When Life Throws Lemons at You...

 When Life Throws Lemons at You…

 

Life believes in raising us to be strong resilient individuals, and hence I believe, throws the odd lemon at us and asks us to turn the sour lemon into sweet lemonade. Like everybody else, life has given me my fair share of lemons and I understand that I will always have that stock of lemons. Every time I’m handed a lemon, I know there is a lesson to be learnt from the challenge.  When I first receive the lemons, lemonade is the last thing on my mind. I ‘m furious, agitated, depressed, worried and confused and I say it okay to feel that way.  Then slowly sanity and reason begin to prevail and thoughts about lemonade begin to surface. Then I’m hard at work trying to turn the lemons into lemonade.  I’m grateful for the lessons I’ve learned because of the lemons, whether it was health, relationships or money. The lessons have been painful but I know they will hold me in good stead for a lifetime.

When life throws lemons at you, turn them into lemonade is a popular metaphor encouraging us to take a positive attitude in times of crisis. The sour lemon represents the crisis, and the lemonade represents the sweetness, lesson and positivity that can emerge from the situation. Difficult as it may be, you are called to keep going, put on your thinking cap, and find a solution and not crumble under the weight of hopelessness and defeat. I reiterate, that every lemon comes with a lesson. You emerge wiser and stronger as long as you don’t let negativity take over.

Being positive does not mean pretending all is well and the situation doesn’t exist. It means maintaining hope and learning to thrive in difficult situations.

Thus when you are handed lemons:

·       Stay positive and hopeful

 

·       Look for the silver lining

 

·       Let your struggle be a source of learning, empowerment and growth.

 

·       Take to heart the lesson learned from each challenge.

 

What do you do when you are handed lemons?

 

This post is part of the BlogChatterHalfMarathon challenge.

 

Image credit – Freepik images

What Turning Sixty Means to Me

 

 

I recently celebrated my sixtieth birthday with some excitement and trepidation. It is a significant milestone and I am amazed by the swift passage of time.  As I begin a new chapter in my life, I’m given to reflection, introspection and gratitude.  Chronologically, I am sixty and grey-haired but I don’t feel sixty, except when that little voice in my head says to me, “Remember you are a little beyond middle-aged”. A cousin lightheartedly reminds me to avail myself of senior citizen discounts and bank interest rates. That will take some time to get used to. I ‘m enjoying that unique sense of freedom that comes with age.

My Thoughts:

 

Reflection and Introspection: I look back on the life I lived,  the challenges I ‘ve overcome, the friends I made, the friends I’ve lost or drifted apart from my thoughts, actions and reactions during each stage of life, the joys and sorrows experienced and the lessons I ‘ve learned.

 

Wisdom: Six decades has left me with bountiful wisdom, a tad bit more wit and loads of experience.  The age-old adage that with age comes wisdom holds. There is so much that I would not do or say today, that I previously did and said without a second thought. I no longer care about what people say or think about me. Each is entitled to his or her opinion as I am to mine.  I’ve eliminated toxic relationships and feel so much lighter.   

 

A new chapter:  I have completed certain responsibilities, the children are all grown up, the nest is emptying and I’m excited to explore and learn. I’m learning every step of the way as I read, write, travel, hone my gardening skills, improve my technical skills and knowledge and let my curiosity get the better of me.

 

Health and Aging: Aging is a natural process, and I am concerned about the challenges that come with it.I am not as strong as I used to be and my energy levels have dropped but I am glad to be able to do, what I do.  

I have adopted a healthy lifestyle focusing on diet, nutrition, exercise and mental health to the best of my ability.  I do have random thoughts about my mortality, especially in the recent past when friends aged 60, passed away quite suddenly.  Instead of dwelling on the dark side, I remind myself to live life to the fullest and prioritize what truly matters.

 

Hopes and Dreams: There are places I want to travel to, books I want to read, friends I want to meet, cuisine I want to try and a grandma I want to be.

 

I feel blessed to have made it to sixty amid struggles and challenges and am grateful to the people who have helped me along the way.  I’ve learnt to survive and bloom where I’ve been planted.

 

Have you celebrated a milestone birthday? How did you feel?

This post is part of the #BlogChatterHalfMarathon challenge

 It's a Google image. 

I, Me, Myself : Embracing self- care for a better you

 I, Me, Myself

 

“Self–care is giving people the best of you, instead of the rest of you." says writer Katie Reed.  Self-care is not being selfish, it is just that you also give priority to your needs and wants, without guilt and look to fulfilment and contentment. Unless you are whole and happy, can you help others to be the same. The popular metaphor, “You can’t pour out of an empty cup” sums it up.

