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HOW STEPPING AWAY AND STEPPING BACK CAN LEAD TO STEPPING UP

Stepping away from toxic people and unhealthy situations can give us the space we need to grow and step into who we're meant to be.

HOW I USED TO DEAL WITH LIFE

For as long as I can remember, I've always been someone who wants everyone to be happy, to be doing well, and to be at peace with me. I HATE it when I feel like I've upset someone, or that they have an issue with me. Conflict causes me a lot of stress and that inner gut churning that is miserable. I then proceed to overthink everything, to try to smooth the waters, to apologize, or to change to make the other person more comfortable.

Well.... that was how I always used to be, but over the last few years I've been growing a bit of a backbone,  I've discovered boundaries, and I've worked on my self-worth. A few things have brought that into focus and that's what I'm writing about today....
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HOW TO FIND MORE JOY IN LIFE EACH AND EVERY DAY

How do we begin to live with joy as our natural default in a busy and sometimes messy world?

HOW DO WE FIND JOY?

I wrote a series of posts several years ago on twelve areas to focus on for happiness. It was popular because a lot of us are looking for ways to be happy and to not end up as grumpy old people. What I've come to see over the ensuing years is that there isn't a switch we turn on to make ourselves happy, we can't force ourselves to be happy....but we do have control over our minds and our thoughts, and we can set them towards joy by choosing what we give our attention to.

Our feelings follow our thinking....
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SHOULD YOU SELL YOUR CAR WHEN YOU RETIRE IN AUSTRALIA?

When you retire, should you keep or sell your car? Here's a comprehensive guide to help you make an informed decision.

INTRO

Over the last year or so my husband and I have been chatting about when it'll be time to downsize from two cars to one. Neither of us are driving to work anymore and most of the time at least one car is sitting idle in the garage....when do we sell one and save on some of the costs vs keeping both and having a car each that suits us? (I like small cars, he prefers a bigger engine and more space).

Today on the blog I have a collaboration that covers this topic in more detail and I found it to be really helpful with the list of pros and cons that come with making the decision of whether to sell, or to keep what you have...
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LOOKING BACK AT A WONDERFUL WINTER

Looking back at June, July, and August 2024 - winter in Australia - and highlights of what I've been doing during that time.

LOOKING BACK AT THE WINTER THAT'S BEEN

Winter has been a lovely change from the hot, dry, extended Summer we experienced here in Western Australia. The cooler days and the rain have been really welcome - it's so lovely to see the world green up around me and to hear the rain on the roof at night as I snuggle under the covers.

It's been three months since I wrote my last update and today I wanted to share a few of the highlights from the family, the blog, and life in general - I hope you'll enjoy them too.....
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WHEN A GOOD LIFE TIPS THE SCALES OVER AN EASY LIFE

As the second half of life has come along and things have steadied, I can see that it isn't an easy life that I'm drawn to, its a good life.

A GOOD LIFE VS AN EASY LIFE

When I was younger, I always had a small kernel of envy in my heart towards those who seemed to lead much easier lives. I'd see those who had large incomes, or those who were making big purchases, or those who seemed to be high fliers, and my heart would give a little twinge as I continued along with my daily life of work and paying bills, saving money, and going without those added extras.

I thought that the easy life was the best life, but as the second half of life has come along and things have steadied, I can see that it isn't an easy life that I'm drawn to, its a good life....
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CHOOSING "NO MATTER WHAT" PEOPLE OVER "JUST LET THEM" PEOPLE

I'll always choose to spend time with a friend who is there for me “no matter what" rather than with someone who treats me poorly.

"JUST LET THEM" QUOTE

I read a quote a little while ago, it was called "Let Them" - it was an attempt at being positive and proactive when it comes to people in your life who don't treat you in the way you'd like to be treated. At first it sounds very strong and powerful, but the more I thought about it, the less appealing it became.

This is the quote:
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5 HEALTHY HABITS TO ADOPT IN LATER LIFE

Healthy habits you can adopt to give you the best chance of living a much longer and more robust life.

INTRO

Today on the blog I have another great collaboration with some sensible advice on how to stay healthy so we can keep living our best life. I know that a positive mindset is vital, and it's so much easier to stay that way if we keep our body and brain in good shape too. 

So, let me pass the blog over to my collaborator to share some sensible tips on how to stay as healthy as possible as we progress through the second half of life...
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IT STARTS WITH ME AND ENDS WITH PEACE

You get to choose your response. You don't have to fix everything and everyone - work on valuing yourself and the rest will fall into place.

FEELING UNSETTLED

Life can be really wonderful overall, but still throw little upsets and irritations into our days. I seem to have a couple of those that have been on-going in my life over the last few months, and I've been trying to untangle the "why?" I start with wondering why someone would be mean spirited, then I wonder why I'm unhappy with a particular place, then I start beating up on myself for being bothered by it all....then I beat up on myself a bit more by wondering if I caused the irritations.....then the loop starts again.

I find myself playing scenarios over in my head as I try to rationalise things that aren't rational, as I try to control how others should behave - but there's a part of me that knows this isn't on me, that knows I need to let go of trying to live in a perfect world full of perfect people and I've come to see.....
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WHAT DO THE REAL LUXURIES IN LIFE LOOK LIKE?

Abundance and luxury don't need to involve an expensive and extravagant lifestyle. They can be found in the small, delightful moments every day.

LIVING AN ABUNDANT LIFE

I used to think that living abundantly and luxuriously involved an expensive lifestyle and having everything you could imagine at your finger tips, wanting for nothing. As time has moved on, I've found the types of abundance and luxury that revolve around extravagance are meaningless to me. I have no desire at all to add more "stuff" to my life, to own more, to spend more, or to keep up with the Joneses.

Abundance and luxury for me are all about the small delights that are part of everyday life, simple pleasures that we often take for granted. Today I thought I'd share some of them....
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HOW MY HOME HAS BECOME MY HAVEN

One of the signs of settling into Midlife is that, as nice as it is to have lots of outside interests, I also really love being home.

WHEN YOU LOVE BEING HOME

I think one of the signs of settling into Midlife is that, as nice as it is to have lots of outside interests, I also really love being home. I think about all the freedom I have now, all the places I could go, all the social activities I have the time for, and all the entertainment that's available....and for the most part I'd rather be home.

I know that we all need to get out and about and be sociable and stay engaged with life, but I also love that my home has become my sanctuary where I can just relax and be in my own space. Today I wanted to share a few thoughts on how my home has become my haven.....
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