Birthday (and every day?) Affirmation
I've just had my birthday ... so I'm thinking about ageing and what makes a successful life .. as you do!
After a whole weekend of food, family, friends and outdoor gorgeousness (I like to s t r e t c h it out!) I'm feeling loved up, natured up, friendshipped up💕
It's likely that since I last talked about my birthday, you've had one too 😉
In our youth-obsessed culture that invisibilises older women, there's a lot of conditioning that comes up around ageing.
When the alternative is dying young, it feels - to me - like a privilege to age.
Richard Rohr talks about the first half of life where we're focused on creating a container for ourselves - career, work, relationships, money, home, community, location etc. The emphasis is external.
...and the second half of life creating meaning inside our container - refocusing on purpose, connection, joy, self expression. The emphasis is internal.
I know I'm not going to create a whole new container for my life - these are my kids, this is my partner, these are my friends, this is our location... I don't need to wait for a (white cis male) saviour to come and rescue me, I'm not broken I don't need to be fixed, I don't need to crave XYZ stuff or wish I was younger/ prettier/ skinnier to feel contented and at peace. I'm not building out towards some future life, or waiting till this or that happens before I can be satisfied ... THESE ARE THE DAYS!
My 50th year is gonna be characterised by dancing, protesting, retreating, collaboration, connection and hosting spaces where magic happens - bring it on!
Here’s my Birthday (and every day) Affirmation:
I have been younger and I will be older.
I will not be this age again.
So I choose to embrace this day and live it with awe, joy and gratitude.
over to you:
➡️What about you… how do you feel about birthdays? Do you celebrate or downplay?
➡️How do you feel about ageing? What comes up for you when you think about getting older?
➡️How do you feel about my birthday/ everyday affirmation?
I'd love to hear your perspectives!
let’s stay connected!
sign up to receive my weekly leadership and resilience tips HERE
get your copy of my book Change Makers HERE