Needless to say I’ve not been active at all on this blog lately; other areas of life had to be dealt with as priorities. Or it would be fairer to say that I haven’t found the necessary dexterity to conjugate the new additions in my life with the blog… when is enough enough? It’s only by hitting a wall that you’re forced to take a few steps back, to grasp the magnitude of all you’ve committed yourself to.
I did hit that wall recently which led to some well needed reckoning, but the race to the wall was inevitable and necessary. There are opportunities that come our way that we really don’t want to miss, because they just might not come back our way any time soon. This is to say my schedule got overwhelming hence my retreat from blogging, but I had and still have to go through hectic times to get where I want to get. Some things got to give as they say…
I was nevertheless keen on writing this post before year end, after taking stock, to share the 3 most valuable lessons thus far in 2023.
I don’t know what I’m worth, and you don’t know either, and this is not even a cliché. It’s not one because we commonly tend to focus on knowing our worth as if worth is a static entity, but it is a silly enterprise! Our worth is more than our consciousness could ever comprehend; it is limitless. And it is by getting out of our own way, by daring venturing into newness – often scary – that we come to that realisation. If we recoil, our worth does the same; we level up, it follows the upwards movement. Newness was the theme of my year, and I wish you all to dare going back to Uni, take on a new sport activity, adopt a pet, adopt a kid, discover a new place, embrace the new…you’re worth it all and more.
Perimenopause can be a b.tch, a nightmare – you girlies in your thirties, prepare for it! I’ve learned the hard way that woman’s health is not taken that seriously, which is down to the heavily patriarchal society we’re living in. I was meant to write a full post on the subject, it will be for another time God willing. Perimenopause messes not only with your body (not all women thankfully), but more importantly with your brain (which affects most women). Anxiety levels go through the roof, the memory lapses make you think you’re losing your marbles, some of us are eating and exercising the same as usual, but are piling on pounds…For my sisters not there yet, on the brink of their forties , I recommend you learn about relaxation techniques, how hormonal changes impact the way your brain and body work when entering this particular decade. It becomes necessary for most to tweak the eating and exercising regimens once in perimenopause, to obey the new physiological demands. Inconvenient at first? Hell yes! It’s however taught me to become better aware of what my mind and body are telling me – I’ve got more respect for my needs and have learnt the joy of becoming strong with strength exercises (I can now see my biceps! Don’t mind my son, disrespecting my guns…), and the magic of deep breathing (literally magic).
At my ripe age, I’m currently learning to swim; with age comes wisdom, but with wisdom comes heightened caution, risk aversion which is not the best when learning a new skill. The best thing my swimming instructor has told me is that water is my best friend; water will carry me if I trust it and relax in it. If not, well, I’m calling for a fight with it, which might not bode well for me…It’s about perspective. Perimenopause is natural and inevitable; by learning more about our body, we get to accept it and even enjoy the new being we’re becoming.
Acceptance keeps the doctor away. Certain things ought not to be forced! In relation to Others, I’ve learned that my logic, my perception of life is not necessarily common sense. I am my own person, others are others, and it is paramount to identify with whom you can create and with whom you can’t. Am I advocating the ghettoization of minds like the freaking social media algorithms know well to do? In certain cases, yes. Protect your sanity: read the room, accept what you’re shown from others and act accordingly, drink your water and mind your business. Accept the vicissitudes life offers; what else can we do? We can only espouse them and endeavour to turn them to our advantage. Accepting what is liberates; it is a lesson that has reverberated in my life these last few years, a lesson life constantly throws at me. Say yes, embrace, be flexible, adjust, reevaluate…and be grateful!
Wishing you a zen festive season !!!
Book recommendations:
The rushing woman syndrome, Dr Libby Weaver
Fast like a girl, Dr Mindy Pelz
THE OBSERVANT CHICK 
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