I love my birthday. I love getting older. Each and every year just keeps getting better and better. Yet do you know how many people fight me on that belief? How many people come up with excuses as to why that isn’t true? Do you know what’s so crazy about that? We get to decide if it keeps getting better or if it is all downhill from here. Our life will unfold based on what we believe. What do you want to believe? Does every year keep getting better and better for you? What you believe makes the difference. If you believe it will, it will. If you believe it won’t, it won’t. It really is that simple.

I move forward into the 48th year of my life excited for it all and share 48 things: 10 things I do to stay mentally strong, 10 things I don’t do; 10 things I do to get out of a funk, 8 things I don’t do, and 10 life lessons. Thank you for being on this magnificent journey with me!

10 Things I Do Daily for My Mental Strength ย 

  1. Wake up when I say Iโ€™ll wake up
  2. Go to bed when I say Iโ€™ll go to bed
  3. Write out a plan for my day and do itย 
  4. Move my body
  5. Meditateย 
  6. Eat foods that help my body
  7. Look for the Good. Practice Gratitude at specific times: Ideally Iโ€™d look for things I’m grateful for numerous times during the day yet life isnโ€™t ideal. I set 2 specific times when I bring my focus and attention to what is good.ย 
  8. Learn learn learn: podcasts and non fiction books are my two fave mediums
  9. Connect with my Sโ€™s (spouse or sons)
  10. Bring the Joy (managing and taking responsibility for my energy state)

10 Things I Donโ€™t Do Daily for my Mental Health

  1. I donโ€™t check email, Facebook, or Instagram before planning my day
  2. I donโ€™t take things personally
  3. I donโ€™t watch TV
  4. Complain
  5. I donโ€™t scroll FB or instagram. I get on with intention about who I want to check in with and what my goal is on social media and then get off.ย 
  6. I don’t listen to or watch the newsย 
  7. I don’t hit snooze
  8. I don’t spend time wondering what others think of me
  9. I don’t look at likes or stats in my business to measure my worth
  10. I don’t try to read peoples’ minds.

10 Things I Do To Get Out Of a Funk

  1. Go outside and put my bare feet on the earth
  2. Meditate
  3. Write the answer to either question: “What’s going on?” or “What am I making this mean?”
  4. Snuggleย withย my spouse
  5. Diffuse essential oils
  6. Sing. Loudly.
  7. Throw things out. Clear clutter from somewhere.
  8. Go outside, feel the air on my face, look up at the skyย 
  9. Vacuum (so rewarding)
  10. Listen to kids laughing

8 Things I Donโ€™t Do to Get Out of a Funk

  1. Mindlessly eat
  2. Drink alcohol
  3. Look at facebook
  4. Criticize myself
  5. Dwell on the past
  6. Feel sorry for myselfย 
  7. Beat myself up for being in a funk
  8. Resist feeling the funk.

10 Life Lessons for Me

  1. Taking care of myself is a top priority
  2. Feel the fear and do it anyways.
  3. Life is hard and thatโ€™s okay.
  4. Things work out for me
  5. Live the life I want to live, not the life others want me to live
  6. Travel to places that are not like my hometown
  7. Say yes
  8. Say no
  9. Take responsibility for the energy I bring to situations: Bring the joy
  10. Get really clear about who matters to me. Take the relationships that matter very seriously. Let the others go.
  11. Finally, bottom line of any and everything, remember I AM A WARRIOR. I can handle it.ย 

In many ways, I could write a blog post on any one of these (and I have on many of them). Don’t miss this week’s Warrior Women discussion (Thursday at 10:30 AMย Est)ย as I can elaborate on any of these.ย Remember warriors, growing older is a great thing! Raise your head up, pull your shoulders back, and go out there and live the life YOU want to be living.

“Growing Older Means Allowing Yourself the Freedom of Being Who You Really Want to Be.” Oprah

Oprah, aging, agism