In the infamous hook of 50 Cent In Da Club “Go, go, go, go, go, go! Go shawty! It’s your birthday. We gonna party like it’s your birthday, we gonna sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday and you know we don’t give a F&%$ it’s not your birthday.” Birthdays should be a time of celebration, excitement, pleasure, happiness, peace, relaxation, nothing that causes stress, anxiety, or has you feeling anguished or remorseful. April 19th was my birthday and it was a good day however, I experienced some stress and anxiety.
I booked a Getaway Cabin in Suches, GA for my birthday. I spent two nights and one day at the cabin. My intentions were to work on all things Zulmie. I had a long unrealistic To-Do list and just envisioned coming back from the cabin like Moses coming down from the mountain with the ten commandments. I was coming back with some awesome things to share with you all. How many of you can guess what the outcome was? You probably guessed right. I did not get any of the tasks on my To-Do list done. Instead of enjoying the experience, peace, and relaxation, I started to feel anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed. I beat myself up for not getting all the things done on my list.
As I drove home I quieted my feelings of anxiety, stress, and being overwhelmed with reflection and gratitude. In doing this I was able to get insight, a new perspective, and see the positive. My reflection and gratitude gave me several takeaways however, I would like to share the major three that really empowered me and gave me peace.
The first takeaway was my long To-Do list was unrealistic. In what world was I going to accomplish everything in just one day? Neither Rome nor the World was created in ONE Day. According to the good book, even God uses six days to create the world. My one day should have been a day of rest but I attempted to at least read a book, “One Million Followers,” which was the first task on the list. I said I could read the whole book and accomplish the things on my list if I turn off my phone. Again, unrealistic because the book was 234 pages. I never read a book that long in one sitting. Furthermore, why would I turn off my phone and miss calls or text messages from people I really want to hear from? I read but I did not turn off my phone. I did not finish the book. I did manage to read half of the book. I really set some unrealistic expectations and realize that I must set realistic expectations for Zulmie. There are times when we are able to accomplish unrealistic To-Do lists, maybe not on birthdays.
The second takeaway was birthdays are not about being so task-oriented but about enjoyment, celebration, relaxation, peace, and positivity. Birthdays should not leave you feeling like you just left a stressful job. One should wake up the next day after a birthday and feel great because he or she felt celebrated, overjoyed with memories, happy, loved, relaxed, peaceful as you look back at those memories in pictures or videos. Consumed by my long unrealistic list I did not get to enjoy the cabin, nature, scenery, or the full experience. I let the entire day pass trying to read the entire book. I did not stop reading until almost two a.m. Checkout was at 11 a.m. the next day, so there goes any possibility of trying to enjoy the last few hours unless I create another unrealistic expectation of waking up early and going for a walk. However, that was not the case. I went to bed and woke up early enough to pack and take a few pictures with my ring light. I was happy I was able to get some content while in such a beautiful space.
The third takeaway was to express gratitude for the things I was able to get done. I did read half of the book. I was also able to take a few great pictures and even created a few Tiktoks. All of which will be or were used to create Zulmie content. Creating content was on my unrealistic To-Do List. Not turning off my phone allowed me to receive calls and texts from family, loved ones, and friends that celebrated me. I was also able to get my CashApp notifications from my family and friends that sent me cash gifts. I did accomplish more than reading some of the pages of my book. I was able to be celebrated and hear from a few of those near and dear to me. I was able to enjoy the scenery on my drive home as I reflected and shifted my mind to an attitude of gratitude.
In the future make sure your birthdays are for YOU! Not a time of accomplishing an unrealistic To-Do List, work and no enjoyment, celebration, or relaxation or expressing gratitude for all you have, received, or was able to do. Let your birthday be the full embodiment and expression of 50 Cents In DA Club hook, “Go, go, go, go, go, go! Go shawty! It’s your birthday. We gonna party like it’s your birthday, we gonna sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday and you know we don’t give a F&%$ it’s not your birthday.” Happy Birthday to ME!
Love Your Poet,
Zulmie
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