Happy 45th Birthday to Me!

Happy Birthday to Me!

September 27, 2017

Gina Simpson

Happy Birthday to me! I recently celebrated my 45th birthday. This year I feel completely different than on my last birthday. Last year I was in a rut and looking for an escape from the hamster wheel in which I had found myself trapped. If you have followed my blog over the last year, you know that for my 44th birthday I decided to give myself the gift of happiness. As I set out on my journey, I wasn’t sure exactly what I was looking for but I knew I needed something different. I had achieved what most would consider a successful life. I have a fantastic husband and daughter, I was a CEO, and I had all the material possessions I wanted. I could travel and enjoy the things that make me happy. The trouble is I wasn’t happy. In fact, I was downright miserable. From the outside looking in, I can imagine that most people thought I was crazy when I began discussing how unhappy I was. I laugh when I think about some of the phone calls I received as friends were checking on me to make sure I was “alright”. I was and always have been “alright” but that didn’t mean I was happy. Last September I set out on a journey to find my happiness and what a journey it has been! I am thrilled to say that I have my inner joy again! Happy birthday to me, indeed!

If you are seeking the path to inner joy, I invite you to join me as I tell you my story. I do not propose to know all the answers, but I did find my answers. My journey is just that – my journey. I want to share everything I have learned about finding inner peace with you in hopes that you can use nuggets from it to help you with your journey. I don’t think that anyone should or will follow in my exact footsteps because each person’s path to inner joy is different. However, I do believe there are some important truths that can apply to most people.

I have made huge changes in the last twelve months including leaving my position as a CEO, downsizing my home and possessions, working to become a certified professional coach, and launching a new business. I have learned so much about myself and others. I look forward to sharing with you and hearing from you as you have questions and comments.

The burning question I sought to answer was “Why am I so unhappy?” There are times in our lives when it is very easy to pinpoint reasons that we are not feeling as joyful as we’d like. Other times, it isn’t as clear. For me, I was dumbfounded as to my lack of joy. I was living the life that society says should be wonderful. The answer turned out to be fairly simple – I was not honoring my core values. As such, I was living each day in inner turmoil.

Core values are guiding principles or qualities that represent our highest priorities, deeply held beliefs, and driving forces. Your core values form the foundation from which you should make all decisions. If you are living a life that upholds your core values, you feel a sense of fulfillment and joy. When your core values are not being honored, it leads to feelings of frustration, anger, and a lack of happiness. Our core values are the basis for how we define success. My problem was that I had made the mistake of assuming that society’s definition of success was my definition of success. I had never taken the time to explore my core values in depth and to truly articulate my definition of success. Man, that mistake has caused me a ton of gray hairs!

As I look over the past year, I am extremely grateful for the wonderful people in my life that have been and still are supportive of me. I’m excited to say I feel joy and a sense of fulfillment again. I have a clear understanding of what I value, how I define success, and what my future holds. I look forward to sharing this with you.