Birthday Nuggets of Wisdom

Last week I turned the big “59” and had exciting plans to shovel mulch and redo my garden beds.  I woke up on a misty winter morning (seriously the coldest birthday I can remember), I was ready to receive a big dump of mulch and dirt from a bulk distributor.  I thought performing physical labor in mother nature was just what the doctor ordered.  I planned on working hard and being happy knowing I accomplished my landscaping project by the end of the day.  Unfortunately, as I anxiously awaited my delivery, the company called and said they were postponing the order due to the weather.  It made sense of course and therefore left me with no birthday plans requiring me to pivot.  I ended up having a nice day feeling the love from friends and family and decided to just chill, workout, THINK and be grateful for all the blessings in my life.  However, I did have to exert some extra energy to actually shower and change from ratty garden clothes to something more appropriate for a non-mulch day. 

59 is a big number (I guess not as major as “60”, but kind of up there).  I think everyone feels like their inside maturity is a good 30 years younger but when I look in the mirror, there is definitely an older face looking back at me.  No amount of creams, hair products, or make-up, really can minimize that I am “like” a senior person physically. Then there is the contrast of my inside self that still cracks up over silly things like weird bodily noises, embarrassing antics and social faux pas of mine that happen on a daily basis.  No matter how old I get, I will always be an awkward nerdy teenager who is never cool enough or care to be (I think just using the word cool shows how uncool I am😊).  On any given day, I come home from running errands, etc.  to see that I have food on my face, something in my teeth, there are times I even put my pants on backwards (been called out a few times – Adidas leggings do it to me all the time.) In my defense they have a tag inside the front of the pant which throws me off and then the logo is on my ass.  I mean this is old people stuff that I used to roll my eyes at when I was young.

Ok, time to get to the point, with all those goofy things, there are a few areas that I am super proud of.  I am glad that I have not lost my curiosity to improve myself and learn new topics that expand my horizon.  I have really been exploring in no particular order,  AI and blending it into my work (staying current), nutrition, health and fitness, spirituality and healing, mindless you tube content like fashion, amazon dupes, home/design shows, pet psychic and tarot card reading.  It is eclectic assortment of viewing and also very interesting.  So it has occurred to me for the first time that I have reached the point that I know you can never know enough, but I have wisdom of life and work.  I have been through some major experiences and I have a point of view that has been acquired within my 59 years.  I have become quite aware that we need to stop and take stock of our life.  Pat yourself on the back for your wins, loses, heartache and laughter.  With each day you keep moving forward and look back with generally appreciative thoughts about the good and bad times of the past.  So you ask, what do I know with all the wisdom I have acquired, here is a rather long list of what I know for sure (I did start out describing it as brief and it is not😊):

• Laugh everyday … even when you do not feel like it – find something there are endless opportunities.
• Spend as much time out in nature – really tune into the harmony of the world – trees, birds, sky, grass, small animals (RUN… if you see anything large and scary).
• Love your kids (and other people’s too) and mean it. Acknowledge their contributions to this world, good decisions, learning moments and their mere existence.
• Trust your gut feelings – and take quiet time to reflect – many answers are shared with you when you are still.  If something feels “yucky” it is and remove yourself from the situation.
• Treat your body like a temple, eat quality real food (not processed) – it is like fueling your car.  Need the right nutrients to be self-optimized.
• Align yourself with people who raise the vibration – cut the negativity out of your life.
• Focus on sleep – it has gotten a hell of a lot harder as we age and it is mandatory – it cleans your brain and builds wellness.
• Be kind and good – take the extra effort to do something nice for someone without recognition.
• Do not overconsume (still working on this one) – cheap clothing, unnecessary stuff just hurts the planet and our feng-shui.
• Consider putting a low maintenance plant in your room – I am noticing air quality is better for restful sleep and Zen moments (and water “said” plant too😊).
• Be generous and show people you care (still working on this one too).  Put good karma out there – it comes back to you tenfold.
• Try to be a role model to your kids and the next generation – break ancestral patterns handed down (try to be a better parent than the ones you had, reverse bad habits that have been passed down thru your lineage).
• Challenge yourself and grow – take on a new hobby, interest – something that pushes you out of your comfort zone (still working on this too).
• Love animals and treat them well – they are more than pets – they deserve time and attention – the bond is so gratifying.
• Do not lose your soul and spirit to your employer.  Be who you are and if you don’t fit in – go somewhere that honors you and your contributions (learned this one way too late).
• Find your “people’ who accept you unconditionally and are easy to have a good relationship with.  If it is hard to get a conversation going, you are being judged etc.. They are not your “ people. “
• Be grateful for the small and big stuff.  There is a ton of crap going on – focus on where you can make  difference. 
• Listen to acoustic guitar (no singing) so relaxing and creates a great creative writing atmosphere.
• Stay out of politics, it is an illusion and right now a no-win situation.  We should honor the 10 commandments and be the best people we can – stop with all this noise that serves no one. 
• Magnifying mirrors will be your best friend – be sure to use it daily to catch anything that can really freak you out (us gals know what we are talking about).
• Too much of anything is not a good thing.  Try to grow old in a healthy way – Botox, supplements, cosmetic surgery etc.. generally look unnatural– rock what you have.
• All beauty and hair products are hype – nothing really works – get the drug store stuff with the least amount of chemicals.  I never received noticeable results from anything – it is a branding gimmick.  Healthy eating, exercise, sleep and water is the key to youthful appearances.
• Just take one day at a time, when we think out too far it just makes us anxious, and our worst fears generally do not materialize.
• Love your home and make it a warm and enjoyable space for yourself and others.
• Meditate, stretch, jump, lift weights and practice balance so you don’t become frail, and fall– it is amazing how fast that goes and high stats on people dying shortly after.
• Do not take yourself too seriously … a sense of humor is critical.  Recognize you are a small microcosm in this universe.

These are some of the lessons I learned in my vast life of 59 years that I feel compelled to share.  I hope you find any of these helpful or at a minimum a fun read as they were random and the only ones, I could think of during this time crunch to get the blog out – ha-ha.  I can honestly say that I am happy where I have landed and will work every year to make myself, my friends/family and the world better.  As the wise Risa says … You do you!!!  Peace and Love.