February 21, 2013

Wow! So, what does becoming fifty mean to me? Feel like to me? Sound like to me? And what does it look like to me?

Becoming fifty means I made it through hard times, sad times, good times and unforgettable miracles and tragedies in my life and outside of my life. It means that I get one more day, one more year, one more decade or one more lifetime to continue to grow, live experience the art of life.

I often felt uncomfortable and sometimes even ‘stupid’ (I hesitate to use that word) for being older than my classmates from my second year of first grade on through and beyond high school despite missing much of first grade the first time around due to hospitalized illness. Now though, I’m proud of my age and who I’ve become and who I am growing up to be.

Fifty feels like yesterday and the day before and so on except with an extra day’s experience every new day. I don’t feel old because I’m certainly not old; I’m only just beginning!

Fifty years old may sound old to a younger generation but it sounds young to a more mature generation and to me well, it sounds like a number. Fifty spiders is a lot; fifty pennies- not so much, fifty minutes can vary.

Fifty sounds to me like the beginning, a new beginning. I’m comfortable with that and I’m very much looking forward to all of it.

Fifty looks like a young, vibrant, energetic, healthful time of life. Fifty looks like the freedom at twenty with much more knowledge and respect. It looks like the time of my life when big and happy things will take place. Fifty and beyond will be as breathtaking as the tallest mountains full of color, the widest ocean of clear aqua and the wide open fields of wildflowers and bluest of skies.

Fifty is where preparation and experience meets opportunity.

Fifty, yes please, I’ll take it!

Dawn Marie Hamel-Silva-? J

Contentment and security is something we all want. Excitement and diversion is also something we long for; sometimes to the point of turmoil.

Sometimes change is out of your control and you are forced to adapt. In the beginning you might feel that everything is a mess; that you won’t get through it-but you usually do make it through. You might even find that in the end it was absolutely for the better or that you don’t miss the way things used to be.

Change can also be up to you. If things aren’t going the way they used to or the way you imagined it would be, you can change something about your situation be it certain steps, a particular goal, your plan your schedule, or even your job.
Sure it sounds scary. You might not know what steps to take in order to begin changing whatever it is bothering you. You might have reservations because you don’t know how others will react or the outcome. It’s the unknowing that scares us and even prevents us from making any changes and steps forward and we stay stuck, frustrated, and unhappy.

If you knew the outcome beforehand would you make that change any quicker, or are you comfortable in the experience of knowing life as it is? What holds you back? What makes you hesitate? If this change you wish for happened out of your control, how do you think you would react; adapt?

You can practice making changes in your life by first making small changes; taking baby steps. These small changes can help you find self-assurance in making bigger changes. Sometimes when things aren’t going your way it can be helpful to just take that leap. You don’t have to know what the end result will be, you just need to know what your first step will be and most times the next step falls right into place. Before you know it, new doors of opportunity are opened to you.

If you’re dis-satisfied in the way things are going for you, open your heart and mind to making changes instead of hoping for them to happen. Don’t miss an opportunity to cause change in your life because too often when we wait, life and chances passes us by. Have no regrets. I’m not suggesting throwing everything into the wind and hoping for the best; I’m merely suggesting to open your mind and your heart to possibilities to reach your grand desires.

Think about your grandest desire(s) and think about what first step you could take to make it/them real. Write it/them in a journal or post it in plain view so that your grandest dreams can become reality. Remember, it starts with that first small step.

Do you find yourself feeling stuck but you don’t know why or even how to describe your “stuck” feelings?

Everyone feels stuck at one time or another. If you’re feeling stuck, think about what might be causing it; are you overwhelmed with work, projects or responsibility? Maybe you’re bored or uninspired with your lifestyle habits as they are at the moment. Whatever your reason is, accept that it’s ok to be stuck right now and that you won’t feel this way for long because change is always happening.

If you’ve felt stuck long enough and you want to ‘snap’ out of it you can! While change is inevitable, making change happen is also a choice. You can decide that you’re not going to take it anymore and begin to make changes. You don’t have to know exactly what to do every step of the way, you don’t have to know the end result; the important thing is that you took that first step and the other steps will fall into place.

If you don’t know why you feel stuck take some time to make lists.

• First list how you feel. Next list why you might be feeling each emotion. It’s not right nor wrong-it is simply how you feel and that’s ok.
• Next make a list of how you want to feel and beside that what one or two steps you can take to get there.
• The last list that will be helpful is a list of pros and cons of making the changes you  listed in your first list.

Do the pros outweigh the cons? Do you feel a small sense of clarity in your situation after taking the time to think and list your desires?

Feel free to share your thoughts or make comments here. I’ll be happy to respond to any questions you may have or to add more tips if requested.

We all have dreams and goals and we all have the ability to reach them if we try.

Never stop dreaming ~ Never stop cultivating improvement in your life.

Have you ever looked at someone or talked to someone who seems unhappy, angry, miserable or just plain sad? Do you walk away wondering
why they might be in a negative way? Have you ever felt his way yourself and don’t know exactly what to do to change this feeling? Quite often these feelings are due to what you eat. Many individuals have food allergies that they’re not aware of that will cause illness inside and out. Many others are just plain overfed but undernourished. There’s a way to improve the way you feel inside that will reflect on the outside; in your face, your eyes, your tone and your overall mood. Eating a well-balanced diet that fits you personally is the most important factor in your overall health and well-being. The same diet isn’t right for everyone just as the same clothes, the same job or even the same type of car or house isn’t right for everyone. You have a uniqueness that makes you who you are and that makes you special to those around you. You can enhance your uniqueness and feel full of energy and have a positive outlook on things if you eat the way that is right for your body.

Make sure you’re getting what your body needs on a daily basis, it will change your life in many positive ways.  Do something for yourself, take care of the only body you have control over. Only you can make changes in yourself; no one else can, it’s up to you. Start today. Be good to yourself! If you don’t know where or how to start, a personal health coach can be your guide in helping you find what works for your body and for you personally. Take a step to improved wellness; you’ll be less stressed , have more energy and feel terrific in your body as well as many other great benefits!

Be there for yourself, show up for life!