Birthday tomorrow, how do I be less negative about it?

Anyone else get annoyingly self-reflective around their birthday? It sucks.

I won't turn this into a blog, but things haven't been going so well in my life for the last few years, and I'm trying to fight all the sad feelings about it and my slow decline towards inevitable death.

Trying to focus on positives. Like the fact I'll have beaten my personal record for laps around the sun. Plus I've lived for this many years and I haven't died once. Screw you, death!

Bombardiers (did that stick?), help me look on the bright side!

Treat it like any other day. Dont know why you need to be negative about it. Plus you are able to sit down at a computer and post on this website. That alone says that you are much better off than so many people in this world.

GAME OF THRONES IS STARTING SOON HAPPY BIRTHDAY WOOOOOOOOOO

THE COLE TRAIN TAKES WHAT HE WANTS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON WHOOO!!!

People die, and yes, you could focus on what you wont do. Or you can focous on what you can do, how you can impact the world.

Be that by rasing a family, or by just smiling and saying thank you. Thats what I did the whole time at pax.

So I recently just had a birthday too, and I think the best way about going through your day is to start thinking about what want our of your life and plan on how you'll pursue over the next year.

Also, to all those that wish you a happy birthday, don't just give them a "thanks," actually give them some time. One of the best ways you can spend your time is to share it with others. Give your friend a compliment or enjoy a fond memory together. It makes it a whole lot better.

Treat it like any other day.

Get drunk.

Take care of yourself and you might get to become an awesome immortal cyborg one day!

First of all, make list of self-indulgences that you can play for the day itself. Start the day with your ideal breakfast (cooked, pancakes, whatever...) and take it from there. Watch your favourite film with your favourite people or with your favourite drink, buy yourself something nice, e.g. Game of Thrones Bluray (my choice). That sorts out the day itself. As for the wider picture, keep the whole world in mind when you consider your plight, and though it doesn't seem helpful, go take a run in the snow or go climbing up a wall, anything to give your mind a rest and let the natural instincts and endorphins take over. Then see if your outlook has changed at all.

I dunno, you could try self-affixiation and see if that kickstarts anything for ya [not meant to be taken seriously, ... just in case]

despite what the news says, life is generally getting better and better every year, at least for us. I'm assuming you're not the one starving Ethiopian child with a computer and good wifi connection of course, sorry if you are.

Dang son. Yes, we're going to die someday, but don't you feel kind of lucky and happy to be alive in the first place? A birthday marks another year you've been given to spend on this planet, and I'm sure you must have at least some people around you who you were happy to spend it with, and things you were happy to have done. Even if things have been bad lately, a birthday at least marks that you've managed to make it through all that crap, whatever life has thrown at you, and could well be a milestone on the path to having better years in the future. You should do something to celebrate as well, even if it's only something small. I hope you have a good birthday dude.

that's what i do. death comes for us all, nothing to be afraid of. it's just a day bro, don't sweat it. i mean, it's all based on our measurement of time, which is kinda arbitrary anyway, right? somebody pass the bong...

@uniquelyterrific:

Whatever you have fun doing do a bunch of it that day.

The preferred nomenclature is "duder," as in

HOLY SHIT HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DUDER!!!!

Birthday's are the fucking worst, sorry duder, just hope people forget about it, that's what I do, try and make it as little as possible

The only thing that has worked for me was to never talk about it or bring it up and sooner or later everyone but myself will have forgotten about it. The reason I hate Birthdays so much is because I have such a low opinion of myself and zero self worth that when others do things for me I hate it because I don't feel like I'm worth the attention or anyone taking even a second of their life to think of me let alone set aside time to put money they worked for into a card or taking the time to write happy birthday on a card and give it to me.

So once I was able to get people to stop thinking about it it's all but stopped now except for a few people like my Grandmother and Aunts who still send me cards. I think that's the best you can really hope for unless you can smarten up and stop crying and throwing yourself a pity party every dam day. I know it's not easy as I do it myself, but if you change yourself you will change how you view the event and learn to enjoy it once you learn to care about yourself and are able to let others show that they care about you too. If I knew how to do that I would be a billionaire so sadly that parts up to you to figure out.

Make it a fucking blow-out. Grab everyone you can tolerate and hit the town. Don't have many people that you tolerate? Take the few that do and add a pile of alcohol to the mix. Don't have anyone you can tolerate? Hit the town yourself!

If you're a sad drunk, my sincere apologies as I can do very little for you. In that case, you must enjoy doing something. Since it's your birthday, just do those things. Push everything else out of your mind beyond the idea of having fun and enjoying yourself, as you got another 364 days to feel like shit. Don't let it poison the one day that you get per year to have an unbridled amount of fun.

Beyond everything; don't just sit around alone and think. If only as a challenge to yourself, try to make it a good day. I wish you the best.

Wow, that's weird, I'm in the same situation. It is also my birthday tomorrow and I really don't care for birthdays. I'm not in your state of mind, thinking about death and all, but I just don't like people making a deal out of my birthday, my family especially. Just try and treat it like any other day and for whatever it's worth, happy birthday.

Chin the fuck up.

