Turning 44 has got me thinking about…
Today, July 7th, is my birthday, and I turned the good ole young age of 44! 🙌🏼🤣🤪
I’ve been reflecting on the life lessons and insights I’ve gained since the momentous day when I graced this Earth with my presence (LOL! That just sounded corny but hilarious to write 🤪🤣).
All jokes aside, I’m inviting you into my world of contemplative thought on what I’ve been learning about who I am through the life experiences I’ve had so far on this planet called Earth. And FYI, I don’t have 43 life lessons and insights, although that was an idea I had, to “come up with 43 life lessons and insights,” but then I would be making stuff/sh** up which is not aligned with my integrity and my value of authenticity. 😊
Ready? Let’s dive in!
Life is literally like a “box of chocolates” (🧐 who can guess which movie that line is from?). You get to choose which chocolate to try and taste. The chocolate is a metaphor for life's different opportunities, and you get to decide whether to participate.
Being present at the moment is hard AF, and it’s a continual practice for me.
STOP to PAUSE/ POWER of the PAUSE is the most powerful tool in any situation: interactions with people, communication with my spouse, parenting, making decisions, responding to an email, etc.
Enneagram and Human Design are the two personality tools that have helped me understand my behaviors, tendencies, and how I was designed.
Gratitude practice helps me see the joy and abundance in my life.
I LOOOOVE to learn #lifelonglearner.
I’m finally settling into my Ambivert-ness (a.k.a. Social Introvert). I love socializing with others, preferably in a one-on-one setting, AND I love my alone time.
Letting go of seeking external validation to be seen, heard, and understood has given me back my energy. All these years, I’ve always been exhausted because I was spending a lot of energy seeking to be “liked by others, popular, and to fit in and feel like I belong.”
Belonging is about belonging to myself first: self-love, self-acceptance, and self-compassion.
I’m a writer. It has taken me 40+ years to reconnect to my love of writing.
Courage is complex and worth it. What do I mean? I get nervous and excited when stepping up and out with courage in any situation, and I’m so thankful for working on that muscle of activating my courage because of how much I’ve grown, learned, and done.
Reading a great non-fiction book is one of my favorite fun things. I love to learn for healing, inner growth, deepening my spiritual practice, and transformation. Curious to know what I’ve been reading and what I recommend? Click here for my Amazon Book List, which I update regularly.
I love going on adventures with my family AND spending lots of time being a homebody with my family.
Nature: trees, desert, ocean. These places soothe my soul, give me restoration and joy, and are where you’ll find me when I need to recharge and reflect.
Change is scary and fun and creates new opportunities. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now if I didn’t take the leap of faith to say ‘yes’ to change. Sometimes not making a change hinders your growth and potential, but only you know when a change is best for you. 😉
Everyone has a story, insight, and wisdom to share. Just take the time to offer your presence to the other person; they’ll appreciate being heard and seen.
I realize I’m not a great gift-giver. 😳 BUT I’m great at gifting someone my time, energy, and presence. I think that’s an even better gift than a materialistic gift IMHO. 😉
SLEEP, napping, and lying in bed is the best thing ever.
The practice of Faith and Spirituality is more significant than the practice of religion. Religion is a practice and a gateway to learning and growing your spirituality and faith, but religion isn’t the ‘end-all, be-all.’ This is where I stand in viewing my faith and spirituality.
Knowing my intention and why is essential to keep me focused and grounded.
Being grounded in my values supports me in how I show up, engage with others, and make decisions.
The practice of rest and restoration is vitally important for my mind, soul, and physical body.
Listen to my body. It tells me when I need to push the pause button to stop and rest and take a chill pill.
Humor and Laughter should happen at least once daily; it keeps me young and helps me enjoy life!
Let go of your assumptions of what others “might be thinking about you” because they aren’t thinking about you at all. It’s your ego who thinks you’re super important that people think about you all.the.time. LOL!
Trust and surrender to the Divine timing and flow of life.
You are always given exactly what you need at that very moment to BE who you need to be or DO what you need to do.
Social media sucks away the time you could be living and enjoying the present moment.
Infuse FUN into your everyday life.
Create to serve. Create out of curiosity. Create for fun. Allow yourself time and space to create whatever you desire.
I’m the best version of myself when I get 8-9 hours of sleep every night. Lights out at 9:30/10 pm for me!
Joy and Peace come from within. External situations can evoke joy and Peace but don’t seek joy and Peace just from external sources and experiences. You can be joyful and at Peace just by sitting quietly by yourself because your joy comes from feeling at home with yourself #truebelonging.
Podcasting has shown me that I have the courage to show up with my voice and share my story, insights, and wisdom with others.
When people judge you for who you are or what you do, let those words dissipate because the judgment isn’t about you but the person's projection of their self-judgment on themselves.
Don’t compare yourself, and try to be like anyone else. BE you because there’s no one else like you in this entire world.
If you made it all the way down here, thanks for your time in reading! I’d love it if you would share with me (a birthday request 🥳🙏🏼) which life lesson/insight resonated with you? Email me here to let me know. Thank you in advance!
