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21 ways to love yourself on your birthday
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Lesley Gore famously made the lyrics "It's my party & I'll cry if I want to" famous. Yes, life may have been bumpy, full of mistakes, & it didnt go how you had planned No tears. Just smiles. Its your birthday, after all. Time to cele - photo by Alessandra Toscanelli
Sure, life may have been bumpy and youve made a few mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Thats how we learn. No, life didnt go exactly how you had planned. It honestly never goes as planned for anyone Ever.

So here you are: one year older, and wiser Guess what? You are doing just fine. You made it one more year. It is time to celebrate the day of your awesome birth. Trust me; there is no need to cry. Dry those tears and smile. Its your birthday. You are amazing. You are worthy of celebrating.

Here are 21 ways to learn to love yourself on your special day:

1. Begin your day with self-love

No music. No cell phones. No texting or social media. No television. No outside voices to detract from your day. Listen to the sound of your own breathing. Feel your own energy. Breathe out negative thoughts. Breathe in love. Remind yourself you are awesome.

2. Eat cake for breakfast

Try it. Life is too short. Waiting is silly and birthday days require birthday breakfasts.

3. Let it go

The five pounds you said you would lose The resolutions you made The promises of doing it better Let it all go. You are more than a measurement on a bathroom scale. You are more than a job promotion. You are more than a degree. You are more than the worlds opinion.

4. Stop stressing about life

You are merely one little human. You cant see the whole picture. You cant control other people or their opinions of you. You dont know why anything in life happens Yet, you still survive it. You survive. Its just what you do.

5. Have some alone time

Being alone is scary to some people. Being alone means facing who you are as a person without the distractions of others. However, being alone is the only way to reconnect to your inner-Zen. You are the only one who knows you at your inner-most level.

6. Be kind to yourself

Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.-Bren Brown

7. Forgive yourself

Often, we are far too hard on ourselves. Taking accountability/responsibility is groovy but punishing yourself for a past blunder is dumb. Mistakes happen. Life gets messy. As humans, we screw up. Forgive yourself You are worthy of forgiveness. This, I promise. Seriously, forgive and learn from it.

8. Accept the weirdness of life

Life happens. Problems happen. It gets wild. The funny thing is this: it does for everyone. Yes, I do mean everyone. Nobody is normal because normal isnt actually a reality. Life is weird. Its just that simple.

9. Be focused on the positive of life

Optimistic thoughts create upbeat feelings in our hearts, which create constructive outcomes on our paths.

10. Discover the power of playing more

Be silly. Talk in a funny accent. Tickle your children. Laugh with your partner. Share the joy of making life fun for your family.

11. Enjoy the beauty of the world around you

Take a sunset picture. Notice the colors. Notice the clouds. Now Notice how you feel. Peaceful, huh?

12. Honor the beauty within yourself

Go ahead. Indulge. Take a selfie.

13. Recognize that not everyone will like you

Surrender to this idea. Let it sink in. As humans, we want and need to be liked a lot. Take a step back Think it over Do you really want to like everyone? Its perfectly acceptable to not like some people. Its also perfectly acceptable for you to quit trying to seek the approval of people who dont really matter Because they dont. What matters is that you like you.

14. Dance more and sing more

Music has a healing power-Sir Elton John

15. Explore your inner-artist

Coloring isnt only for kids. The global market is currently flooded with designer coloring books made just for adults featuring high fashion, designer animals, mandalas, and doodles are all newest craze. Studies show coloring lowers stress, increases brain power, enhances relaxation, and develops greater creativity to solving lifes ugly adult problems.

16. Protect yourself

Who needs 1500 frien~emies on Facebook? Do you really need to be friends with all your work mates? Honestly, do you think they really support you when the chips are down? No. They dont.

The harsh truth is that our lives have become filled with people who take pleasure in watching other peoples pain. The technical term is German: Schadenfreude. It means shameful joy. Trust me Having friends is different than BEING friends. Be your own friend, first. Only allow in those who really accept you and love you for your flaws, second. Keep the friends who respect you, third. Life is too fun to waste on poor friends.

17. Set boundaries

Learning to say no when someone asks us to do something is sometimes very challenging. People, by nature, want to please others. Nevertheless, medical and psychological studies show damage to our emotions, physical bodies, minds, and (most significantly) our spirituality when people become stretched too thin with obligations. Saying no to others is actually saying yes to a healthier you.

18. Embrace the mistakes you havent made yet

Take the road less traveled. Think big. Try something new. Dont let the possibility of failure overweigh the possibility of success. Wrong decisions create perfect learning lessons.

19. Live with purpose, passion, and enthusiasm

Your path can be undecided and blurry Thats alright. Be meaningful anyway. Your journey may be filled with slip-ups and missteps Thats fine. Be animated anyway. Your dreams and hopes are uniquely yours Thats the best part. Your life is about YOU. Be colorful. Dont worry about the future. Life is now. Life is today.

20. Expand your circle of happiness by giving love to your family

We always think we have time to say it, or we think we say it enough, or we get too busy to even remember that we havent said it at all lately. When was the last time you really thanked your family for being your family? Trust me: say it more. Say it often. Say it daily. Say, I love you.

21. Celebrate

May this next year bring you love, happiness, new paths, grand adventures, fun, laughter, peace, a greater sense of yourself, a renewed energy for life, and your greatest aloha Happy birthday!

We all experience life differently. As unique individuals, we were never created to be alike. No two paths are identical. No two people experience the emotion of love, happiness, success, loss, grief, hope, or faith the same way. You are meant to be YOU. Honor yourself on this gloriously, grand day of your birth. Love yourself enough to be YOU.
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