To be honest, this picture sums up exactly how I was feeling a few weeks ago when I remembered that my birthday was fast approaching. Long gone are the days where I loved being a January baby and getting my driver’s license before all my friends or finally being legal drinking age (regardless if I still looked 16 at the time). Everyone always told me it would get worse as we all got older…the first to turn 30….the first to turn 40….the first to turn (I can barely say it) 50. You get the idea.

So here I am at a big milestone birthday today. The big 2-5. In all fairness, I have been 25 for two weeks now and still lie about my age…force of habit….but that’s besides the point. The point is, I didn’t think it would really change my life. I mean, birthdays always come and go and you don’t really feel any older until it hits you that you’ve just graduated or you got a promotion or even bought your first piece of real estate. There are always moments where all of a sudden you feel grown up, like it happened over night, but it rarely occurs on your birthday.

Well, this year my 25th was definitely an exception to this little rule of mine. In the two weeks preceding and two weeks after my big b-day my life drastically changed. My priorities shifted, friendships and relationships became clearer, I set foot in a naturopath’s office (which I’ve been saying I’ll do for years) and started making decisions about my future that I had only contemplated before.

It’s a scary time right now for me – scary, but exciting. For every flash of panic when you think maybe you should just play it safe, there are so many exhilarating moments where you take a stand for yourself and you know what? It feels really good. Life is about living – taking risks, knowing your worth and trusting your gut. If my 25th brought anything to me, it brought me a new lease on life. It sounds stupid, but it’s true. Make fun all you want, but I’m getting my (pardon my french) s#&t together for real this time.

And believe me, I’m terrified. I guess I’m a grown up now huh?

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