"Happy birthday!" Everyone loves to hear that, right? Or, at least it seems so. As hinted by the ever paired words; 'happy' and 'birthday', birthdays are supposed to be just that — happy. If you are like me, and not a vanilla loving person, chocolate cake is your kryptonite, and one of the things looked forward to. Birthday soirées, intimate gatherings and getaways, are but a few ways people celebrate their lives on this day. All gestures reflecting pure happiness, or are they? Then there are those, who do not celebrate at all, not due to religious reasons but simply because.
I bet by now, you are thinking; "what of people who absolutely love their birthday?" of course, we won't cancel them out, but unfortunately, this list does not apply to them. However, if you fall into the crowd that absolutely dread their birthday, the following list might help you identify why.
1) You feel unaccomplished.
It is human nature to plan and tailor goals to a specific time frame. "By age 21, I would have achieved this", "Age 24, I would have built that," we simply can not help it... But, sometimes our timelines do not unfold as planned, and accepting this can be devastatingly difficult. In times such as these, the feeling of failure creeps in, even more so, on our birthday, the day we become a year older.
TIP: Accomplishments do not lessen in value depending on one's age. Success manifests differently in people's lives. For some, results are seen in their early years, and for others later on. Either way, success remains success.
2) Loneliness.
Like the average person living in the digital age, you probably spend a fair amount of time on social media. If so, you have probably witnessed the rise of 'birthday dinners' — ten plus friends coming together to celebrate one. So, your birthday is just around the corner, you go through your phone, in search of at least five good friends that would come together to celebrate you. But the number does not remotely amount to that.
Or... Maybe... You have been single for a while, and you are constantly seeing those extravagant romantic birthday gestures on your feed. Your birthday arrives, and with it comes this unsettling feeling of loneliness. You try to figure out why you feel that way, but you simply can not put your finger on it.
TIP: Sometimes, celebrating with two great friends, is better than dinning with ten who just happen to know you 'enough' to show up.
Find solace in being single. Learn to gift yourself without guilt. Romance will come when romance comes. Do not fret.
3) Aging.
Aahhhhh... The fear of growing old. Apparently, it has a specific name; gerascophobia. You would be surprised the number of people that dread the thought of aging. Many want to stay young, hold on to their youth as long as possible, and the reminder that they are growing older — which is their birthday, is one not cordially welcomed.
According to our rough research, women are more likely to succumb to gerascophobia, due to self imposed or external factors. Some of which include;
•Pressure to marry before a particular age.
•'Biological clock' — the fear of surpassing the age of conception.
•The earlier mentioned feeling of being unaccomplished.
•'Biological clock' — the fear of surpassing the age of conception.
•The earlier mentioned feeling of being unaccomplished.
TIP: Do not conform to the societal standards of living. To age is a beautiful thing, especially in a time such as this, when many die young.
4) You are Low on Cash.
"Uhmmm... Do you mean broke?" No... We don't use that word around here, we say; "temporarily out of cash." Right? Okay... So, you anxiously wait for that time of the year when your birthday comes around. It is finally here, but you realize you do not have the money to cater to your desires. You are 'temporarily out of cash'. A total bummer, if you ask me.
TIP: You do not need a stack of cash to have a good time. A simple family dinner right at home is worth more than an expensive dinner with a bunch of people. Besides, nobody loves you or your birthday as much as they do... Count on them to genuinely celebrate you.
Or... You could make like Sia and think — cheap thrills.
So, that is about it. I hope you find this article insightful, resonating with at least one aspect. Being granted the opportunity to live through another year, is a gift in itself. The next time someone wishes you a 'happy birthday', I hope you truly are happy.
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