1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: tip is to make your own birthday fun, or your 4 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: own fun for any other special day in your life. 5 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: It is fun to celebrate, but it is also not 6 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: reasonable to assume that anyone else is going to take 7 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 1: this on for you. By taking the initiative, you increase 8 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: the chances of enjoying your special day. This episode is 9 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: first airing near my birthday. Now. When I was little, 10 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: I wasn't so fond of having a December birthday, as 11 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: it meant all my gift receiving occasions were clustered into 12 00:00:54,960 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: one small chunk of the calendar. However, as an adult, 13 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: I have appreciated that the world is already festive in December. 14 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: There are lots of parties and special events, and I 15 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: can simply piggyback on many of those to feel celebratory 16 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: this time of year. This might be more challenging if 17 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: your birthday happens in a party dead zone, like I 18 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: don't know, early March. However, whatever time of year we 19 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: are looking at, you can think about what you might 20 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: find enjoyable and plan that in Simply remind yourself about 21 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 1: three to four weeks ahead of time that your birthday 22 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: is coming up. Then think about what adventures or experiences 23 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: you would enjoy going out to eat, going to a show. 24 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: Do you have a favorite place you like to visit, 25 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: like a science museum or a special store. Do you 26 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: have people you would like to visit. See if you 27 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: can plan things in for the days around your birthday. 28 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: You are setting this up three to four weeks ahead 29 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: of time. I am guessing that you can make it happen. 30 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 1: Maybe you go out to lunch with colleagues on the 31 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: day before your birthday and meet a few friends for 32 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: happy Hour on your birthday itself. Maybe you and your 33 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: spouse go out that weekend to celebrate, and during one 34 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: of the days on that weekend you spend two hours 35 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: at your museum or the shop, or whatever your special 36 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: place is. You would look forward to that for quite 37 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: a while and would be excited to think, while you 38 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: were out to lunch with colleagues that you had even 39 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 1: more celebrating coming up over the next few days. Now. 40 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 1: I know a lot of people don't do this. Some 41 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: people don't like to celebrate their birthdays, But I think. 42 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: Another common reason is that people don't think to plan 43 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: things in for themselves. We have this idea, maybe stemming 44 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:01,239 Speaker 1: from childhood when our parents planned our birthday parties, that 45 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: other people in our lives should be coming up with ideas, 46 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: and you know what, maybe they will, but everyone is busy. 47 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: If you would like something to happen, take charge of 48 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: the planning yourself. Would you find it weird if a 49 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: colleague ask to arrange a birthday lunch next week for herself, 50 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: you'd probably be excited for her, and guess what, everyone 51 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: will feel the same for you. This is true for 52 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: anything else special you would like to celebrate as well. 53 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: Maybe your organization will celebrate that you have been there 54 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: for five years, but maybe not if you're happy about it, 55 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: throw your own little happy hour to celebrate. If you've 56 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: had some other milestone, like winning an award, invite a 57 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: few friends to get together to toast it. We have 58 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: the power to put things into our lives that we 59 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: will be happy to have had happen. Perhaps in our 60 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: fantasy lives, fun wouldn't require any planning and effort. But 61 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: the net result of waiting for festive things to happen 62 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: is that they probably won't. When you make your own fun, 63 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 1: the fun will happen and that is a much better outcome. 64 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 65 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 66 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:46,039 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 67 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 68 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 69 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: for iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 70 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.