My birthday is approaching again and I am grateful for every one that I get but I thought about what have I learned so far in all of these years. I saw an article from a woman describing what she has learned in her time here and I thought I would try it out. Here it goes.
1) Love. Someone. Deeply.
I am talking about a reciprocal relationship where you feel it as much as they do. Not unrequited love. Not waiting for someone to notice you. Be noticed. Tell someone. Throw off the cape of fear and reveal your feelings if you haven't done so ever.
2) You only have this one round.
Totally related to everything I will write here but you only have one life, live it. Make it yours, not someone else's to control. Nobody knows how much time they have, that's why life is so precious. So do it. What have you been thinking about doing, saying, trying that you have not gotten to yet? Maybe 2014 is the year to branch out and try something new or return to something in your past that was positive, creative, made you feel like yourself.
3) You are nothing without your health.
Also related to everything. Take care of yourself. See a doc and dentist if you can, get a check up, don't be afraid to have something checked. Be your own health advocate because if you aren't it, who is going to be?
4) Be grateful for who you have in your life that makes your life living better.
Your family and friends are your support system, your reality check, your source for much laughter. Revel in it when you can. Spend time with them when you can and live in those moments. Make memories.
5) Love what you do.
If you hate your job, find yourself dreading driving to work, are exhausted, in a bad way, at the end of the day - consider a new job. Start looking at see what's out there. Go back to school, start your own business, try some of these ideas before you leave work (I do not want anyone in financial distress) or try to renew and rejuvenate what you do at work. See what other options lie in your job (new position, new approach...). Make it yours if you loved it once.
6) Learn. Be open to something new.
Reading, researching, hearing and discussing new perspectives can open you up to all sorts of new ideas.
7) Connect.
Yes, you have family and friends but are you done? Making new connections, new friendships, new relationships as you get older is a whole new ball game. Not sure if you have noticed but as you have gotten older, you have gotten wiser, more confident in yourself, become more comfortable in your own skin perhaps? This person making new connections today will do things differently than they did 10, 20, 30 years ago for example. One thing I know for sure you will only connect with someone who you want to be connected to, who is supportive, gives and takes and enjoys you for you. Gone are the days of trying to please someone else to the detriment of yourself, to impress someone, to try and be someone you are not. You are great being you and new people in your life only get the real version. Plus as human beings we never lose that need to be connected to someone else but it is possible to give up trying, to be too tired, to procrastinate. You may not need as many friends as the next person and that is OK too. The number isn't important, the connection is.
8) Laughter makes us happy in the moment.
Growing up in Newfoundland it sometimes felt like a contest. Still does. Who can make the other person laugh harder? Not a bad contest. Who can make a whole table full of people laugh out loud, cry, pee in their pants, shoot tea, or what ever liquid they are drinking at the time, through their nose due to laughing hard? Never a dull moment. Making people smile is a provincial past time and I am proud to come from that culture, that heritage. Smiling, laughing makes you feel good. Try it if you haven't done it in a while. Or better yet, try making someone else laugh. That makes me happier than laughing myself sometimes.
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