I’ve been thinking about this Birthday post for a while but I haven’t found anything too inspiring to share with y’all this awesome December 26. But it turns out my best posts (the ones that seem to resonate with folks) just come from the heart without much fuss. So here goes.
My original idea for the blog came about three months ago, maybe not so coincidentally about 90 days before this milestone birthday. I was in a bit of a funk around my expectations for my life and desperately needed to change the conversation in my head. So my blog was intended to refocus my energy and wake me up a bit to all the blessings that surround me. I’m not trying to hit you with too much #blessed which seems to be going around this time of year. But seriously, by any measure, we are the lucky ones. And yes, I do mean anyone reading this. We live in the first world with access to more time saving and life saving devices than ever in history. I’m a woman in a place where women have rights and the ability to build lives independent of men. We still live in the greatest country on earth and I happen to have settled into a wonderful community in one of the very, very best slices of this fine country. I have enough food, money, shelter, health and energy to build a great life. And most importantly, I have hope in the possibilities of life.
The fact that I don’t feel that way all the time results, I’m sorry to report, from the experience of being human. Sometimes we feel afraid and sad and angry and cursed. But those feelings are fleeting and many times wholly unrelated to the actual facts of my life. So my blog was my effort to address that.
And it worked magnificently. I don’t know about y’all but I feel better when I stay focused on what I already have rather than what I don’t. Beyond that, the blog has reconnected me with people from my past in truly unexpected ways. It turns out when I’m honest about what I’m feeling, it creates so much more room for others to be honest. I’ve been touched my so many kind words about my writing and even more amazed by how open some folks have been about how they relate to my struggles. Who knew!!
I’ve entitled this blog Start as You Mean To Go because I really do feel I’m starting a great new chapter of which I’m truly the author. So I was up this morning a ran a few miles, I kissed my family and now I’m off to London with my niece to celebrate our birthdays. Wow. What a great life I get to lead. Starting this chapter as I mean to go for as long as I can.
I want more running (and I really need to work on my speed cuz I am slow), hiking, traveling, movies, theatre, adventure, work I enjoy, men to spend time with, friends to share the load, family time, joy, service, and peace. Maybe this is the year to embrace yoga, try Bollywood dancing, take more risks, read more books and be happy being where I am.
I want less self-pity, fear, laziness, anger at God when things don’t my way, traffic, stress, jealousy, and regret. I’d love an antidote to those, but I know that there is no magic bullet. I takes staying on top of it as a daily practice. Perhaps I’ll be better at it this year.
I want to be healthy, dream big and really live this next phase of my life. Thanks for being on the journey with me.
Boonedoggler 