As a society, we will ‘battle on’ despite the odds against us. We tend to expend more energy than we create, leading to burnout. This doesn’t happen all at once but builds momentum and one fine day snowballs into a crisis. Knowing your limitations and striking a balance is crucial towards keeping your cup full.

How does your cup become empty?

When you are constantly prioritizing the needs of others, race to meet targets, and push yourself to do more, you suffer burnout and your cup begins to empty. You can address the situation by practising self-care or acting to protect and improve your well–being and happiness.

 

Physical –self–care.

·       Adequate rest: Prioritize sleep and rest. A well-rested person is better equipped to take on the day's challenges. Aim for at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night.

 

·      Exercise: A sedentary lifestyle is detrimental to your health. Besides your daily workout, incorporating movement into your daily routine is important. Exercise improves immunity and personally, I feel more energized after a good workout.

 

·       Nutrition: Eat to nourish and strengthen your body. Focus on a balanced diet replete with wholesome and nourishing food.

 

·       Hydration: Drink plenty of water,  healthy juices and soups.

·       Health check-ups: Do not miss out on regular health check-ups and stay on top of preventive care.

Emotional Self - Care

Set boundaries: When you think of self–care, think of setting boundaries. Feel free to say no if the interaction or task overwhelms you.

·       Financial health:  -  Tracking your expenses and building a safety net for yourself is a major step towards improving your financial health and prioritizing self–care.

·       Journaling: Journaling helps you process your thoughts, feelings and emotions. It is therapeutic.

·       Strong Support System:   A strong support system includes friends, family and mental health professionals. Confide in trusted individuals to feel less overwhelmed and more in control.

·       Practice gratitude: Reflect on and be thankful for blessings in your life.

·       Engage in activities that you love: Express your creativity and emotions through any form of art or activity like music, writing, drawing, painting, or gardening 

Spiritual Self - Care

·   Commune with nature: Take long walks, enjoy the sunlight and night sky, breathe in fresh air, and listen to the birds. Just let the joys of nature wash over you.

·     Meditation and Mindfulness: Focus on the present moment, quiet your mind and connect with your inner self.

·       Read spiritual texts: Find peace and inner healing in spiritual texts and sacred writings.

·     Practise forgiveness and letting go: Work on releasing all the negative emotions that you may harbour. Let go of situations that you cannot control and move on.

 

·     Digital Detox: Disconnect from gadgets and devices every once –in –a while and cultivate inner peace.

 

Finally, life is to be enjoyed, and you will enjoy life, only if you are the best and happiest version of yourself. Besides, you don’t want to be a bother to others, so take care of yourself to the best of your ability. Give yourself permission to take a break. Self-care is not something that you indulge in occasionally, it is a change of lifestyle that you must adhere too. Love and care for yourself and keep that cup brimming. Experiment and use what resonates with you.

 

“I lied and said I was busy.
I was busy;
but not in a way most people understand.

I was busy taking deeper breaths.
I was busy silencing irrational thoughts.
I was busy calming a racing heart.
I was busy telling myself I am okay.

Sometimes, this is my busy -
and I will not apologize for it.”
― Brittin Oakman

Share an uncommon self-care practice that has worked for you.

This post is part of the #BlogchatterHalfMarathon

Image credit - Pixabay. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Tress Stress

 Are your tresses in distress? Your friendly neighbourhood stylist has a solution for every kind of stress - distress. I turned sixty recently and have sported a salt-pepper head of hair for quite a few years. Although many of my peers complain about having 'hair issues' I'm proud of my head of hair. Many remain intrigued by my silver strands and wonder why I have still not dyed my hair.

I am not sure why I have not got down to dyeing my hair or getting those highlights.  As of now, I am comfortable with the way my hair looks. Most of the silver strands take cover beneath the peppered ones. A few choose to peek out and I am pretty okay with that. I will undoubtedly look better or worse with dyed hair. When I am not okay with the way my hair looks, I will consider dyeing and highlighting. After all, a woman is not judged by the colour of her hair. Someone even remarked, "Now that your sons have grown up, "why don't you colour your hair?".
 So what is the big deal? I love my hair, just the way it is. Just because every Jane, Jill and Jessie colours her hair,  must I dye mine? I have seen older women age ever so gracefully - silver-haired and poised to perfection. Silver or blue, it is your heart that must sport the right colour.