LIVING LIGHTLY THROUGH APRIL

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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 trying to control everything. I hope my year will reflect taking life at a gentler pace and stepping lightly and slowly.

So, on that note, to wrap up April, I'll be sharing a few little highlights that contributed towards a lovely month....

WHAT IS HYPERPARATHYROIDISM AND WHY IS IT A CONCERN?

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WHAT ON EARTH IS HYPERPARATHYROIDISM?

If you're like me, you've heard of a thyroid gland and know where it is, but you're probably not aware that you have four parathyroid glands, each the size of a grain of rice, that sit behind it. You may also not be aware that one or more of those glands can get a tumour (adenoma) on it that probably isn't cancer, but still has far reaching consequences for your body if left unchecked.

Here's what I learnt when I accidentally discovered I had primary hyperparathyroidism - and what you might like to get checked sometime in the not too distant future.....

IS IT EASTER ALREADY? WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?!

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I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S EASTER ALREADY!

I think I'm becoming one of those people who comment on how quickly the year is passing. It's already April and I feel like Christmas was only a few weeks ago. Now we've just ticked Easter off the calendar and before we know it, we'll be halfway through the year.

I thought I'd share a few little highlights that Easter holds for me - it's such a special time of the year.

WHY DO WE SECOND GUESS OURSELVES?

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WHY IS IT SO HARD TO SEE OUR STRENGTHS?

I'm 60 years old and I still listen to the little voice in my head that doubts I can do something new. Whenever a new challenge arises I immediately think of all the reasons why it won't work out, or why it would be too difficult, or why I'm not "enough" for it. That little voice has been yapping in my ear all my life, but Midlife has woken me up to its meanness and how it limits me.....I still hear it loud and clear but I'm getting better at having a go anyway.

There's a great little quote from Erin Hanson that says: 
"What if I fall? Oh but my darling, What if you fly?"

LIVING LIGHTLY THROUGH MARCH

cresting the hill

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 trying to control everything. I hope my year will reflect taking life at a gentler pace and stepping lightly and slowly.

So, on that note, to wrap up March, I'll be sharing a few little highlights that contributed towards a lovely month....

HOW I UN-RETIRED IN MY 60'S - AND BALANCE MY BUSY AND UNBUSY LIFE

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BEING UNBUSY BUT NEVER BORED

When I left my old toxic job I decided that I'd never work myself into the ground again. I looked for another job but just couldn't bring myself to risk repeating the issues I'd faced in the last one. I slowly found a new rhythm of living - choosing to retire early and to be Unbusy, letting life unfold at its own pace.

My days were filled with a mixture of activities and at-home time, and I was quite content with that, I never felt bored - just pleasantly occupied... Then my hip failed, and I had to drop most of my more "active pursuits" and Unbusy-ness started to slide towards laziness, dis-connectedness, and like I was living Ground Hog Day over and over again. It knew I needed something to change, but what?

3 TYPES OF CLUTTER YOU NEED TO CLEAR TO LIVE LIFE LIGHTLY

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DE-CLUTTER TO LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD

Have you noticed that stuff can weigh you down? We can be surrounded by so much physical clutter that it makes everything a little bit harder to get on with. Or it can be that our heads are so full of clutter we struggle to think clearly and make decisions. Or it can be emotional clutter where we carry past hurts and unforgiveness around with us, and feel like we're constantly living under a dark cloud.

Today I'd like to clear a little of that clutter so that we can cast off some of that excess baggage and begin to truly Live Lightly.....

HOW TO RE-IGNITE YOUR CREATIVITY IN MIDLIFE

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INTRO

Today on the blog I have Faigie Kobre as my guest. Faigie approached me to ask if I'd allow her to share her passion for re-introducing creativity back into the second half of life. So many of us strongly believe we have no artistic ability (I'm one of them!) and we miss out on the joy that being creative brings with it because we don't know where to start. When I discovered a few alternative areas of art to explore it was an absolute eye-opener, so of course I was happy to share something like this.

Faigie has created a free mini-course, and today I'm giving her the space to share why - and there's a link at the end if you'd like to take the plunge and explore a little of what she calls "art improvisation". So I'll hand it over to Faigie from here.....

LIVING LIGHTLY THROUGH FEBRUARY

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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 trying to control everything. I hope my year will reflect taking life at a gentler pace and stepping lightly and slowly.

So, on that note, to wrap up February, I'll be sharing a few little highlights that contributed towards a lovely month....

LIVING AND LOVING FOR THE LONG TERM

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WHERE DID 40 YEARS GO?

This week my husband and I will pause for a moment and celebrate 40 years of being married. It messes with my head to think that we've been together for so long......maybe it's because most of the time I don't even feel like I'm 40 years old, let alone the idea of having been married for FOUR decades! 

I could use this anniversary date to write "40 Tips For A Great 40 Years Of Marriage" - but I won't..... because - a) I think it's a little pretentious to assume I know any more than the next person about how to have a long term relationship, and b) because it would be a ridiculously long blog post! So, instead I'm sharing this today....