On the ninth day of the seventh month of a year where Simon and Garfunkel topped the charts singing about bridges over troubled water, I entered the world with a smile on my face and a wink at the doctor (because I was boy crazy right out of the gate).
As my birthday approaches, I’m reflecting on the past year.
Lessons learned. Wisdom earned. Experiences lived. Hurts healed. Lines drawn. Thanks given. Forgiveness granted. Reality checked. Perspective gained.
This has been an incredible year of self-discovery.
Sharing is caring, so I’d like to share my “Nine Lessons Learned Since Last July 9th.” You might want to take notes. If it helps just one person, my job here is done.
First lesson: if the door has a sticker on it that says “pull,” note that pushing on the door will only cause you public embarrassment and likely hurt your rib cage if you throw your full body weight into it, which I always do because I’m convinced all doors are heavy.
Lesson? Read the signs. Turns out they’re there to help.
Second lesson: Stop waiting for other people to want to do what you like to do. Do your own thing and get used to being independent. It’s your journey, not theirs. Really enjoy your own company. I am way more fun than I knew and I like all the same subtitled movies, junk food, loud music and road trips as I do. Huh.
Not every occasion calls for a co-pilot. Chart your own course. Be your own pilot.
Third lesson: chickens are better than humans. Spend more time with chickens.
Fourth lesson: None of this lasts. None of it. Storms pass. Relationships end. Pets die. Friends move. Love who and what matters whenever you can, while you can.
Fifth lesson: You aren’t too old to change your direction. I started two new careers this year. Two. I learned by trial and error. Mistakes make for the best lessons. Throwing yourself fully into a new project is terrifying and exhilarating. Long days and long nights. Sanity questioning sleepless nights.
Yet, I know this was the most rewarding year because my greatest obstacle was learning to believe in myself. Turns out that’s also the greatest reward. Write that down.
Sixth lesson: What doesn’t kill you may make you stronger, but fight the desire to let it make you mean or bitter.
Know who you are. Trust that the right people know you too.
Seventh lesson: You aren’t too old to make new friends. I’ve made some of the most important friendships of my life in the last six months.
Keep your circle small, but your heart open. Grateful.
Eighth lesson: Not everybody loves your happiness. It freaks them out. Keep freaking them out.
Ninth lesson: Change is scary but resisting it is stifling growth, and baby, you were born to evolve. Bloom brilliantly.
If nothing else, I hope your takeaway is this: chickens are better than people. Oh, and believe in yourself.
Happy July.
