Mindfulness and Birthdays: Surprising Moments

Home
>
Motivation
>
Mindfulness and Birthdays: Surprising Moments

Mindfulness and Birthdays: Surprising Moments

The first week of May is a big birthday time for my family. My husband's birthday is May 3rd, and my oldest daughter's is May 6th.

This convergence seemed almost too good to be true the week that Taeko was born. We were living in rural Japan, and it was Golden Week, a period of several national holidays that generally coincides with the magnificent display of cherry trees in bloom.

Back in 1986, on May 3rd we celebrated Tom's 23rd birthday. May 5th is Children's Day in Japan, with colorful koi nobori (fish flags) flying from posts in every neighborhood and children participating in greatly anticipated festivities. How perfect that I went into labor on that day of celebration of the joy of childhood.

Taeko was born at 1:00 am on May 6th, and as she settled into my arms and gazed out toward the open window on her first sunny morning, a gentle breeze picked up a few pink cherry petals from the tree right outside and scattered them over her beautiful rosy face.

I will never forget it as long as I live.

As we get older, our birthdays seem to lose their luster. I know many people who prefer to ignore their birthdays altogether.

I understand and respect the shift toward fewer gifts and less hoopla, but I think it is a shame to ignore the opportunity for mindful reflection. We should view birthdays as prized reminders to connect and celebrate.

Sharing your birthday with others becomes less about unwrapping presents and murmuring "You shouldn't have!" and more about laughing with your loved ones about the milestones you've all navigated over the years.

And if we do it right, there's plenty to laugh about, even when we look back on the bumpiest of years. As the old saying goes, having a birthday is better than the alternative!

If your own birthday doesn't inspire you, look forward to the ones celebrated by others. Turn them into an opportunity to play a little birthday mindfulness game.

In the spirit of finding a reason for celebrating reflection, I called an old high school friend on his 45th birthday last month.

He was absolutely dumbfounded. We hadn't talked in over ten years, and our last conversation was a quick hello at a class reunion. But I had always remembered his April 8th birthday, so I made a round of phone calls and tracked him down, reaching him at home as he celebrated quietly with a handful of family and friends.

We had a delightful conversation. It made me wonder why I'd never picked up the phone to call him in all these years. But then, we all know the answer to that--we get busy, and even if we do think of calling, we talk ourselves out of it because it might be, well, weird.

Far from weird, it was heartwarming, affirming, and truly connected us despite the fact that our friendship had faded over 25 years ago. At the end of our call, Scott said, "I will never forget this as long as I live."

What more can anyone ask of a birthday?

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches creative eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com.

In The News:

MSU News
Need workout motivation? Try a virtual partner
msnbc.com
Don't sweat it — new research shows that even a virtual exercise partner might boost your motivation to exercise. Researchers found that women who biked alone experienced a decline in motivation over time, whereas those partnered with a virtual friend ...
With virtual pal, women double workoutsFuturity: Research News
Cyber partners help you go the distanceScienceBlog.com (blog)
Cyber exercise partners help you go the distanceMSU News

all 5 news articles »

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
Eagles' Jarrett 'motivated by pride' in year two
Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
He knows the doubts remain, but he is using it as motivation. “I'm motivated by pride,” Jarrett said. “I've got a chip on my shoulder every day to be the best.” Jarrett never had it easy. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of New York with a ...

and more »

Soccer365 (press release)
City taunts motivate Cleverley
Soccer365 (press release)
Cleverley told the Daily Star: "The motivation is there, massively. It's our neighbours, our rivals. Nothing needs to be said to motivate ourselves. "Football seems to be the only talking point in Manchester at the minute. "When your neighbours are ...

and more »

How to Motivate Someone
Huffington Post
To motivate another person, you have to appeal to their values. This may seem straightforward, but it isn't. Too often we try to motivate others by indoctrinating them in our values rather than by appealing to theirs. A classic example of this is the ...

Gary Allen's marathon motivation marked by decades of endurance
Bangor Daily News
Gary Allen trains along Sargent Drive in Northeast Harbor as part of his preparation for the Boston Marathon in 2010. Allen's recent finish of 2 hours, 59 minutes and 48 seconds in the Tacoma City Marathon marked the 65th time he has completed a ...

My View: Can tests motivate students? It depends on the test - and the student
CNN (blog)
They co-authored the report, “Student Motivation—An Overlooked Piece of School Reform." (CNN) – We're taking many steps as a nation to boost student achievement. We're raising academic standards, revising curricula, revamping low-performing schools ...

Sydney Morning Herald
Ian Thomsen: Boston Celtics look for motivation to lock in Game 6 win over 76ers
SI.com
By encouraging Sixers fans to attack him and his team, he was admitting that he needs the motivation. It will surely be offered as soon as he is introduced before Game 6. It will be up to Garnett and Rajon Rondo to drive their tired, injured team ...
Collins' words more motivation than barbThe News Journal
Collins goes to the archives for Game 6 motivationThe Mercury
Paul Pierce on Game 7: 'I like our chances'WEEI.com
FOXSports.com -SportingNews.com -Bleacher Report
all 2,816 news articles »

Channel 7 Daily News
Motivation For Youths
Channel 7 Daily News
They were there to hear a high-powered panel of professional motivational speakers from Mexico, United States, Cuba and Columbia. The idea was to educate the youths of Belize about the benefits of living a positive lifestyle and inspire them to do the ...

and more »

McKinney High Uses Difficult 2011 Football Season As Motivation Entering New ...
TownSquareBuzz.com
While it could be perceived as rock bottom for a very proud Texas high school football program, last season serves as a constant source of motivation for the 2012 Lions, who wrapped up the spring football season with the Blue vs.

and more »

Shape Magazine (blog)
Stay Motivated to Workout this Weekend
Shape Magazine (blog)
But if you don't want chasing said ice cream man to be the most exercise you get all weekend let your man (or your new summer fling) be your motivation! To keep things light and fun for the holiday here are a few quirky facts we gathered from our ...

Google News