LIVING LIGHTLY THROUGH CHRISTMAS AND JANUARY

Choosing to live life lightly. And how that looked for our family as we began a new year.

LIVING LIGHTLY OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS

If you read my blog regularly (thank you if you do!) you'll know I chose "Live Lightly" as my Word(s) Of The Year for 2023. I've made a pledge to myself to chill out a little this year and to take things as they come, rather than trying to push too hard or too fast. I've noticed with my hip recovery that it goes really well.....until I think I can do more than I should, and I end up sore and wishing I'd stepped more slowly. And I think that's what my year will reflect, taking life at a gentler pace and stepping lightly and slowly.

So, on that note, to wrap up Christmas and January, I'll be sharing a few little highlights - there may not be all that many as my pace has been fairly moderate (to say the least).....

WHY DO I AVOID LARGE SOCIAL GATHERINGS?

The desire to avoid social events where I don't know many people stems back to my need for acceptance and fear of rejection.

FACING MY FEARS AND OWNING MY INSECURITIES

When I started this post I dithered over what title to give it. I went around and around because I didn't want to admit to myself (and others) that I have a deeply ingrained insecurity that is based soley on wanting to avoid largish social gatherings. It's embarrassing to be a 60+ year old woman who still defines herself in social situations by second guessing what other people are thinking and feeling when they meet me.

WHEN YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH A SEASON OF LIFE

Sometimes we hit a wall and need to take a step back for our own mental and spiritual wellbeing. Things tend to get better with time.

WHEN PART OF LIFE IS DIFFICULT

I write a lot about positivity here on the blog, but there are times when we need to acknowlege that things aren't all sunshine and roses. Right now I'm going through a bit of a "phase" .....something that's been a part of my life since I was a teenager is just not fitting well lately. No, it's not my marriage - that's fine - it's just one aspect of my life that I've been committed to for decades and I'm feeling very let down by right now (and have been for the last few years).

RE-DEFINING "LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE" IN MIDLIFE

Living lightly, Laughing often, Loving always - that's what Midlife has taught me to live each day.

RE-DEFINING "LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE" IN MIDLIFE

Last year was a bit of a tough year for me (you can read about my journey with hip dysplasia HERE if you're visiting). As we get older, physical deterioration is a reality - one we do our best to keep at bay, but it's an inevitable part of the aging process. Pain becomes a reality at times and it's wearying (to say the least), it can so easily distract us from the blessings of Midlife. I truly believe we need to pause now and then and take the time to re-focus and remind ourselves that there's also an incredible amount of joy in this stage of life.

Today I'm choosing to revisit the words I have on my car's rear window - Live, Love, Laugh - and how they play out for me as I head into my 60's......

LEARNING TO LIVE LIGHTLY IN THE YEAR AHEAD

Midlife is a process of unraveling so we can learn who we really are.  Let go and live lightly.

CHOOSING A WORD OF THE YEAR FOR 2023

Life is a journey of discovery isn't it? We spend the first half trying to figure out who we are - taking onboard so many labels from other people - daughter, wife, mother, career woman, student, friend....and the list goes on. Then adding labels of our own as we try to fit into what we think life should look like and how we think we should respond. Some of those labels fit comfortably, and others.... well, they just need to be discarded because they've been outgrown or never really suited us in the first place.....they've just weighed us down.

Late last year I wrote about how my 50's were the years where I finally took stock of all those labels and began the process of peeling them off to see what was underneath - it was my decade of unraveling and unbecoming...