Ageing and Wisdom – Gotta Love It!

Today is my 70th birthday. Happy Birthday to Me!

Thanks to Corona Virus and it’s restrictions, I’ll be spending my birthday mostly at home, with my dear husband and our beloved dog and cat family. We’re hoping to go to the beach later (a quiet area where there’s very few, or no people) and also hoping our little favourite take away Pho Van is still open for lunch.

Experiencing one’s 70th birthday, especially void of family and friends to gather with is a little challenging so I’m spending an hour or so writing and thinking about Gratitude.

To me, Gratitude is the very foundation of a happy life. My dear Mum used to remind me regularly to ‘count your blessings’ and if I was getting annoyed at something, (usually something petty!) she’d tell me to take a deep breath and name ten things I was thankful for and would have difficulty living without. I still do that, to this day.

So here’s a few of the things on my Gratitude List.

It goes without saying that I’m extremely thankful for my darling husband, our beloved animal family, cherished human friends and family, fresh food, clean water, our home, clothing, nature, the beaches we’re surrounded by, our garden and all the creatures who live in it, conveniences like lighting, heating, cooling, the internet, iPads, iPhones, computers, inside toilets (yes, I’m old enough to remember when you had to go outdoors to use a toilet!) appliances like washing machines and all the things that we sort of take for granted in our affluent western societies. Our lives are made so much easier by technology and for these inventions, I am always grateful.

But here’s a few things I’m grateful for that aren’t always so obvious.

I know myself! I know my boundaries, limitations, strengths, weaknesses. I know what I will and won’t do. I’m happy saying no to what I don’t want or who I don’t want in my life.  I no longer feel a need to impress others. I’m not ruled by my ego and trying to please others rather than asking myself ‘what do I really want?’

I like myself and how I choose to live my life. I love the decisions I make and I love that due to my years of practicing meditation and mindfulness, decision making has become easier and clearer. I love my disciplines and my peaceful rituals. I love my quiet lifestyle.

I’ve learnt to not be dependent on love, acknowledgement or praise from others. It’s welcomed and I enjoy and appreciate it, but my lessons have been to supply those things for myself, regardless of how others treat me or respond to me. I’ve learnt to not have expectations of others.

I’m kinder to myself. I catch myself with negative, self punishing thoughts and I’m able to stop, reassess and change to understanding and kindness.

I’ve not only learnt to live through stress, anxiety, pain, health issues and many difficult times, but to accept and embrace them, learn from them and practice focussing on the present moment.

I’ve learnt to appreciate everything – even things I don’t like, because they teach me to tap into my inner well of peace and calm, remain grounded and take right action – rather than wrong action from anger. I used to be a hot head, so this is a big one for me!

I’m grateful for all the great business skills I’ve learnt after many mistakes and failures! I now know what to do, how to do it and how to flourish doing things I’m passionate about. I make choices based on my values and I don’t do things unless they’re good for people, animals and the planet.

I’m not sure if I can truthfully say I like being 70 years of age yet – maybe I’ll get used to it. It’s not ‘just a number’ as people often say. It’s real and ageing brings many unexpected challenges. But I can say, without hesitation, I’m grateful for the wisdom and self enlightenment I’ve managed to achieve and I can honestly say Every Day Gets Better. 😊💛