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LIFE OFTEN ISN'T ABOUT SMOOTH, STRAIGHT PATHS

Often our biggest successes, and where we find ourselves growing are found in the challenging, unexpected paths that weren't what we'd have chosen

OUR PATH ISN'T ALWAYS STRAIGHT

When I was younger I assumed that life was a straight path - maybe there'd be a few bumps along the way, and maybe even an occasional small detour, but basically a+b=c and if I made plans and tried my best to control all the variables, I'd end up with a pretty smooth journey.

How wrong I was! Now I've come to see that straight paths appear here and there, but more often it's a spiral, or there's rough terrain to navigate, or it's a dead end...life is definitely not defined by smoothly paved, wide avenues. 
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4 AREAS WHERE LETTING GO HAS MADE ROOM FOR MORE IN MY LIFE

We need to reassess what's important and let go of some things to make room for more.

LETTING GO IS JUST THE BEGINNING

The first Word Of The Year I ever chose (back in 2015) was "Release" because I felt like I was trying to control my world by holding on too tightly to far too many things. I wanted to be able to free myself from the need to have all my ducks in a row and to allow life to happen to me - rather than always pushing through and wanting to know the ending.

I wanted life to be more about the journey, and less about the destination. But there's more to letting go than the action itself, the second part is what it makes room for in our lives...
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MAKING THE MOST OF HOME EQUITY IN YOUR 50S AND BEYOND

How to use your home equity as a tool to support your life in your 50s and beyond.

INTRO

Today on the blog I have an interesting collaboration that looks into how we can use the equity in our homes as an additional support through the second half of life. Fortunately we haven't needed to tap into this resource, but I can see how it would be worth considering if you wanted that extra boost that your weekly income may not be able to supply.

If you’re keen to learn how to use your home equity as a tool to support your life in your 50s and beyond, this article will delve into things you should know to make the most of your existing home equity.
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SOMETIMES I NEED TO REMEMBER THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT ME

Sometimes we'll encounter people who don't like us. We don't need to prove ourselves, or try to be who we're not - we can let it be okay.

AN UNSETTLING ENCOUNTER

A while back I encountered a woman who I knew by association. She knew some of the people I knew, and I thought that she might be someone I might like to get to know better. How wrong I was...

For some reason, this person chose to cold shoulder me, she wasn't rude or confrontational, she just didn't want to interact with me or engage. It really threw me because I can't remember encountering anyone who was so standoff-ish, so I immediately went into damage control mode. You know what that's like...the inner voice starts nattering away in our head with all the usual questions.
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HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE TELL THEM THEORY? I LOVE IT!

the "Tell Them Theory" is based around kindness and lifting others up. Affirming those who are doing their best in our noisy world.

LET THEM VS TELL THEM

A couple of years ago I shared my thoughts about the "Let Them Theory" where if people are awful to us, we just let them behave like that and get on with our lives. It never really resonated with me and I explained why in my post (if you missed reading it you can find it HERE). 

I don't want people like that in my life, I don't want to have people around me behaving in unkind ways while I pretend it doesn't bother me. It hurts my heart to be near people who do this:
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EUSTRESS - LEARNING THAT NOT ALL STRESS IS BAD FOR ME

Eustress is the positive form of stress. It comes from the Greek word "eu," meaning "good," and "stress."

THERE IS MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF STRESS

Recently I've been feeling quite stressed. I can feel it within myself - that unsettledness, the tightness in my chest, my heart beating a bit faster etc. The weird thing is that I'm not under pressure, I'm not dealing with anything upsetting or overwhelming....but I'm still feeling stressed.

What's with that? Well, it turns out that there's more than one type of stress - the negative "distress" that I've always been familiar with (that toxic job being the pinnacle!) and then there's a different kind that my husband told me is called "eustress" - why didn't I know about this?!
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3 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT EASTER

I love Easter and this special time of the year - it's like a little open window with a breath of fresh air blowing in.

IT'S EASTER AND THAT MEANS:

I love this special time of the year - it's like a little open window with a breath of fresh air blowing in. Easter gives me space to appreciate my blessings and I thought I'd do a quick post today to share three that came to mind over the last few days....
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YUTORI - MINDFULLY CREATING ROOM TO BREATHE

Yutori means having sufficiency and ease—a sense of comfort, time, and financial or mental space.

MEANINGFUL AND MINDFUL WORDS

As part of my exploration of my Word of the Year "Mindful" I've come across a few terms recently that have resonated with me. They're words that have depth and meaning to them, and they carry a little "something" that I'd like to incorporate into my own life. I chose five to explore further over March - which has been my month of meaningful, mindful reflection.

The final one of these words that caught my eye is Yutori....
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BLOOM SCROLLING - MINDFULLY MANAGING THE ALGORITHMS

Bloom scrolling is choosing to focus on the stories and images that are good for our heart and mind. It's like fresh water for the soul.

MEANINGFUL AND MINDFUL WORDS

As part of my exploration of my Word of the Year "Mindful" I've come across a few terms recently that have caught my eye. They're words that have depth and meaning to them, and they carry a little "something" that I'd like to incorporate into my own life. I've chosen five to explore further over March - which I'm making into my month of meaningful, mindful reflection.

Bloom-scrolling is the next word in my March series....
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ERT - MINDFULLY FINDING PURPOSE AND MOMENTUM

Ert is that tiny spark within us that reaches out of the mess of daily life towards what is good, and towards what it is we most crave to be, do and love.

ERT - A SENSE OF PURPOSE OR MOMENTUM

As part of my exploration of my Word of the Year "Mindful" I've come across a few terms recently that have caught my eye. They're words that have depth and meaning to them, and they carry a little "something" that I'd like to incorporate into my own life. I've chosen five to explore further over March - which is my month of meaningful, mindful reflection.

The next word is one I remember from reading Phosphorescence: On Awe, Wonder and Things That Sustain You When the World Goes Dark by Julia Baird a few years ago and being struck by Chapter 18 where she writes about "Ert". Ert isn't a word that I'd come across anywhere else, she explains that it's a term coined by marine biologist Lisa-Ann Gershwin, meaning the opposite of inertia....it's a sense of purpose or momentum.

She goes on to say...
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