Today on this day of days, the calendar flips over and I pause. I have been alive for 18,263 days. Significant, no? Yes, today I enter my 50’s as a new initiate. I have this feeling of starting over, of being a freshman again.
I have approached this birthday with curiosity, wondering how I would feel about it. I have several friends also turning 50 this year and I have heard everything from worry to shock to dismay. But I don’t really feel any of those things. I am most struck by wonder — have fifty years really gone by already?! And I’m struck by the sense of a new beginning, a new era.
I like to start new things with an intention. Anyone who has taken my class, Seven Days to Sanctuary, knows how much I love intentions. And today seems like a perfect day for a fresh one.
So here we go.
This year I intend to EXPAND. Some of the things I want to expand are:
- My mind
- My ability to cope with the zaniness life throws at me
- My horizons
- My ability to show love to the people around me
- My compassion
- The quality of my leadership
- The stillness inside me
- My retirement savings (hey, don’t we all?)
- My sanctuary practice
- My understanding of the political landscape so I can vote with clarity and intelligence this November
- My focus on what is truly meaningful to me
- The number of minutes I spend laughing
- My ability to swallow pills without gagging (this is a thing for me)
- My productivity system (David Allen and his Getting Things Done has revolutionized my 40’s, can you imagine what will happen in my 50’s?!)
- My perspective
- My Lisa-ness (what is this? Read on!)
And of course there are a few things I don’t want to expand as well:
- My waistline
- My frustration at the wrongs in our world today
- My fear of what might happen
- My debt owed to Bank of America, specifically
So what happens with this newfound awareness? The biggest revelation is that I have never been more ME than I am, right now, today. And that is a magical, beautiful thing.
Dr. Seuss said, “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is youer than you.”
I think he might have been writing that to me, in honor of my birthday. Thank you, Dr. Seuss. Sometimes we all need permission to be more ourselves and less what we think the world expects us to be.
So what about YOU? What makes you youer than you? I’d love to hear. Tell me in the comments below.
With love, gratitude and sips of champagne (after all, it’s a special day),
Lisa
Hi Dear Lisa. I love this letter. I also turned 50 two weeks ago. I too felt wonder and excitement not the dismay that I have heard from others. I also feel a new beginning. However, the wonder and reality of how time is so precious has left me with a new perspective and a feeling of needing to achieve goals more efficiently. I love how you wrote about your expansions! I will make an expansion list too..thank you for being you!!
Love,
Cristal
Oh Cristal, you are amazing. Love you right back. xo
Happy Birthday Lisa! I loved your post. I remember turning 50 and that feeling like it was a whole new world and that I didnt have to prove anything anymore to anyone. It was very liberating to feel like you could finally be yourself!! I guess it takes us 50 years to mature to that point and I had to leave the east and move to Texas to figure out who I was. Wide open space is what I needed. Room to make mistakes w/out judgement.
My 50’s were incredibly challenging with our daughters health and trying to maintain my business, but they were fantastic too. Im kind of a decade behind everyone cause I lost 10 years due to illness, so I feel like the best is yet to come.
You will have SO much fun and start new beginnings in this magical decade. I also remember being frustrated like “why didnt i have this level of confidence I have now when i really needed it in my 30s?” But we are who we are when we are, growing and evolving all the time. All the decades are so unique. 50 is FABULOUS and so are you!!! Now im relishing my 6th decade which gets even better. Enjoy!!! Xoxo ❤
Thank you Deborah! What a lovely message. Here’s to new beginnings. xo
Welcome to the fab fifties. This is only the beginning, life definitely gets better at 50. Onwards and upwards. 50 is the new 40s. Happy happy half century, only another 50 to go.
Thank you Holly! The fab fifties — I LIKE IT! 🙂
Lisa, Happy Fab Fifty Birthday!! I love your intentions, all of them, especially inner stillness. I celebrated this year as well and I agree, with WONDER and curiosity with a dash of arthritis LOL Thank you for taking on your Finding Sanctuary journey, you have enriched my life. Blessings for health and adventures to come sister.
Jana I simply adore you. A dash of arthritis indeed. 🙂 Thank you for enriching my life as well. xo
You are such a beautiful soul my friend. I want to half of your wisdom and inspiration at 50! I know you will reach all you want. You put out so much good to the world! Love
Cheryl