A Powerful Birthday (or any day) Statement

I don’t care what anyone says, I like to take certain times of the year and give meaning to them – New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, the beginning and end of a season, and yes, my birthday.

Today’s my birthday and although this day on the calendar officially marks me a year older, today, is also in fact, the youngest I’ll ever be again.

My mentor once told me: “What you focus on expands,” and I’ll add that it’s our choice what we focus on.

So for me on my birthday, I can choose to focus on the fact that I’m a year older and/or that today, I’m the youngest I’ll ever be.

I say “and/or” because I actually like to look at both perspectives – on one hand, focusing on me being a year older gives me a sense of urgency – I’d better get going on some things I want to do in my life.

On the other hand, focusing on me being the youngest I’ll ever be today, offers possibility.

I think that focusing on one more than the other can actually be detrimental to you making progress and moving forward, meaning that if you just focus on the fact that today (even if it’s not your birthday) you’re the oldest you’ve ever been, there can be an overblown sense of urgency, which isn’t necessarily a negative thing, but can be if, for example, you want to lose weight and decide to go on a crash diet.

In other words, you end up taking short-cuts on things that are meant to be “long-cuts.”

On the other hand, just focusing on the fact that today you’re the youngest you’ve ever been can possibly do the opposite – give you no sense of urgency, but rather you believe you have so much time that you can start tomorrow or wait until the perfect time comes around (which we know there is no “perfect” time for anything).

Instead, consider the middle ground, which I think is the most realistic and motivating perspective to adopt:

Today, I’m the oldest I’ve ever been and the youngest I’ll ever be.

What does that mean for you?

I mean, this is essentially a statement you can say to yourself every day.

Imagine looking in the mirror and saying that statement out loud to yourself every morning, how might that drive your decisions that day?

How would you choose to spend your time that day?

Again, for me it brings both a sense of urgency and a sense of possibility – I think this is the sweet spot.

It prompts me to take action (because I realize life is short), but it also causes me to get excited about what could be.

One day, it’ll be our last, but we don’t know when that’ll be, so let’s seize our days, let’s capture our moments, and let’s be our best today, and tomorrow, and the next.

Once again, today, you’re the oldest you’ve ever been and the youngest you’ll ever be.

What are you going to do about it?

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