Today marks 27 years since I was born. Hot damn I'm getting closer and closer to 30 and just the thought scares the crap out of me!
For my birthday, I thought I'd join in with the blogging prompt and list some things I've learned, mostly in the past year.
1. I am a multipotentialite . I thrive on learning new techniques and crafty ways of making new things.
2. Experiences are better than stuff. The best birthday present ever was a trip to the Eden Project and a night in a B&B.
3. Time is better than money. I've recently reduced my hours at work, and it has made a massive difference to my daily life.
4. I am a natural born packrat....
5. ....And an aspiring minimalist.
6. Forgiving doesn't change the past, but lightens my heart in the present and changes the future.
7. Change is the only thing that doesn't change.
8. Imperfection is beautiful. I don't think I fully believe this lesson yet, but I'm practising all the time with dropping perfectionism.
9. I have high empathy - and carry some traits of a highly sensitive person (HSP). I don't particularly like that term though. But I'm comfortable with being an empathic introvert.
10. I am a self-help, spiritual and personal growth glutton. I can't get enough of books and blogs on these topics.
11. Finding a tribe that I can relate to is a good way to be comfortable with certain aspects of my personality. Susannah Conway's journalling course made me less embarrassed about my incurable stationery/art supply/paint/felt tip/pencil addiction. I bought new felt tips for my birthday.
12. My unofficial internet/blogging mentor is Andrea Schroeder. She is an amazing woman, and I love her work. She inspires me to continue on my creative journey.
13. Letting go is hard, but worth it. I get to say bye to the old, and hello to the new.
14. Photography is my new passion. It grounds me in simple beauty.
15. Personal growth and the development of self awareness never stops. There is always more to learn.
16. I doubt my ability to be accountable, and that is why I practise. I'm currently doing a push-up challenge with my partner, and we are accountable to each other in not giving up. I'm also practising with a new writing project. So far, being accountable and following through with something is a great boost to confidence.
17. My essentials are: writing, creating and photography.
18. Recovery for me is a lot about discovering who I am and being comfortable with it, embracing it. Hence the big list of "I am's" above!
19. I've only ever known the voice of my inner critic. My inner wisdom is still a faint whisper, but I can hear it if I listen carefully.
20. Meditation is not about achieving an empty mind. It's about noticing what happens, being aware, and then letting go.
21. Drawing mandalas helps me challenge my perfectionism and be comfortable with the creative process.
22. My purpose in this life is to help people in any way I can.
23. Mornings are quiet and beautiful. I never used to be a morning lark, but a night owl who never saw the possibility of change. Now I know that change is possible, and long held assumptions are open to challenge.
24. Self-belief is the most important thing for driving change.
25. We are all in this together, and can share our stories so others feel less alone.
26. Everyone has a voice, and everyone is unique. Your story is unique because you are telling it. Here's my TUT note from the Universe for today:
In fact, there's never been a single one like you, nor is there ever ANY possibility that another will come again. You're an Angel among us. Someone, whose eyes see what no others will EVER see, whose ears hear what no others will EVER hear, and whose perspective and feelings will NEVER, ever be duplicated. Without YOU, the Universe, and ALL THAT IS, would be sadly less than it is.
27. Vulnerability is not a weakness. A quote from Brene Brown's new book "Daring greatly":
Yes, we are totally exposed when we are vulnerable. Yes, we are in the torture chamber that we call uncertainty. And yes, we're taking a huge emotional risk when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable. But there's no equation where taking risks, braving uncertainty, and opening ourselves up to emotional exposure equals weakness.
I've made pancakes with maple syrup and banana, gone blackberry picking, eaten too much chocolate and dessert, was given beautiful flowers and am going out to dinner tonight. Reflecting on the above lessons suddenly makes getting a year older a bit less scary.
I hope your week is filled with beautiful moments :)
Wow! What a fantastic reflection on your past year! Just think of how much more you can achieve in the next twelve months with all the efforts you've been making towards personal growth! :-)
ReplyDeleteNo.6 really stands out for me.
I've learned two things from this post... One is what a Mandala is and the other would be that you're actually a year older than I forsomereason thought you were! Awakening the Seeds of Change sounds a lot easier than the 'Sedds' it looked like you tried to write before... ;-)
Sounds like you've had a wonderful birthday, Linda. :-)
Thank you Olly.
ReplyDeleteIt was really helpful to reflect on the lessons I've been learning, most of them recent.
Hehe, yes, I'm now closer to 30 than I want to be! oh well.
I had a fight with my inner critic about the spelling mistake, but thing is, I couldn't start again, and erasing/tippexing is not an option, because those mandalas are by definition imperfect! They are a practise in dropping perfectionism, so if I make a mistake, I have to live with it. Uncomfortable, for sure, but an important lesson for me.