| As my fiftieth year comes to a close I find myself reflecting on the past year. It was a year of firsts, a year of discovery and most of all a year filled with joy. Here is my fiftieth year in review...five at a time... |
Word of the Year: JOY 1. The emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure;elation. 2. A source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated. 3. The expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety. 4. A state of happiness or felicity.
Things That Brought Me Joy
- Ending a stressful sales job and spending more time with my best friend, Andy.
- Gaining a new grandchild.
- Watching a son graduate from college.
- Making Meditation and Yoga part of my daily practice.
- Watching all my children learn their way and appreciating their unique personalities.
Stuff I Learned
- Happiness is a total mind-body connection.
- Meditation and Yoga are the language of my soul.
- Being a writer and eventually a published author is no different than the pursuit of any profession. You have to pay your dues.
- Rejection letters don’t hurt as much as I thought.
- Taking care of ones health is paramount to finding joy.
Things I Could Have Done Better
- My health. It’s about giving myself permission to pursue my own health, guilt free.
- Keeping in contact with my extended family.
- Eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed food.
- Organizing my work day and being a more productive writer.
- Seeing the positive in others, including myself.
Stuff I Did or Accomplished
- Attended my first Writers Conference and pitched to agents.
- Began to actively pursue resolving my health issues.
- Received my first rejection letters.
- Learned how to do nothing and not feel guilty.
- Finished and polished my first middle grade novel.
As I peer into my fifty-first year, I'm looking forward to...
- Visiting more of my family that live far-away and contact them regularly.
- Attend two writing conference’s this year.
- Complete twice as many writing projects.
- Increase my social platform.
- Traveling outside the U.S. and I’m not talking about Canada.
Someone told me that I should keep my age on the down-low, professionally. I'm proud of my life experience and the time I've had to learn. And besides, every 7 and a half seconds a baby boomer turns fifty. I'm in damn good company!!
Love this post and the way you reflected on your 50th year. And you should be proud of your life experience. :)
ReplyDeleteYou ARE in damn good company! I turn 51 in October (heh! You're older!) and my 50th year has been groundbreaking in so many ways. Funny your focus on health... I've been doing the same thing. Maybe it's realizing "the rest of my life" is shrinking; maybe it's because the aches and pains are getting more noticeable but, for whatever reason, it certainly is a year for taking stock and improving one's health.
ReplyDeleteAnd hey, you're welcome to Canada any darn time you want!
Happy Birthday!
Sounds like you had an awesome year. You've accomplished a lot and it's important to appreciate those things we do accomplish. I hope 51 is just as good. I need to get back into my meditation and yoga and walking again. Hopefully when my daughter starts school I'll have a bit more time so I can squeeze it all in. Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteThat's terrific! What a great look back. I'm sure 51 will be great too!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for the comments. You are all a big part of the joy I have.
ReplyDeleteIt's been great getting to know you this year, Pam. I hope you have a wonderful 51st year!
ReplyDeleteInspiring post, Pam! My 50th year was important for different reasons (not least of which was surviving a rupture). But now that I'm 56, it seems so long ago!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday and here's to a productive year.
Oh, and could you please add me to your MMGM sidebar? I've been doing MMGM reviews since Nov 2010. Thanks! You're already in my links.
ReplyDeleteAs Andy Capp said,you can stop telling your age when your age starts telling on you ;) I'm happy to hear about the mind/body interaction, and the Yoga. I'd love to get into it, but with my current schedule/budget, it's a lower priority. I still have the opportunity to do breathing excercises at work, though.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated your comments on my Blog, about the difference between religious/political rhetoric and genuine concern.
Hi Pam - glad to meet you as you triumphantly sail into your next year. My fiftieth year was great - I met my sweet patootie, did a marathon in Dublin, and moved out to the wondrous Prospect Bay - where the whales and the dolphins cavort. I'm hoping my sixtieth year will be as wondrous. I turn 60 on the winter solstice and will be happy to contemplate more meditation (long time Buddhist), some retreats, a trip to Paris, and a whole lot of writing!
ReplyDeleteI'll be back...
thanks for the comment on my fire & ice poem.
Pam, What a wonderful reflection on your milestone year! The word that came to me this year was "joy," too! Mine was that I am to "be" joy. Enjoy your 50s and honor yourself as "queen of your world" (integrity, dignity, self-confidence, taking charge of your destiny, and welcoming respect from others). (My mother told me that when I turn 70, I can become an Empress). :) OH, and congratulations on your first rejections....you are closer to your dream!
ReplyDeleteOh, my goodness, what wonderful comments and wishes. The other day I'd read that it was a bad idea to reveal your age in the writing world, especially if you write children's books. I've always been proud of my age, I worked damn hard to get here. But, I was still a little nervous about it. Thanks for all the support! I think I'll just toss that with the rest of hooey that I sometimes read about publishing, like the attitude that agents are temperamental divas/ divos? that must be handled with kit gloves.
ReplyDelete