Happy birthday (tomorrow)!! Maybe this isn't an issue for you, but I've found that with each year that passes, I get better at creating boundaries around my time and energy, and doing so helps me become a better version of myself. I'm finally embracing the old adage: You can't fill someone else's cup if yours is empty. Wishing you so much love and light! I'm grateful for you and your words, all year long :)
You're wonderful. I love this advice, I've always been pretty good at saying No (Autism makes it easy) but I'm for sure working on safeguarding energy.
Happy Almost Birthday! Well here's a few things I've learned through the years:
*mind your mind - it can create heaven or hell on earth
*protect your rest - the body-heart-mind need it every day
*keep an eye on your long game every day - it's easy to forget that health can wane, losses can happen, etc. Save money. Stock your home with simple pleasures, etc.
*70% rule - live your life at 70% capacity, "bank" the other 30% - of your money, energy, time, etc.
I'm afraid that I don't really have any advice for you. I don't think I have ever "met" anyone who strives to be as authentic as you do. I see you being honest about your emotions. I see you being loud with your love and support of all people and causes. I see you inspiring people to follow their dreams.
I know there is always a way for someone to "improve" themselves. I'm just saying that I think you are one of the people in the world who is much closer to "fully-improved" than the majority of us are. So maybe I do have advice: Keep doing what you've been doing.
Happy birthday! I am so grateful you are alive on this planet.
My advice is to carve out specific periods of time on a regular basis (maybe once or twice a month, depending on what works for you) to be completely without your phone. And I'm talking like at least a full 24 hours (more if you can) without touching it. I recently tried it and it was a game changer. I was feeling so burnt out and exhausted, and one Saturday afternoon, I put my phone underneath my bed and did not touch it again for 24 hours. I told a few key people what I was doing so they wouldn't be worried, and then I disconnected. In this day and age, it's become habit to constantly be checking our phones and stay connected to everything, everywhere, all the-time. Being completely separated from social media, news, and even messages from people was so liberating - and rebellious in the best way possible! It gave me the chance to focus on my own self-care (which I'd been neglecting at the time) and really spend time with myself. You don't realize all the little things you use your phone for until you actually break away from it. I felt so much more energized when I could shift my focus to the things that really matter. Moving forward, I plan to do this at least once a month. I think it will 100% make me a better human.
Absolutely vital advice. You're so right on every single thing you said. I've been working a lot on just leaving it completely in the other room as much as possible. I love it.
First of all, I want to wish you many moments of small unexpected joys scattered throughout your days, today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your hopefully long and healthy life. What wisdom can I offer to an already exceptionally wise and compassionate man? Wasn't it you, Tyler, who helped me to realize that even during periods of unhappiness, joy is always at our fingertips.
I think you know all about slowing down to look and listen. The more crazy or uncertain my life is the more I need to pause.
I remember needing to pause, and even though I was on a tight schedule, I sat down on our front stoop to feed a very weak bee some sugar water. After a few minutes it flew away. That was all I needed to feel connected and whole again. Joy is quite simple.
As Jennica said, keep doing what you're doing! Happy Birthday Tyler!
Don't "should" on yourself. Just love the man in the mirror who holds so much love, compassion, and integrity for the world to follow. You don't need to be perfect....just real. The world needs more of the authenticity you strive for. Keep going and have a hella Happy Birthday! 🎂🎉🎁
It's absolutely shocking and stunning how many people have used the word authentic today, and it is something that has taken me completely by surprise. I don't really have any self-image or awareness at how I come across to people, so hearing things like this is always eye-opening. Phew, I am so thankful that the person I am comes across this way. Thank you, so much.
Happiest Birthday wishes and so much love to you Tyler!
I feel so fortunate to be the same age as you are and to have been lucky enough to savour your gifts of poetry daily for so many years and more recently the gift of this community and the care you show to all of us who are here.
I don’t know that I could suggest anything that could make you better but I will share that I’ve always admired that you truly seem to be living your life forward - just like Tim in About Time, and that you continue to live the magic of the width of your life as wide as the length of it. Your words have in fact gifted me countless times with that reminder to slow down, grounding me back to the beauty of deliberately living, savouring and appreciating without getting swept up in the worry of the what’s next.
