I turned 48 today. Okay, it would be nice to say I turned 28, but then again, I know what those 20 years were like. And though I do have a few regrets (but then again, too few to mention – name that song), some things that I would do differently if I could go back, I also know that most of the hard parts were just things that happen in life and I’m glad I lived through them.
One of my favorite quotes from a Star Trek movie is this one: ‘You know that pain and guilt can’t be taken away with the wave of a magic wand. They’re the things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are. If we lose them, we lose ourselves. I don’t want my pain taken away! I need my pain!’
Anyway, here are three things I’m promising myself today (and this year and the rest of my life):
– be kind to myself. I’m my own worst critic and that has to stop. I may not be perfect, but I’m not too bad either.
– accept my changing face and body. It’s what I am (middle aged) and what I’m becoming (old). There’s not much I can do about it. Okay, there are some things I can do, but I don’t want to. I even want to stop dying my hair.
That’s why I’m posting that picture above. Wrinkles and all (and an infection in my right eye, so no contact lenses and squinting).
The other part of this is taking beter care of my body. Stop ignoring my food intolerances (sugar and soy, but also dairy and gluten) and find solutions to eat the right way and still enjoy food, eating out and cooking.
– enjoy life, take time to stop, breathe and notice the good things.
My practical approach to this is to gift myself a notebook today and start a diary, but maybe I’ll also get back on the bandwagon with gratitude posts on Instagram (still have mixed feelings about that medium and its owner, I really love old-fashioned blogging a lot more)
Linking up with Carole’s Three on Thursday