SELF-DISCOVERY IN THE SECOND HALF OF LIFE

There's so many different life experiences that we've moved through that leave a stamp on us. What do we keep and what do we release?

WHO AM I BECOMING AS I AGE?

I saw a quote from The Happiness Planner recently about discovering who we're becoming over time. There's so many different life experiences that we've moved through that leave a stamp on us. The quote reminded me that we keep changing and growing - that we can choose what we want to keep and what no longer serves us and can be released....
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MINDFULLY EXPLORING OVER WINTER

For my Winter wrap-up of my WOTY "Mindful" I thought I'd share some of the small things that caught my interest and resonated with me

SHARING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT RESONATED

The winter months have finished down here in Australia (although the weather is still holding on). For my Winter wrap-up of my WOTY "Mindful" I thought I'd share some of the small things that caught my interest and resonated with me over the last few months. They're fairly random, but that's my life in general these days....
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MOVING TOWARDS AN "ALL CARE AND NO RESPONSIBILITY" APPROACH

I was in my 50's before I realized that I could care about people and situations without taking responsibility for everyone and everything.

WHEN TOO MUCH IS TOO MUCH

I'm an oldest daughter - that title comes with an awful lot of baggage that I've carried with me for most of my life. I've always been the responsible one, the one with a plan (and a second plan in case the first plan fails), the one who over invests in other people's issues, the rescuer, the fixer, and the all-round juggler who wants everyone to be happy all the time.

When I write all that out, it sounds ridiculous, and it is! Nobody needs to do all that, and it leads to leaky boundaries, taking on too much, and burning out over things that aren't mine to carry. 
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ARE YOU WHIMSY-MAXXING OR WHIMSY RAGING?

Are you whimsy-maxxing or are you defined by whimsy and rage? Maybe somewhere in-between is "whimsy and age"

WHIMSY IS HAVING A MOMENT

It seems (based on the algorithms) that whimsy is the new flavour of the month. I've noticed a few whimsy quotes and thoughts appearing in my online feed and they made me smile and want to jump on the bandwagon myself.

Here's a couple of whimsical things I've noticed recently....
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7 SOUL SEARCHING QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

It's mid-year and time to ask myself a few probing questions to challenge myself to move out of my comfort zone and keep growing.
 

REFLECTIVE THOUGHTS FROM SUBSTACK

A little while ago, Corinne, one of my fellow bloggers who moved to Substack, listed seven questions in her post for reflection. As I'm in the middle of my year of choosing "Mindful" as my inspiration, I thought I'd share them here in case others are interested in doing a little deep dive...
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PEACE ARRIVES WHEN LESS BECOMES ENOUGH

Do you notice that there's a strong push to want to add more and more into your life? I hope you can find your sweet spot for what "enough" looks like.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE ENOUGH?

Have you noticed that having enough doesn't feel like it's enough anymore? We all have so much already, but there's always an itch to upgrade, or to replace, or to try the latest model. We're surrounded by people who have more than us - either in real life, or online. There's always something new and shiny competing for our attention.

I often wonder what it would look like if everyone was content with what they already have and decided it was more than enough?

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IS A BORING LIFE A BAD LIFE? DO I NEED TO BE DOING MORE?

Is it okay to lead a quiet boring life? Can we allow ourselves the grace to live peacefully while others live larger?

WHAT MAKES A LIFE "BORING"?

I've been watching other people's lives on Facebook recently and they're all so busy doing stuff. They're off travelling the country, or travelling the world, or attending events, working hard at careers, or living large in general. Me.....not so much. I'm just here at home living my small life and wondering if I should be wanting more? Is my life boring if I don't feel bored?
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MIDLIFE HAS BEEN MY TIME OF REALIGNMENT

Midlife has been the era of my realignment - where I've shed the layers that aren't needed anymore to make the space I need.

BEING STRUCK BY A CONCEPT

Recently I saw a quote online that was titled "Realignment" and it wasn't the quote itself that really struck me, it was the title that stood out - the concept of becoming realigned into who we are meant to be. It feels like Midlife has been my era of realignment - where I've shed the layers that aren't needed anymore to create a space where I feel at home in myself at last, and where I'm finally thriving.

These are some of the areas where I feel I've realigned over the last decade or so:
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WHAT DOES A GOOD PERSON LEADING A GOOD LIFE LOOK LIKE?

What does being a good person look like? Should we aspire to being one?

ARE YOU A GOOD PERSON?

A friend of mine told me that the minister of their church began his sermon with the question "Does anyone here think they're a good person?" and she was the only one who put her hand up. That opened up so many thoughts during our conversation, starting with why he asked that particular question and then rolling into what it means to be a good person.

