A Birthday Secret

Celebrating is one of the things I am known for. My favorite online facilitation tool is (in part) my favorite because it includes a button that lets me virtually throw confetti on everyone’s screen - AND I DO! (Have you tried Mural? I’d love to show you around and tell you about some of the many ways I have used it!) I have a keen memory for people’s birthdays because I LOVE that each and every person has one and gets that special day to be celebrated. What a lovely thing to take a day and celebrate that someone exists. And made it another trip around the sun. It is definitely worth celebrating!!

My birthday is something that I just always have loved. It is a time for me to reflect, celebrate with my friends and make that day whatever I want. Birthdays are tricky this year but I still work hard to find a way to celebrate each person on their special day in a special way. My birthday is extra exciting this year because it is my 40th!

A wise woman (y’all know I am a fan of Liz Allen Fey) once told me that your 30s are when you earn it and the 40s are when you own it. Those are really my words but it was her basic idea. And I think I have pretty much hit the ground running on them. My therapist told me it was fine to not turn 40 during a global pandemic since I was super down about the epic trip I was planning with my best friends to Manhattan that I did not get to go on. But once the time rolled around, I realized I have been 40 in my mind all year. I have been counting down to this day since my last birthday (no one ever believes you’re 39 anyway).

So what does turning 40 mean for me? It means that I am what I have felt I wanted to be for a long time - validated. I am credible and own my shit. I am capable of everything I want to and need to accomplish and it feels amazing. Somehow, the confidence I have gained from the act of turning a year older is beyond anything I experienced at any other milestone year. I know this also has to do with my decade of experience as a parent, which BTW feels tremendously exciting and powerful, but I think it is also about a new phase of life that I am truly on the edge of my seat for! Looking back on my 30s and the things I accomplished, I can honestly say I have NO IDEA what my 40s hold but I can also say that the unknowns bring me joy and a thrill that I have yet to know in my short adulthood. Because really, if I have 30 more years to live, the last fifteen really aren't all that key! Its the next fifteen that I get to build and explore and connect and engage in my full identity.

What I really want for my birthday is to share a secret with you and for it to shift your thinking. Have you heard the saying “Age is just a number”? Well, guess what!?! That is incorrect. Age is a mindset. AND that mindset is attainable by anyone at any time. So, if you think you still have something to earn - I have news for you - you don't! You can be 40 in your mind whenever you are ready to own it. Your purpose exists for you and it is waiting for you to step in and drive off into your future! Just because I took until my 39th year to realize I have what it takes to live my dream without fear doesn't mean you have to! What are you waiting for?

For those of you over 40 - thanks for blazing the trail! I would love to hear about your purpose and how you are living it out. If you aren’t yet on your path and in your purpose, that is ok! BUT let's chat about why. I’d love to help you see your life right now as the beginning of an journey and find the first step.

As always, you can reach me at rachel@leadthinkdo.com or schedule a time for us to talk.