Writing the blog early this week because Thursday night will be spent on a cozy couch in a house by the beach soaking up cocktails, conversation and comfort with some pals celebrating 49 trips around the sun. Reprising the slumber parties of youth in a better locale and with more mature libations and snacks, if you will.
Decided to fully embrace the 49 instead of fighting it. Goal for the last three years has been to improve overall health and wellness to be better at 50 than at 45. And now the rubber hits the road... because not much progress has occurred at this point. Plan to stick to three tenets of wellness.
1 - Practice saying NO when saying YES would compromise time, energy or stress level.
Which means WHEN I say YES, and brings me to
2 - Fully embrace the YES opportunities - be fully present and mindfully participating in the full experience. Mainly undisturbed by small screen use or other disruptive diversions and,
3 - Retain the option to change my mind. No is more easily changed to Yes than Yes is changed to No.
Among the few things learned in 49 travels round the sun is that at the end of life people don't care what they have acquired, but retain the experiences, the relationships and the legacy they leave for others. The impact made in our brief time as a star in the universe before our light fades. No one is going to care about our net worth. Everyone is going to care about how you made them feel when you spent time together. Make an impression in the life of a child, or ten, or twenty, or a thousand. Your self-worth will grow exponentially. Start with just waving at a child in the car next to you. The smile earned as a reward will buoy the spirit often during the day, recalling its glow.
Stop and truly listen to an elderly person. Compliment them on an aspect of their or ask the story of a piece of jewelry. Memories of long ago cause a release of mood elevating chemicals which can be beneficial to the heart, mind and spirit of the elderly. And having just one person interact in an otherwise very long and lonely day can have lasting effects.
The more you can do, the more you can; DO. When sedentary most of the day, every effort to move causes pain and stiffness takes a while to shake off. When in consistent motion, it is easier to keep walking to witness natural beauty, or follow the sound of a bird call, or look for a treasure in a garden, on a beach or a new bloom. People we serve in home health have to struggle just to leave the confines of their homes and engage in the world. Engage in the world, bring back common courtesy and manners.
Why does someone have to be declared the winner in last night's debate? The purpose of debate is to hear what the opposing candidates stand for and what their positions are on a variety of subjects. Apparently, they stand for interruptions and half-truths. This political climate of conflict and discord is flowing into everyday life. Courtesies are not so common. Care for the greater good is giving way to only caring for oneself. Inclining to vote for the candidate that will do the least damage. Not a great choice.
Favorite words of mine are opportunity, destiny and gratitude. Without one, the others do not exist. Think about it. Any opportunity can bring you to destiny for which to express gratitude. What are your three favorite words and what do they say about you? My wish when blowing out the candles is... a whole nother story...
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