I thought I'd share some of my thoughts about it all here - because why not?
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RETIREMENT - IT'S THE GIFT THAT JUST KEEPS ON GIVING

Retirement can come unexpectedly, or it can be planned in depth - either way, it is the gift we receive for all those decades of hard work.

AN EARLY UNEXPECTED RETIREMENT

I realized the other day that it's been SEVEN years since I left the job that had drained the last drop of my joy. I had no idea what I'd do next and who I'd be if I didn't need to schedule my life around paid work. Ultimately, I ended up spending a year or more just getting my mojo back and finding my feet again (all in the midst of the pandemic). Having the world shut down around the same time my life hit a wall gave me time to breathe and to reassess - was I between jobs or was I finished with working and ready to retire?
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A MID-YEAR REVIEW OF LIVING A MORE MINDFUL MIDLIFE

Mindfulness isn't all "zen" and meditative, it's more about looking within myself to know what really matters on a heart level.

MY WOTY FOR 2026

At the beginning of the year I chose "Mindful" as my inspiration for 2026, and it's been a really good reminder to be more intentional about what's happening in my life. When things slow down and there's not much happening, it can feel a little like I'm coasting along without all the excitement and plans I see others sharing on their social media feed. What am I doing? Why don't I want to be racing off on adventures? Am I content with where I'm at?

This is where being mindful starts to kick in....
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WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

We don't become happy souls or, alternatively, grumpy old people overnight, and we don't become wise and caring without putting in the work.

WHO DO WE WANT TO BE AS WE AGE?

I remember reading an article from John Mark Comer that discussed the idea that who we become in our old age is being determined by what we've focused our lives on in the lead-up. He says...

What you give your attention to is the person you become. Put another way: the mind is the portal to the soul, and what you fill your mind with will shape the trajectory of your character. In the end, your life is no more than the sum of what you gave your attention to.

We don't become happy souls or, alternatively, grumpy old people overnight, and we don't become wise and caring without putting in the work. Getting older can feel tricky at times when our body starts to slow a little, or lets us down occasionally. We can focus on what we're losing.... or we can turn our attention to all that we still have and enjoy the final third of our lives based on all the good that we've created and that's still to be found...
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RETIRING ABROAD: 7 TIPS FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION

Retirement is an opportunity to live a life that you could only dream of when committed to a job. For some this can mean a new life overseas.

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Today on the blog I have another interesting collaboration, this one is about the things to consider if you've ever thought of retiring overseas. I've had a few blogging friends who are ex-pats and their lifestyle choices have always fascinated me. It's such an adventure and I must admit to a tinge of envy when I read about what they're doing and the life they're living.

So, here's seven great little tips if you've ever thought that this might be something you'd like to do...
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BECOMING MINDFUL OF MY SOCIAL CAPACITY AS I GET OLDER

Does our social capacity decrease as we age, or do we just become more true to ourselves and what fills our tank?

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER

I seem to keep revisiting the concept of social capacity as I get older. I feel like I used to be more of an extravert in my 20's, 30's, and 40's - at least I thought of myself as an extravert back then... but now I wonder if I was just good at putting on a social face and fitting in with whatever was happening. I liked to be busy, I liked having friends, and I liked being included in what was was planned. 

Now.... not so much....
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7 STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE YOUR EYESIGHT

7 suggestions on keeping our eye health as optimal as possible as we age

INTRO

Today on the blog I have a bonus collaborative post that is full of helpful suggestions on keeping our eye health as optimal as possible as we age. I hope you enjoy it and find a few helpful tips to incorporate into your current habits.
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SPENDING MY AUTUMN MINDFULLY

Here's what living Autumn with a generous mindset has meant for me.

WHAT DID MY AUTUMN TEACH ME?

I thought I'd do a little seasonal update on what living Mindfully looks like for me through the year ahead. This is my Autumn look back, and for a change I thought I'd share some of the buying and selling I decided to do - mindfully figuring out that it's okay to spend money on things that make me happy after all those years of working hard and saving for a rainy day...
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WHY YOUR FIFTIES ARE THE BEST YEARS FOR TRAVELLING

The second half of life offers the freedom and flexibility to make travel all the more rewarding.

INTRO

So many of my friends are travelling right now - our 50's and 60's (and even 70's) seem to be the ideal time to head out and discover new places and experiences. I think it's the freedom and flexibility that comes with greater financial freedom and more time to ourselves. Today I'm sharing a collaboration that celebrates the joys of Midlife travel - and why it's such a great fit.
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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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