It's the emotions that stick with us 🧡

 I have a milestone birthday tomorrow. It's going to be memorable 🎉

But have you ever tried remembering what you were doing on a particular birthday? It's nearly impossible. Most of the doing-ness of life fades away quickly.

It's the feelings that stick with us year after year.

• A year ago, hope and optimism dominated my birthday.
• Two years ago, fear.
• Five years ago, anxiety.
• Fifteen years ago, anger. 
• And at age 25, more fear.

There are "reasons" for each emotion based on what was going on in my life. There's also a connection between the emotion and what I was doing.

Emotions influence behaviors.

The unpleasant emotions were my fault. I did not own my experience in the world. That led to more time in the 'valley of despair' of the change curve as I resisted the emotions: 

• More time angrily fighting.
• More time grieving.
• More time in fear and uncertainty. 

Zoom out, and the past 25 years feel like change happened at a snail's pace. Barely noticeable. Yet, bit by bit, the small changes can lead to big emotions. It took me that long to address the pervasive fear in my life (and that'll still be present in my life in perpetuity).

But the fear started diminishing its impact on my life as soon as I accepted it

To fear is human; accept it.

IF we choose to notice and accept the emotion.

When I become aware of my emotions, I can change faster. This is courageous change, it's:

• Faster to joy
• Faster to abundance
• Faster to hope
• Faster to expansive creativity
• Faster to gratitude

This year, I feel all of those in every cell. And feeling is believing.

The feeling is what we remember. ❤️

It's going to be a memorable birthday 🎉