Do you feel a boost of energy leading up to your birthday? Or a certain kind of thoughtfulness that comes upon you? How about a worry about whether you’re living the way you really want to be living?

These inner impulses can be considered the innate yearning for authentic and soulful living. I believe we all have this yearning. We are spiritual beings after all. We want more because there will always be “more” that’s slightly beyond our reach, until one day we meet the “life beyond” this one on Earth. This yearning is a good thing if you let it inform you rather than torture or tease you. Birthdays are perfect timing for exploring this yearning.

Unfortunately, many of us were groomed to think of a birthday as a time to do less meaningful things like have a big party, overindulge in food or drink, or purchase something extravagant. Many of the things we’ve been taught in mainstream society, that are ways to celebrate another year passing,...