I am self-reflective every day. But never really gave birthdays that big of a reflection in and of themselves. Probably because I like gifts. Though turning 30 this year, it feels strange. More the idea of the age than how I actually feel about it.

So yeah, enjoy gifts (even if you buy them for yourself) have a cake and do something fun. Or like when my wife has her birthday, we always take a trip somewhere to make it a fun day instead of her wallowing in self-pity that she's getting older.

Play video games and have a nice dinner. That's what I do on my birthdays. I don't think much about it because fuck the Gregorian calendar, man.

Honestly? There is nothing we can tell you to do that will help make you feel better.

My birthday was yesterday, and this time 2 weeks ago I couldn't have cared less. I didn't have anyone I was particularly close with to share it with, didn't want to do anything, was depressed because school had been so damn stressful, et cetera. Just over a week and a half ago I fell into this amazing relationship. Literally fell into it, it came out of nowhere - and this was after 2 or 3 years of going through my own personal hell (with some occasional bright points).

As someone with depression, and who was suicidal as recently as a month ago, here is the best piece of advice I can give you: Keep on going, and at some point things will make a turn for the best. You won't know when to expect it, or what form it will come in; but when it happens, you will know.

My 21st birthday is tomorrow. It's too bad I'll probably be too wasted to play Bioshock at midnight. I don't even enjoy drinking. So if it makes you feel better, you'll probably have a better time than me.

That's the first time I've heard someone say they are "beating their record for laps around the sun" on their birthday, and it made me laugh a lot. So maybe take solace in that?

People give you shit! Happy birthday duder!

!!!!!

@octaslash: Get skype, I will call you and say Happy Birthday in the creepiest way possible! :D

Your right, we don't live forever. So that is why you should enjoy everyday and fuck those asshats that try to ruin it. It's YOUR B-day, do what you want.

Im like Pacard in that one episode that is always on tv. Except for video game conventions where square enix has a hot girl hand out tshirts to other hot girls.

just grab your friends (or be alone if that's what you prefer) and go out to the bar or do whatever else you think is fun.

@octaslash: honestly, don't let your friends push you into drinking stuff you don't want to. There's no reason to be miserable just because others feel like you need the "21st" experience. Also if its more about taste (I think most common beers taste like sewage), may I suggest whipping up a batch of Jungle Juice to celebrate. Just be careful though.

Happy birthday, duder!

@blatantninja23: I did let my friends push me... and it tasted terrible. Had a rum and coke with way too much rum. On the bright side, I broke a ski ball machine at an arcade and got enough tickets to buy five wizard hats.

Your username alone tells me you're terrific, and not just averagely terrific but terrific in a unique way!

Happy Birthday, duder!!

@octaslash: never have really been a fan of a rum and coke, but I'll drink double vodka redbulls like it's water.... Which I guess explains a lot.

Congrats on having a successful birthday though.

@uniquelyterrific: how old are you gonna be? i just turned 27 and i got me pretty depressed honestly.

Getting wasted is probably a pretty good way to stay positive.

Stop celebrating your year, instead celebrate how many days old you are.

http://www.timeanddate.com/date/duration.html

I am 11,130 days old. Its like setting a new high score every day. Plus you get to celebrate cool things like being 10,000 days old. Or for me recently 11,111(that five whole ones, in a row, also a pretty good reason to drink) days old. Its pretty great.

Tell everyone you are a Jehovah's Witness. They don't celebrate birthdays so they'll leave you alone.

Carry a few extra copies of The Watchtower to back it up if they doubt you.

Glad you had a good birthday dude. I find that getting wasted, being an ass and bossing all my friends around, making them buy stupid things is a pretty good way to have an awesome day. It's your day, do whatever the fuck you want and if anyone argues with you about that then head butt them.

Thanks for all the advice and kind words, bombfolk. I had a nice day for my 23rd that consisted largely of pizza and Metal Gear Rising Revengeance!

(Followed by days of double stuff Oreos and Bioshock Infinite.)

@uniquelyterrific said:

Christ. That's basically how I feel (maybe a little better) but seeing it written out like that really hits.

I lol'd

Anyway, I just treat it like any other day. If anyone wishes you a happy birthday, then hey, great, thank them! If somebody doesn't, then oh well, no biggie. I don't really think birthday's are anything special, but my girlfriend (pretty much the one constant positive in my life for the last two and a half years and the only reason I wrote '(maybe a little better)' up there) treats them like they're the most important thing on the planet, so I usually end up with multiple birthday texts throughout the day.

Man, life sucks. Back to trying not to think about it, I guess!

Just ignore it and treat it like any other day, that's what i do. Birthdays are meaningless past age 12. Getting older sucks, but i think its easier to just take things a day at a time and not think about years. Its too depressing.

Drank.

Good call man, I just found out I'm 4 days away from my 7777th birthday, I should buy a lotto ticket or some shit.

Sounds like someone who doesn't have kids. I find it pretty hard to get bored with life when my kids are constantly experiencing new things. And when the no longer entertain me I'll kick them out and adopt a bunch of big dogs, they always make me feel better.

Happy Early 7,777th Birthday!!!