So other than continuing to live your extraordinary, ordinary life I would encourage you to start your morning with a song every day that brings you joy. Put your feet on the floor and hit play and dance your day to life. Sing, do the most epic air guitar, waltz with your beautiful wife in your jammies, eyes still blurry from dreaming. You’ll smile and laugh and feel love fill you right up and your day will be off to a great start. I promise!
"I don’t speak of my own birthday much, if ever, as I really never have enjoyed or cared much about it. "
I found not talking about my birthday got me out of feeling obligated for presents of things I did not want, but also given family issues and a long stretch of years wherein the two weeks before my birthday were full of bad news, I just didn't want to deal with it. My main birthday wish was perpetually that I could be left alone to do what I wanted - so I sympathize with you. I have come to see a certain amount of self-abnegation in that though. So joyeux anniversaire! May you have whatever you want and nothing you don't.
"Be open, and be honest, from what you’ve learned. I want to improve, always, and maybe you can help?"
Well, after the sermon about bodily self-acceptance this kind of throws me for a loop. I know about the millennial thing about perpetually hustling for something, but that seems the phrase from the self-help books of decades ago: 'you're a human doing instead of a human being.' (I am not saying that I don't do the self-improving thing - I am forever trying to gobble up some new skill or learning some new thing, but I do that because I like doing that.) But I am not the sort of person to go around telling people that should alter their behaviour/character because something something; I am baffled as to what I should tell you to do differently, since you seem perfectly fine the way you are. So I'll just promise that in the wildly unlikely event you wind up with the equivalent of toilet paper hanging off your shoe, I'll let you know - I'd have done that anyway.
We share a birthday with 10 years between us. Happy birthday Tyler! Am I wiser from those 10 years? Most likely I am not. But here is what I’ve learned …love and trust yourself and stay on your path. It’s not a path of wealth and acknowledgment from others. It’s a path specific to you lined with freak flags celebrating who you truly are. Surround yourself with people that help you like yourself better when you’re with them. The amount of people matters nothing. Be with someone who challenges you to be a better person. Do something that might make you a little uncomfortable but will give you an experience to grow from. Walk barefoot in the grass, lean into the wind…let it caress your face and feel the warmth of the sun on your back. Every breath and every moment is a gift. You are a gift, a poet and a soul that I look forward to seeing in posts. Thank you for sharing the gift of you. Have a great birthday.
Happy Birthday to you, my advice to you is to celebrate your life with those you love and enjoy every minute. Know that you give so many gifts to so many people every day. You are an inspiration and an amazing human. Keep up the beautiful work!
Happy birthday! Thank you for always being a positive light! I also appreciate that you arent always all positivity and see what is wrong with things, stand up, lend your voice and make a difference. I look forward to the typewriter series every day and if I dont have time to watch, I come back later to view them. I hope someday, if I ever get married again, you will be available to come take pictures!
I certainly did, and certainly will! Thank you!
Happy birthday (tomorrow)!! Maybe this isn't an issue for you, but I've found that with each year that passes, I get better at creating boundaries around my time and energy, and doing so helps me become a better version of myself. I'm finally embracing the old adage: You can't fill someone else's cup if yours is empty. Wishing you so much love and light! I'm grateful for you and your words, all year long :)
You're wonderful. I love this advice, I've always been pretty good at saying No (Autism makes it easy) but I'm for sure working on safeguarding energy.
Happy Almost Birthday! Well here's a few things I've learned through the years:
*mind your mind - it can create heaven or hell on earth
*protect your rest - the body-heart-mind need it every day
*keep an eye on your long game every day - it's easy to forget that health can wane, losses can happen, etc. Save money. Stock your home with simple pleasures, etc.
*70% rule - live your life at 70% capacity, "bank" the other 30% - of your money, energy, time, etc.
*figure out how to enjoy your birthday, LOL.
Thanks for being you!!
Thank you so much. These nuggets of wisdom are so fantastic. I'll do my best on all of them, no promises on the last one though ;)
Love that 70% advice!
thanks, me too! it came from my meditation teacher. I'm still working on that one.
Embrace your shadow side. And Happy Birthday!! Yayyyy, Cancer season:)
Oh do I ever :) Thank you!
