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After being on a journey of self-development since I was 21, you would have thought that by 70 I would have sorted myself out.
And to some degree I have, but I think the deepest dive has been the last 18 months since I moved from Australia to the United States. An interesting journey as a 70-year-old woman!
Here are some lessons I have learned—70 of them. One for each year.
1. I am the source of my peace and calm. Making the conscious effort to drop into my heart changes instantly how I feel. Staying there is my next challenge!
2. My life depends on me and my imagination—and more importantly, my beliefs. I found that a lot of my core beliefs were hidden and took considerable consciousness to uncover and over time change. And then be able to tune into my “knowing,” which is much deeper and more accurate than a belief.
3. My stories I believed I had cleared I had not. It is an ongoing journey!
4. I am not responsible for others’ behaviour and perceptions—but I can use discernment and choose my responses and take responsibility for my part, and not then beat myself up.
5. Stillness and silence are really important to recenter myself. I use my SOS method. Stop and be still. Observe what is going on in my head, in the wider environment, and avoid judging. Start being aware of my knowing and create a new story from a new perspective and shift to gratitude. I aspire to slow down to the speed of consciousness.
6. Going outside into the garden barefoot or the beach or some earth somewhere and grounding always helps me feel better.
7. Always try to see three different perspectives before I make a decision. It’s amazing how differently we respond if we do this.
8. Judging others seemed to have been an Olympic sport for me. And as I age, I am much more aware of when I am judging others and then make a conscious decision to stop it.
9. I am worth loving. This is still the hardest lesson…and I am working on this one! We are all worth loving. No matter what!
10. I understand better the difference between knowing and thinking. Knowing comes from my heart and thinking from my fear-based head. Recognising the difference lets me make more conscious choices.
11. Life is all about feelings. Every aspect of it. And not just emotions but how we truly, deeply feel about something.
12. Yes, you do have work to do with your inner child. I vehemently denied this for many years. I was wrong.
13. Any decision made in fear will come back to bite you. However, recognising the fear that is often sneaky takes real effort and deep diving!
14. We are never separate—we are all connected all the time in the field. You haven’t connected with someone for a long time and you “randomly” think of them…and they call you the next day. It’s not a mystery or coincidence!
15. Choosing the see the Divine in everything is a satisfying way to live.
16. The value of true friends. It has been a spectacular year to highlight this lesson. I am so deeply grateful for them.
17. Laugh a lot—it matters.
18. Connecting to your community and reaching out to people to make new friends is hard work but worth it.
19. I am grateful I have looked after my body and lived a healthy lifestyle. I have the body and energy of a 40-year-old!
20. Thinking young works! But then I can’t imagine being 70! I only feel 40! My face gives me away, but the rest of me doesn’t.
21. I love my Powerplate. It is the single best exercise machine on the planet in my opinion. It is a primary reason I have such a fit, agile, flexible, strong body with great balance and good metabolism.
22. Gratitude is the master reframer. It’s impossible to have a heart full of gratitude and a heart full of misery at the same time. Seeing everything through a lens of gratitude (gratitude glasses) makes life much better.
23. The heart is the most important organ in the body. And truly feeling from it and knowing from it creates joy.
24. Sunshine matters; get outside. Not only does it increase Vitamin D, but it just makes you feel better.
25. Only I can give my power away—which I have done many times—and only I can take it back.
26. Listen to my language about myself. Stop making out loud or inside “predictions” about what is going to happen and how bad it will be. Our words are frequencies that emanate out and bring in a reality.
27. Kindness is critical. Be kind—to yourself and everyone.
28. Keep learning all the time—it keeps you young and smart.
29. Take responsibility for yourself and set boundaries.
30. Choose to love your job and focus on what’s good.
31. Give yourself permission to relax and enjoy yourself.
32. Celebrate all the little things. Not just the big ones.
33. Savor the good times.
34. Allow things to unfold and stop clinging to outcomes.
35. Give up control of anyone but yourself.
36. Stop complaining; start appreciating.
37. Stop seeking external validation. Find your intrinsic worth yourself; accept yourself—perfectly imperfect.
38. What you think is not “the truth.” We give meaning to everything and that becomes our truth.
39. We are our own worst enemy a lot of the time. Be careful of what you are saying to yourself—be your best, most compassionate friend.
40. To truly know yourself is life’s journey.
41. Work in and on your life and yourself.
42. Learn, unlearn, relearn—until you die. It will keep you young.
43. Your mission is to be an emissary of love
44. Knowledge accumulates in the head; wisdom grows in the heart.
45. Be kind—all the time.
46. Set boundaries and discern what is really on around you.
47. Ask myself “Am I being the person I want to be in this moment?” A quote by Dr. David Martin. And if not, I change my behaviour.
48. Our frequency matters—your thoughts are frequencies that are projected out and just like a tuning fork, your world around you starts to resonate with your thoughts.
49. Be a good finder. Find good in every situation and every one. Then focus on that.
50. Our cells are receivers of frequencies from the universe. Look after your cells. And your body.
51. Allow things to unfold rather than forcing things into existence—it never works.
52. Who you are shouts so loudly I can’t hear what you say. Ralph Waldo Emerson said this, and it’s true. You radiate your essence.
53. What you eat matters. The mood you eat it in matters more.
54. How I feel about myself changes everything and confirms my belief that how we feel about ourselves is the most important thing in life!
55. See every challenge as an opportunity to grow and develop.
56. Our heart’s electromagnetic field is said to go out three feet out from our bodies.
57. Accept yourself. Be comfortable with who you are; living life trying to please others rarely works in the long term.
58. Realise your magnificence. Because you are an astonishing being of light. See that Divine Spark in everyone.
59. Your blood relatives aren’t necessarily your real family.
60. Use it or lose it—especially with your body. Keep it moving and active.
61. Fear is at the root of all pain.
62. Give up control of anyone but yourself.
63. The value of being present—your presence and being matters.
64. Comparison is a soul destroyer.
65. Separation is our biggest fear—not belonging, not fitting in, being separate from ourselves and others. Connecting with our true selves is most important.
66. I am good enough. That one took a while!
67. There is nothing to really fear—and the little girl inside of me had been terrified since she was two…until I was 69. It was a shock to realise that. I now have much less fear in my life because I am conscious of not allowing it in. It’s sneaky. I am still working at eradicating all fear. I have made progress!
68. I am always learning to embrace the uncertainty—the not knowing and not feel horribly uncomfortable. To trust my own wisdom and knowing and find a sanctuary within myself.
69. I am aware of when I am blaming others and maintain an alert watch on any tendency I have to be a victim—while recognising I am not responsible for everyone else’s happiness! That was a big one!
70. “Be still and know” is my finale! This is what I am working on right now.
I am sure I have learned a lot more but I will save them for my 80th!
~
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