Celebrate! Rejoice! You’re just about to reach another birthday!
Ok, yes, and another year older! It’s always a bit of a reflective time for me. On separate years, my darling grandparents died within a few days either side of the date of my birthday, so without too much sorrow, but with a joyous recollection of wonderful times past, I always especially remember them over my birthday.
Around my birthday, I discovered Daniel Pinks amazing and inspirational new book Drive. There’s a wealth of insight in there, so I would highly recommend that you acquire and read a copy, it’s life changing stuff.
A few things that are really resonating with me. The first are these 2 questions:
What’s your sentence? – By this, he means how someone would sum up in a single sentence what you are about
Was I better today than yesterday? – And this is clever stuff, are you improving or stagnating?
Autonomy, mastery and purpose are key themes to Daniel’s persuasive prose
- Autonomy – The desire to direct our own lives
- Mastery – the urge to get better and better at something that matters
- Purpose – the yearning to what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves
There is a good dose on understanding what really is, and is not motivating – with the insightful phrase “there’s a gap between what science knows and what business does” (read business to mean literally or how you run your life).
Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with a birthday afternoon teas, but read on, I promise there’s a very strong connection.
So, after reading Daniel’s book, it got me thinking, what is my sentence? Was I better this year? Your birthday, by its very nature an annual event, is a perfect chance to think, to reflect on what you have done over the past year, and why you’re doing it. And a wonderful opportunity to think about the motivation for what you’d like to have done by the time your birthday comes around again next year. Dare I say it, perhaps it’s also a time to think about why you haven’t done it yet.
A Birthday Afternoon Tea provides a practical time for motivation to reflect
It’s an opportunity to spend time with those who love and support you. Dust off your vintage crockery, lay the table with a splendid table cloth (I have an original from my Grandmother), create a menu of gorgeous sandwiches, cakes and savouries. And have the kettle on permanent boil for endless cups of glorious warming tea. I’m looking forward to it! This year more than any other, I’m going to use my birthday to motivate my year ahead.
Birthday’s are also all about lovely cakes with big candles!
Just like from the wonderful Clifton cake Cafe, perfect for a birthday afternoon tea.
Inspiration for birthday cakes from Clifton Cake Cafe
Birthday’s are precious, life is precious but is never perfect. My hope is that Tea with Mary Kate inspires you to take time to celebrate, and to relish the annual reminder to motivate your future life decisions.
