Today is my birthday.

I love my birthday. In fact, every day is worth loving because every day I get to wake up and do what I do because of the joy it brings me, and joy is infectious. It makes the world go round.

The photo you see here is from my 4th birthday. That was my favourite plush dog at the time. I was shy about people singing to me so I would cover my ears (I still get shy, but I’ll still appreciate the gesture). I developed an early love for brownies (baked by my mother of course), and I just baked myself some this morning (one set for me, and one set for my friends).

I’ve come to realize that the more we celebrate ourselves (and others), the more life showers us with love and goodness.

Four years ago today I gave myself one of the best birthday gifts ever. I went to my favorite band’s concert in Wembley Stadium, on my actual birthday. I celebrated along with Take That and 85,291 other people who were experiencing a magical night filled with amazing music. Any time I have a wobble, I go back to that memory because it lights me up so powerfully. It reminds me that we can truly have, be and do whatever we desire in life, as long as we keep focused on our dreams.

This was a massive celebration for me for several reasons…

– It was the fulfillment of a dream I thought would never come true. I’d wanted to see Take That  as a teenager but they split up before I could make that happen, and by the time they got back together years later, I was about to make my way to another continent in pursuit of some of my other dreams. When the 5 got back together for their Progress Live tour in 2011, I knew I had to be there. It was truly the concert of a lifetime, and to boot, I got to see the Pet Shop Boys as well. BAM.

– It was also when the idea for my first book came to me, walking through Hyde Park in London. The following summer I was sitting in my beloved Vancouver and wrote that book in a zippy three weeks. Another huge dream fulfilled. BOOM.

Here’s the thing. Much as I love my birthday, every day is a birth day. Every day we get to wake up and discover something new about ourselves, about life, about our loved ones. And every day we get to share that with others.

It’s fun to receive material gifts, but I know when I look at the best gifts I’ve received, they come from experiences like that concert. Or a surprise birthday get-together my friends arranged for me. A heartfelt and totally unexpected compliment.

It’s not so much the material things we receive but the experiences we have. More than that, it’s the feelings... Joy. Love. Appreciation.

We are the gift that keeps on giving. Share more of You with the world. (tweet this)

Every moment matters, and I want you to remember that your presence in this world really is making an impact in someone’s life right now.

You are a Gift.

For that, I CELEBRATE YOU.

Here’s sending some Love your way on our birthday,

Karin