Diary #3: Birthday Anniversary
Whenever I get the opportunity to write a diary entry, I really enjoy it. They are therapeutic in a way. I try limiting them to relevant topics about my personal life, typically something I can share that shows growth and is relatable. With this week being the one-year anniversary of my blog, and this past Saturday being my 25th birthday, I feel like now is a perfect time to revisit the diary!
If you are unfamiliar with my diary sessions, it is where I take a short break from self-help articles and share personal events about my life. If you are only interested in self-help articles, feel free to skip this. Today’s Topic: Birthdays & Anniversaries.
You can check out past diary sessions here:
My Birthday
This past Saturday, October 16th, 2021, I celebrated my 25th birthday.
This was my first birthday since moving to Texas, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Back home, I would usually celebrate birthdays with my family. We had somewhat of a tradition of going out to dinner and then having Carvel Ice Cream Cake at home. I am not a huge cake person but LOVE ice cream cake, so it is always something to look forward to each year!
This year there was, unfortunately, no ice cream cake (yet) but I ended up having a really fun birthday anyway. On Friday night, I met a friend at Buffalo Bayou Brewery where we watched Game 1 of the ALCS: Houston Astros vs. Boston Red Sox. Being a Yankees fan, I can’t say I wanted either team to win, but I guess I am a Houstonian now, so go Astros? Sort of? (Not really). At least it was still entertaining baseball! I enjoyed going to breweries back home, and this was my first one in Houston, so I was excited. It certainly did not disappoint. Great, cheap beer, good food, and a beautiful view of downtown.
On my actual birthday, my girlfriend bought me a delicious dinner, chicken parm, and we went out for a night in the town. I had a lot of fun and feel blessed to have spent the day with her.
How It Feels To Be 25
In a strange way, being 25 puts a lot of things in perspective for me. This year, I really want to amp up my goals and ambitions.
I want to focus on helping others in any way that I can. I want to provide value to other people, and I want to do it unselfishly. That means without expecting anything in return. I strive every day to be a positive force in people’s lives, and that is what I will continue to do.
I wrote a passage from my personal journal on my 25th birthday that summarizes what I wanted to write here perfectly:
“I’m 25 now! Man, that is crazy. This is the year I turn it up a notch and am more driven, hardworking, and disciplined than ever before. I am going all in on my aspirations. I am going all in on life! By this time next year, I will have no regrets. I want to have $1,000,000 in my bank account. Great relationships. A great life where I am positively impacting both the world and the people around me. I know I can do it if I set my mentality right and give it my 100% effort. I have no quit in me, I am so blessed, and I will continue to be blessed. Positive vibes only. I’m ready to help others and become successful doing so!”
Blog One Year Anniversary
On October 19th was the one year anniversary/birthday of my first blog post, 4 Tips for Successful Time Management. My blog is officially one year old now! It is certainly a surreal feeling as it does not feel like I have been writing here for one year.
When I started this blog, I really had no idea what to expect. My goal was to improve upon myself and I felt if I can help better just one person’s life through this blog, then it would be a success. I vowed to write one blog post a week, every Wednesday, until the end of 2021, and I am proud to say I have not missed a week yet! It was not always easy to find the time to do so. I had big life changes such as moving, different obligations to attend to, and it felt like life got in the way more often than it didn’t. However, when something is really important to you, you make time for it.
I am excited to close out 2021 by continuing a blog post each week for all of you awesome people on personal development. I have a lot of awesome end of year topics that I am excited to write about. After that, I think I will take a break from writing, but I will still be working on the blog. I hope to have some big changes coming in 2022.
The fact that my birthday and my blog’s birthday are around the same time is not lost on me. Thank you to everyone who reads my articles and has supported me. I am so grateful and appreciative. I could not have gotten to where I am today without you!
Best,
Eric