Turning 60 Years Old!

In a little over 6 weeks, I am turning 60. Oh my goodness, how did that happen???

With this milestone birthday quickly approaching, I am taking the time to really reflect and zero in on what exactly do I want for the next decade and how I am going to make this happen?

Society often pushes narratives about what you “should” be doing at a certain age. But since I have never really adhered to this, I think the best advice I could give to myself is: “Keep Going on What I am Doing with travelling, teaching, exercising, learning and consulting. Don’t Stop.

Make room for self-care

But what I also want to do is add more self-care and inspirational activities. With all the angst that is going on in the world, it is easy to get caught up in the worry and negative thinking. This prompted me to seek more self-care.

Meditation

Since January I have been doing short meditations each day with Tara Brach & Jack Kornfield. It is a 40-day program and it introduces you to different topics of mindfulness with a new topic each week. The course includes four modules:

• Mindful Basics – 13 days
• Emotional Intelligence – 8 days
• Resilience, Healing & Inner Freedom – 8 days
• Mindful Living – 11 days

I find it relaxing and for a free course I think it provides good value. If you are interested here is the link:

https://courses.tarabrach.com/courses/mindfulness-daily

Other Self-Care Ideas

I didn’t realize how popular this topic is for bloggers. I filtered through the list and thought this link had a variety of ideas.

https://www.christinacarlyle.com/self-care-ideas/

I thought it was interesting that this blogger divided ideas into 7 pillars: mental, emotional, physical, environmental, spiritual, recreational, and social.

Environmental Self-Care

I never thought about environmental self-care! When I looked up what this meant, it was simply stated as environmental self-care simply means designing your environment to work for you.

Your environment needs to motivate you rather than overwhelm you and stress you out. And environmental self-care allows you to create the right environment so you can truly thrive.

Okay, I love being by water and I feel calmer when I can walk along a beach. But if I cannot do that when I am working in Calgary, I could think about taking up swimming at the Y. This would be good for me both mentally and physically.

At one point, I had a gift certificate for massages at a hotel in the northeast. And afterwards I was allowed to use their pool facilities. I would swim lengths and then sit in the hot pool. There was no one around in the early afternoon and I had the place to myself, 😉. I felt really good.

Funny, how this memory popped into my head.

Try reading the list for yourself and see if you are attracted to anything. It’s important to remember, self-care looks different to everyone.

It’s about what works for you and what makes you feel good.

I want to pursue the environmental self-care and as part of that making sure that I get outside each day and then on a bigger scale incorporating outdoor activities on the weekend and trips that I take. I found an interesting article that described the importance of spending time in nature.

Getting into Nature – 20-5-3 Rule.[1]

20 minutes – That’s the amount of time you should spend outside in nature, like a neighbourhood park, three times a week. (Without your cell phone!)

5 hours – The minimum length of time each month you should spend in semi-wild nature, like a forested nature trail outside of the city.

3 days – Three is the number of days you should spend each year off the grid in nature, camping or renting a cabin. Think: places characterized by spotty cell reception and wild animals, away from the hustle and bustle.

I think the idea is a good one as intuitively I know I feel better when I am outside and even better when I am away from the traffic and noise. Although with the cold temperatures this month in February, even getting around the block when it is -20C with a windchill takes some effort!

Take More Risks

Part of the equation in living the last third of my life is to take more risks and to care less about what other people think. Not to hurt others or to be disrespectful, but to stop people pleasing behavior or seeking approval from others.

It is Okay to be You!

I have read that, “True growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone and push your limits. It’s scary, but it’s also where all the magic happens. The moment you stop avoiding discomfort is the moment you start evolving into your best self.”

Thoughts on stepping outside of my comfort zone

I have been thinking lots about spirituality and how I would like to go on a retreat of some sort. Not sure what type or where, but I want it to have some type of wellness aspect to it in a mind, body, and soul approach.

A good friend of mine is going to yoga retreat in Bali, this year and it sounds interesting. But unfortunately, my days of doing downward facing dog is over. I get really dizzy if my head is down for too long.

I have also been thinking of some type of unique trip. My niece suggested a cruise down the Nile, old-style train trip, or a safari. And she really got me thinking!

I am going bigger this year, as I am in the mindset of ‘why not, what do I have to lose’. Why play it safe?

When I was younger I used to take a lots of risks, e.g. going on a student work abroad program in Australia after university, quitting the oil business (with a good salary) to go on a Spanish immersion program to live with a family in Oaxaca. Quitting another job at age 38 to get my MBA. Setting up my own consulting business, etc.

I think my younger-self is talking to me again, as lately I have been feeling restless and wanting to do something different.

In the past little while, I guess what I have been saying to myself is that I need to be here for my family, or work, or teaching, etc. And I am happy. I think that is sometimes the issue, if there is not something pushing me (challenging me) I remain in the status quo. I think I have to flip it around and ask myself what pulls me forward.

I like what Martha Beck has to say about this in her new book, Beyond Anxiety – Curiosity, Creativity and Finding Your Life’s Purpose. In this book, she writes, “Lean into your curiosity. Find things that pull you towards them.

And the Omega Institute comments:

I am intently listening for that whisper… but if the whisper does not happen, I think noticing what I am attracted to in my reading or seeking of information will point me towards activities to try.

It really is a balancing act to keep life supports that you value – my relationship with A, health, friendships and my nieces/nephews, my adventures in the world, and then striking out to find new ways of thinking, being and relating to others. The more I learn, the more I realize there is so much I don’t know. I need to get comfortable with letting go and being content with here and now while keeping my curiosity alive and well.

Does this resonate with you? I love to hear your thoughts.

One final reflection…

Cheers, and here’s to being almost 60!

Enjoy the moments and take care,

[1] https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-20-5-3-rule-prescribes-how-much-time-you-should-spend-outside?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us