My 36th Birthday

I type this on the eve of my 36th birthday, on the balcony of my hilltop hotel room, overlooking the beautiful Carmel Valley. I don't hear anything but the rustle of leaves, an occasional bird call and the gentle swish of the wind. It is so peaceful and serene that it's easy to relax and move into reflection. I am grateful for so many things. I have an incredible amount of things to be thankful for and I try to be mindful of them every single day. But the saying goes, with age comes wisdom; here's what I've learned: My life is not without the ups and downs, stress, worry, negativity or difficult situations. But I have reached a place in my life that I have grown enough as a person to know that those things do not control me. I choose how to respond to the things life presents me and I can choose positivity and to be happy. I have learned that with the exception of extreme circumstances, we generally always have the option to be happy, and that is a basic yet very powerful idea to me. I hope that I will always have the strength, courage and clarity to choose happiness.

I don't actually worry about my age very much, because I think as the years go by, life gets sweeter for me. I don't mind that extra candle on the cake as long as I have friends, family and love. I look forward to the experiences, adventure and memory-making that await me!