Today I celebrate my 46^th birthday!

I’ve taken some time, as I often do in the days leading up to my birthday, to reflect on where I am, all that’s taken place for me to arrive here, and what I am experiencing inside of myself, now.

For many reasons, I think it’s important to celebrate ourselves. It helps us mark a moment in time, it gives us an opportunity to really honor ourselves, and it helps us get in touch with what is true for us, in the moment, now.

In my reflections and celebrations this is what I discovered:

I’m more at peace than ever before – with myself, my life, all that I don’t know, all that I can’t control, all that’s uncomfortable, and all that is constantly unfolding and changing.

I’m more excited and certain than ever before – about who I really am, what I’m here to experience, enjoy and create, and how amazing my life gets to be.

I’m more grounded and confident than ever before, even as the world is in so much upheaval and tensions are running high. Even as I dare and leap into new adventures that feel scary and tender for me.

I’m more aware of and grateful for the preciousness and sacredness of my life – the relationships, support and love, the opportunities and delights, the rhythm and routine, the creativity and epiphanies, and the heart-opening beauty that is always all around me.

I’m more generous with myself – quick to laugh, willing to turn toward (vs. run away from) shame, remaining curious about new ways of doing and relating to things, and letting myself live more, worry less.

I’m more committed than ever before to pleasure, ecstasy, bliss and laughter – as very real necessities in my life, as a standard and benchmark to measure things up against, as a way to make decisions, and as path markers to help me find my way forward in life.

I know more, in that bone-deep wisdom way of knowing. I also recognize how little I know, in that humble, surrendering, forgiving way of knowing. Both serve me well every day.

I’m clear that I’m not interested in having it all figured out, or in being “perfect”. I no longer believe that failure is a real thing, or that there is a “right” way of doing things. Instead, I’m giving myself full permission to learn and grow, to make mistakes and take wrong turns, and love myself the way I’ve always wanted to be loved.

What I desire is to live the heck out of this life. To feel it all – from the euphoria to the anguish – with wonder and reverence and deep presence. And to let myself be human, woman, ME.

I’m here to listen and love, to share and wander and discover. I’m here to deeply receive nourishment, joy and peace. I’m here to know myself, my true self, more and more and more.

And I’m here to be the one who bravely and boldly holds the paintbrush as this masterpiece of my life is brought into being.

It’s been a journey to get to where I am today…
from suppression to expression
from conditioning to freedom
from misery to ecstasy
… and there is much, much more to come.

What a beautiful journey it’s been – all 32 flavors of it.

May these next chapters of this life open me up to even greater joy, intimacy, abundance, purpose, clarity, appreciation, pleasure, vitality, awe, and deep abiding love.

Happy birthday to me!

xx

Alicia

PS: Thank you for witnessing me here!

PPS: I hope this inspires you to celebrate and honor yourself, too. Don’t wait until your birthday to do it. What can you celebrate and honor about yourself today?

PPPS: Want to have access to the tools and resources that have helped me on my journey?

Sometimes the right words at the right time can be a soothing balm to our hearts. You can access some of my most powerful and inspiring writings here.