I literally canceled my birthday this year - told everyone "don't acknowledge it, I'm not celebrating." But guess what? It didn't work. I still felt terrible. In this eye-opening conversation, I sit down with birthday aficionado Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming, author of the award-winning book "How to Have a Happy Birthday," to explore why so many of us struggle with our special day and how to transform that relationship. Tamar believes birthdays are the most spiritually powerful day of our year - the day we began our physical existence. Yet about half of us are what she calls "birthday avoidant," either dreading our birthdays or just not caring about them.What we cover:

• Why childhood birthday experiences shape our adult relationship with celebration
• The connection between birthday avoidance and self-worth
• How societal pressures around aging affect women's birthday joy
• Practical strategies for planning a meaningful birthday celebration
• Why buying yourself a gift is an act of self-affirmation
• How to use your birthday as a portal for self-care and personal growth
• What to do if your birthday falls on a major holiday

About Tamar: Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming is dedicated to helping people harness the transformational power of their birthdays. After experiencing her own journey from difficult birthdays to joyful celebrations, she realized that having a fulfilling birthday was entirely up to her. Her book and companion workbook explore why birthdays matter, why they can be hard, and what we can do to fully celebrate ourselves. If you've ever felt weird about your birthday, struggled with aging, or wondered why some people get so excited about getting older - this conversation will change your perspective. Resources mentioned:Website: howtohaveahappybirthday.comInstagram: @author.tamarGet the full show notes at: https://leahvachani.com/post/how-to-have-a-happy-birthday-tamar-hurwitz-fleming-038 🌸 Submit YOUR podcast question here: https://www.speakpipe.com/LeahVachaniConnect with Leah:✨ Follow Leah on Instagram for more value-packed content, tips, and lots of laughs! ⁠ https://www.instagram.com/leahvachani/ ⁠ ✨ Subscribe to Women Aging Powerfully on YouTube for more free content. ⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@WomenAgingPowerfully ✨ Join the free Women Aging Powerfully Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenagingpowerfully ✨ Listen to the Women Aging Powerfully Podcast: https://leahvachani.com/podcast ✨ Lose that stubborn belly weight, reclaim your energy ALL day, sleep better, and feel amazing with Leah's signature course: https://leahvachani.com/cgm-reset-register The information provided during this podcast is for educational purposes only. The speaker may be a licensed medical professional and may present case studies of actual patients or refer to patients' treatment during the program. Please be reminded that the Scope of Practice for Holistic Nutrition Professionals prevents us from diagnosing, preventing, treating, curing, prescribing, managing, or healing disease. Holistic Nutrition Professionals are not licensed in any state and work with clients, not patients.