Beth 3.5 (a Birthday Blog!

I saw someone online say that for each birthday, they put a “.” in between the digits, and call it their new “version update”...like iPhones do every year haha. 

So introducing Beth 3.5!! 

I celebrated my birthday last weekend.
Since my late twenties, birthdays- while wonderful- sent me into a panic. 

Instead of mile markers to be celebrated, birthdays were reminders of all I lacked.

Time was a trickster god running faster and farther away with my youth, dreams, goals, and expectations of what it was “supposed to be by now,” and took a highlighter to all bullseyes I haven’t hit yet. 

But this year feels different. 

I’m so grateful for all the things time has GIFTED me.  Things that could ONLY come with experiences, practice, marination, improvisation, failure and…TIME. 

My darts haven’t hit the bullseyes that Beth 1.5 or 2.5 had her eyes fixed on. But in aiming for those bullseyes, my darts have landed in some incredible, unexpected places that I treasure. 

As I entered 35: 

-I celebrated 10 years of beautiful marriage

-I checked off a bucket list travel item!

-I added my fingerprints to a hearty handful of Broadway+ shows by way of my wonderful voice students (while still having nights and weekends free!)

-I built a sustainable yet flexible business I LOVE 

-I’ve surrounded myself with incredible families, friends, teachers, students,  and communities 

-I’ve learned so much about myself and what works for me (and what doesn’t)

The biggest lesson I learned by 35 (that I wish I’d learned at 25 is…
Is that confidence is not your belief in your ability to succeed; it’s your belief in your ability to recover if you fail.
I finally built that belief… by trying, failing, and recovering hundreds of times. And guess what, when it comes to recovering from failure… I have a100% success rate! (And, guess what, so do you! That’s pretty good data to build a belief around!) 

Maybe I’ll hit the bullseye in my 30s, my 40s, 60s, 80s…or maybe it never will. But I know I’m going to recover and be okay (and then not okay…and then okay again… because that’s just LIFE)
I’ll be okay, especially if I keep throwing darts, learning, failing, playing, and remaining open to whatever comes next. Experiencing the passage of time is a privilege in which I’m grateful to participate. 

Thank you, all my people, who have made my time here so far so meaningful.