Happy birthday eve!
I'm afraid that I don't really have any advice for you. I don't think I have ever "met" anyone who strives to be as authentic as you do. I see you being honest about your emotions. I see you being loud with your love and support of all people and causes. I see you inspiring people to follow their dreams.
I know there is always a way for someone to "improve" themselves. I'm just saying that I think you are one of the people in the world who is much closer to "fully-improved" than the majority of us are. So maybe I do have advice: Keep doing what you've been doing.
Jennica, jeez. This is one of the kindest and most amazing things anyone has ever said to me. Thank you. I will do my best, always.
Happy birthday! I am so grateful you are alive on this planet.
My advice is to carve out specific periods of time on a regular basis (maybe once or twice a month, depending on what works for you) to be completely without your phone. And I'm talking like at least a full 24 hours (more if you can) without touching it. I recently tried it and it was a game changer. I was feeling so burnt out and exhausted, and one Saturday afternoon, I put my phone underneath my bed and did not touch it again for 24 hours. I told a few key people what I was doing so they wouldn't be worried, and then I disconnected. In this day and age, it's become habit to constantly be checking our phones and stay connected to everything, everywhere, all the-time. Being completely separated from social media, news, and even messages from people was so liberating - and rebellious in the best way possible! It gave me the chance to focus on my own self-care (which I'd been neglecting at the time) and really spend time with myself. You don't realize all the little things you use your phone for until you actually break away from it. I felt so much more energized when I could shift my focus to the things that really matter. Moving forward, I plan to do this at least once a month. I think it will 100% make me a better human.
I love this idea! I find even just a few hours away from my phone is so restorative. I'm going to try 24 hours :)
Absolutely vital advice. You're so right on every single thing you said. I've been working a lot on just leaving it completely in the other room as much as possible. I love it.
My brother!
Another trip around the sun…don’t celebrate the day…let the day celebrate you!!! 🥳
I shared this wisdom with someone the other day (mainly because I have been applying it to me)
Count all your victories!
Even small victories are victories…and sometimes defeat is also victory because it moves us on to where we need to be next.
And when you get the chance to take the fork in the road called “adventure” - take it!!!
You da man!
YOU are the man. Thank you so much for this brother. I love this idea, it's something I've never been good at. I'm on it.
First of all, I want to wish you many moments of small unexpected joys scattered throughout your days, today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your hopefully long and healthy life. What wisdom can I offer to an already exceptionally wise and compassionate man? Wasn't it you, Tyler, who helped me to realize that even during periods of unhappiness, joy is always at our fingertips.
I think you know all about slowing down to look and listen. The more crazy or uncertain my life is the more I need to pause.
I remember needing to pause, and even though I was on a tight schedule, I sat down on our front stoop to feed a very weak bee some sugar water. After a few minutes it flew away. That was all I needed to feel connected and whole again. Joy is quite simple.
As Jennica said, keep doing what you're doing! Happy Birthday Tyler!
warm regards, Barb
Barb, thank you so very much for these kind words. I just saved a bee this same way a few days ago, and even wrote a poem about it. You're amazing.
I would love to read the poem.
Summer afternoon
a heat that chokes and
steals the bumble
from the
bee.
Spoon of sugar water
and five minutes
of tenderness
she flew
away.
-Tyler Knott Gregson-
Love this. "...Steals the bumble from the bee.." Simple Joy, just everywhere when we're looking for it, right! Beautiful!
Don't "should" on yourself. Just love the man in the mirror who holds so much love, compassion, and integrity for the world to follow. You don't need to be perfect....just real. The world needs more of the authenticity you strive for. Keep going and have a hella Happy Birthday! 🎂🎉🎁
yes, yes, I recently banned the word "should" from my vocabulary!
What beautiful advice. Thank you, so much. I love this a lot.
Happy almost birthday!
There's not a thing I would suggest for improvement. You are a person I aspire to be like in all your authenticity. Thank you for being you.
-Keep inspiring.
-Keep writing.
-Keep spreading love.
And most importantly,
-Keep being you!
Enjoy your day!
It's absolutely shocking and stunning how many people have used the word authentic today, and it is something that has taken me completely by surprise. I don't really have any self-image or awareness at how I come across to people, so hearing things like this is always eye-opening. Phew, I am so thankful that the person I am comes across this way. Thank you, so much.
