Happy Birthday To Me ... (2017)

Well, Happy Birthday to me, for now I am ... ??? Well I'm a lot of things, actually. First and foremost a programmer, after that a musician, years later, an artist, and finally, a writer - at least for silly teen fiction stories anyways.

And I still do so many things each day it can be difficult to keep track of all of them.

Hmm ... So I suppose this is the point in my life where I was supposed to break down and tell you what I've learned so far. Let's go over ten important things I make use of and have applied for some time.

1. Don't be alone. Now we all have someone or somewhere we can go where we are not alone. But once you get of age, the days seem to fly by a lot quicker, and we start to feel our age more than we should. If you do, spend time with friends, go out, do activities, have fun. Life is short, play hard.

2. Work on worthwhile projects. There is a great book called, "The Phantom Tollbooth" which talks about Milo meeting a demon called, "The Terrible Trivium." In this, the demon tasks Milo to move a mountain of dirt from one pile to another ... with a pair of tweezers. Don't get burdened down by tedious tasks. Work on worthwhile projects. Something that does have an end to it and does benefit you or others. Make your mark in the world. Be remembered for the good you have done.

3. Research. When working on your projects, too often we are comfortable enough to ignore advice and/or others and go feet first straight into difficult concepts. That's fine, if you don't mind EXPERIENCE being your teacher, and I will tell you now, she has a harsh set of rules, the least of which is consequences. Instead, use Google, the dictionary, the thesaurus, or what have you. RESEARCH what you are doing cause there is an excellent chance, someone somewhere is doing or has done something similar and by learning from them, you can avoid the same and similar pitfalls yourself.

4. Eat when hungry. This one is pretty simple but too often when we are bored, we sleep too long, or eat too much, or indulge in something that really doesn't get us anywhere further in life. Instead, eat when hungry, sleep when tired, and save the extra stuff as a REWARD for having done a good job at whatever you are working towards. Things and fun activities lose their meaning if they are done all the time - and especially if they are not needed or earned.

5. Lose some bad habits. I have them. You have them. Everyone has them. As for me, while I think keeping especially short fingernails makes me type faster and better, I REALLY do bite them down to the nub. It's not good. Look at yourself and see what bad habits you could drop. Smoking, drinking, or what have you. If it's not helping you life, it's hindering you in life. Assess yourself, be a better person when you can.

6. See yourself through the eyes of others. Too often we don't like to look at ourselves in the mirror for fear of what we might see. But don't be afraid, it's just you. By seeing yourself through the eyes of others, you may realize there are some traits about yourself that aren't entirely positive. Wash your face, comb your hair, and shave if you don't have the perfect beard. First impressions are important and even more so in life when age starts to set in our appearance.

7. Celebrate the holidays. This one is pretty simple but it seems to lose meaning as we get older. And perhaps that could be because after a-while, the holidays all seem to be for only two things. Eating sweets and getting gifts. And that may well be. But each holiday truly does have an origin and a story behind it, that is not entirely involved for your pleasure. Celebrate the holidays and REMEMBER what they are really for. Enjoy their rarity as they appear only once a year and know that each has a deep meaning and understanding.

8. Give stuff. I think I am not alone when I say I have a great many things I've collected over the years that really does not do me a lick bit of good today. Now I am not talking about antiques or family heirlooms, no, I am talking about the nickel and dime stuff that years ago seemed to be incredibly important for you to collect, but today, we see it for what it is, insulating ourselves from others. Instead, give away the stuff that has little or no meaning to you today. To Goodwill, Salvation Army, or otherwise. open yourself up to the fresh air in its place, and be released from the burden these items place on you today.

9. Cleanliness. Not just for yourself but your home. As you get older, you may not be so independent and headstrong as you used to be. Keep your home CLEAN, TIDY, and NEAT. Invite family and friends with the knowledge they have a comfortable place to visit that is not weighed down by clutter or mess. And they'll also have a positive opinion about you in the future.

10. Music. Now I might be a little skewed in my head, but music to me has always been a welcome friend when I am alone. I can't think of any worse ways to spend my days then to have each of them in a silent room with only a ticking clock. NO ! You have a computer, get WinAMP, use Shoutcast and pick to choose any of a thousand Online radio channels to play on external speakers. Find music that keeps you happy and energized. Keep the music and life in you going.

With these good things in mind, well, what exactly is a mid-life crisis ?

It is defined as, "an emotional crisis of identity and self-confidence that can occur in early middle age."

These two things are very important for a person, identity, and self-confidence. If you lose either or both, life can seem to hold little meaning. Do what you can to improve these characteristics in yourself. Find ways of making improvements in your life - where the results can be seen and appreciated by others.

Tell yourself, you've made it this far, you've got many more years to go. Do so and face it head-on with positive thinking, positive energy, and positive results.

As Red Green says:

I also wanted to share with you one of my favorite Birthday videos. That can be found HERE. Watch full-screen. [LINK]