus on my goals and have a plan in place to get closer to the end goal. Specifically, I hired a coach to help me navigate the next steps.
I can visualize the end life everyday and that will help with each step along the way.
Am I being 100% true to myself?
I think for the first time I almost am. I would say I’m about 80% but getting closer to my true self everyday. I think I know who I am deep down but fear is blocking me from fully being true to who I know I am.
Am I happy?
I think so. I know not always but I’m getting there. I’m getting there.
I am a Virgo through and through and another birthday tradition is reading my horoscope for the following year. I love mine this year!
(From cafeastrology.com)
If You Were Born Today, September 1:
You have a strong, self-reliant, and upfront personality, but you also manage to remain refined, humble, and helpful. Extremely hard-working, you put in more working hours than most and care immensely about what you contribute. You tend to be at your best in service fields, but also in your own business. Although you get along with others, you work best with yourself and for yourself! A bit of a perfectionist, you like to oversee everything with your name on it.
Focus is critical to you because when you can channel your energies, you can do whatever you want. You are bright and inquisitive, and others love being around you for your delightful and unique insights. Always willing to lend others a hand, you are also an excellent teacher if you choose to guide others. However, you can find it difficult to ask for help. Famous people born today: Lily Tomlin, Zendaya, Gloria Estefan, Barry Gibb, Yvonne De Carlo, Dr. Phil McGraw, Boyd Holbrook, Lara Pulver, Burn Gorman, Zoe Lister-Jones, Padma Lakshmi, Ricardo Chavira, Ludwig Göransson.
Your Birthday Year Forecast:
The Sun in a waxing sextile to the Moon in your Solar Return chart has a fortunate influence on your year ahead. You can be especially productive this year–in many ways, you’re starting fresh, but you have a rather clear vision of what you want to accomplish. External events tend to mirror your inner needs, and vice versa, which helps to boost your confidence and happiness levels. You more readily accept that challenges are part of the natural cycle in life, which in turn helps you to meet them with confidence and to worry less.
Again this year, you rather readily make positive connections, and a comfortable level of personal popularity helps to keep conflict to a minimum. With the ability to handle your emotions successfully, there is less stress on both your mind and body.
A Mars-Jupiter influence in your Solar Return chart infuses the year with an enterprising spirit. This is a strong aspect for professional as well as personal opportunities. Your faith in your ability to produce and win takes you places you perhaps never imagined. There can be positive outcomes in competitive activities. You are more courageous about discovering the right activities for you, and you’re especially ready to take on a challenge.
Independent work is favored this year, and you’re inclined to challenge yourself, although you may need to tone things down at times and exercise more patience. Your passions and enthusiasm run high, and the trick is to channel this extra energy constructively rather than engage in unhelpful conflicts. Remember that haste makes waste. This year is likely to be especially busy.
This can also be a year for improved mental connectedness or more energetic attention to communicating and sharing ideas. You’re putting your ideas out there more confidently, and you’re more inclined to put your ideas into action than usual.
Events occurring during this period can alter your path as they open your mind to new directions. Changes in the world or in shifts in societal thinking seem to impact your personal growth more than others, and as you adapt to these developments, you quickly find ways to benefit from them or grow through them. You could be part of the change itself, inspiring others with new ways to view the world around you.
There is a good balance between learning from tradition and seeing things progressively during this period of your life. It’s easier to make healthy decisions related to work or long-term projects.