Happiest Birthday wishes and so much love to you Tyler!
I feel so fortunate to be the same age as you are and to have been lucky enough to savour your gifts of poetry daily for so many years and more recently the gift of this community and the care you show to all of us who are here.
I don’t know that I could suggest anything that could make you better but I will share that I’ve always admired that you truly seem to be living your life forward - just like Tim in About Time, and that you continue to live the magic of the width of your life as wide as the length of it. Your words have in fact gifted me countless times with that reminder to slow down, grounding me back to the beauty of deliberately living, savouring and appreciating without getting swept up in the worry of the what’s next.
So other than continuing to live your extraordinary, ordinary life I would encourage you to start your morning with a song every day that brings you joy. Put your feet on the floor and hit play and dance your day to life. Sing, do the most epic air guitar, waltz with your beautiful wife in your jammies, eyes still blurry from dreaming. You’ll smile and laugh and feel love fill you right up and your day will be off to a great start. I promise!
So much love to you today and always!
Much love to you! I LOVE this advice, and will begin following it immediately. THANK YOU. Your kind words mean more than you know, honestly.
You already know this but...
You'll find answers to most things in the silence
between the drops of rain on the young birch leaves.
Stunning advice my friend. Treasuring this one.
"I don’t speak of my own birthday much, if ever, as I really never have enjoyed or cared much about it. "
I found not talking about my birthday got me out of feeling obligated for presents of things I did not want, but also given family issues and a long stretch of years wherein the two weeks before my birthday were full of bad news, I just didn't want to deal with it. My main birthday wish was perpetually that I could be left alone to do what I wanted - so I sympathize with you. I have come to see a certain amount of self-abnegation in that though. So joyeux anniversaire! May you have whatever you want and nothing you don't.
"Be open, and be honest, from what you’ve learned. I want to improve, always, and maybe you can help?"
Well, after the sermon about bodily self-acceptance this kind of throws me for a loop. I know about the millennial thing about perpetually hustling for something, but that seems the phrase from the self-help books of decades ago: 'you're a human doing instead of a human being.' (I am not saying that I don't do the self-improving thing - I am forever trying to gobble up some new skill or learning some new thing, but I do that because I like doing that.) But I am not the sort of person to go around telling people that should alter their behaviour/character because something something; I am baffled as to what I should tell you to do differently, since you seem perfectly fine the way you are. So I'll just promise that in the wildly unlikely event you wind up with the equivalent of toilet paper hanging off your shoe, I'll let you know - I'd have done that anyway.
elm
i'm already a subscriber!
:) Elm, that's a perfect thing to offer me. Thank you!
We share a birthday with 10 years between us. Happy birthday Tyler! Am I wiser from those 10 years? Most likely I am not. But here is what I’ve learned …love and trust yourself and stay on your path. It’s not a path of wealth and acknowledgment from others. It’s a path specific to you lined with freak flags celebrating who you truly are. Surround yourself with people that help you like yourself better when you’re with them. The amount of people matters nothing. Be with someone who challenges you to be a better person. Do something that might make you a little uncomfortable but will give you an experience to grow from. Walk barefoot in the grass, lean into the wind…let it caress your face and feel the warmth of the sun on your back. Every breath and every moment is a gift. You are a gift, a poet and a soul that I look forward to seeing in posts. Thank you for sharing the gift of you. Have a great birthday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU TOO!!!! These are beautiful little nuggets of wisdom. Thank you so much.
Happy Birthday to you, my advice to you is to celebrate your life with those you love and enjoy every minute. Know that you give so many gifts to so many people every day. You are an inspiration and an amazing human. Keep up the beautiful work!
Thank you so much Miranda, and thank you for thinking all this is a gift. That's the best present to me. Truly.
Happy birthday! Thank you for always being a positive light! I also appreciate that you arent always all positivity and see what is wrong with things, stand up, lend your voice and make a difference. I look forward to the typewriter series every day and if I dont have time to watch, I come back later to view them. I hope someday, if I ever get married again, you will be available to come take pictures!
Thanks Heather! I will absolutely be there for photos. Look no further!