There’s a first time for everything…
It’s my Birthday week!! 🥳This year has been significant—big, hard, amazing, painful, and fun! Reflecting on the past year, I can’t help but think of the phrase
“There’s a first time for everything.”
Little did I know, when I turned 46, it would be the year of many “firsts” for me personally & professionally!
I ventured to places I never thought I’d go, made choices I never thought I could and faced fears I never thought I’d confront, let alone look straight in the eye!
I remember when I turned 45 I told myself and my kids that when I turn 46 I’ll be sitting on the beach on a solo trip and for my 46th Birthday I did just that and I had no idea that would be the start of many of my “firsts” ……
I broadened my food palette by trying oysters, sushi and going to hibachi! I joined a book club! I went on a trip with some great friends, got out of the country and visited Mexico for a day. I went back to school, not once…. but TWICE! 😊 I was a guest on 2 podcasts, gave my first keynote and got my first check for speaking gigs! I bought myself a bike and kayak and found myself loving new hobbies! I tried wake surfing and after about 16 attempts I GOT UP! I took myself on a date to the movies – and what better movie to go see solo than BARBIE! I got my first tattoo! I also experienced the amusing mishap of locking myself out of the house and “breaking in” through my window 😊 (more than once 😉). Had a minor accident which thankfully only resulted in 2 flat tires. I also, after 10 years, entered back into the workforce and now have 2 jobs!
Whew, that’s a lot of firsts! It reminds me of the saying about life:
It doesn’t matter what age you are – if you’re 22, 37, 46 or 62 – the whole point of life is to LIVE it. No matter where you are in life, it’s NEVER too late to try, to start over, to start and to create the life that YOU love! We only get ONE shot at it, so ask yourself if you’re TRULY living it for YOU!?!
Go out of your comfort zone, try new things. Create new hobbies and habits. Have an open mind and embrace “the unknown”. Get yourself a therapist or someone you can talk to and heal through what you went through. Learn how to be a better version of you so you’re a better person for those around you. Learn to laugh at yourself and celebrate your wins. Appreciate when things align and learn what you can do differently when they don’t. Take accountability, learn self-awareness. Have fun in life, LOVE a lot and FORGIVE! Understand that feeling of FEAR leads to reward – just start to take the small steps to get there!
In between all the “firsts” and many happy times, there was hard work and perseverance as well as some very real and painful moments of grief and extreme loneliness. At times, I found myself in the doctor's office, reminded that grief, loneliness, and anxieties can truly mimic what one might think feels like a heart attack, or at the very least, heartbreak. Though it’s been 2 years since my divorce and my dads passing, grief hit me hard this year, knocking me down out of nowhere. The tears flowed, and the feelings hurt, stung at times, but I’m reminded to face the feelings, work through them, and allow them to pass. Reminding myself, I can do hard things…. living with grief being one of those.
Looking ahead to year #47, I do so with an excitement I used to tell my therapist I one day hope to feel. 46 was fantastic but I have a feeling 47 is going to be the best one yet. For starters, that number 7 is one of my lucky numbers😊
So, as I finish this last week at 46 I do so feeling grateful and giddy!!
Here’s to resilience, authenticity, and the journey of learning, playing and growing each day!🙌🏼
