50+ Lessons at 50

Big birthdays are a time for reflection and while I had a goal to share 50 lessons at 50, I came up with a few extra (which only makes sense since my word of the year for 2024 was "extra") and got busy enjoying my life so I'm posting as we close out 2024 instead.

I snapped this photo at Caesar Creek State Park in southwest Ohio during my birthday month in October while on a lovely hike in the woods with friends.

#GetLiving

1. Celebrate everything.

2. Send handwritten thank you notes.

3. Take pictures that capture the essence of your party/event/celebration and tell a story - less poses and more behind-the-scenes.

4. Step out of your comfort zone.

5. Try something new - a food, a hobby, a vacation spot, a social group.

6. Do something that scares you, even just once.

7. Read - anything, everything, and not just online.

8. Get dressed (and out of your sweats/jammies) - for yourself. Wake up, put your face on and slay the day.

9. Be intentional with your time - what you’re doing and who you are doing it with matters.

10. Smell good. Perfume, deodorant, body spray, detergent, soap….it puts pep in your step.

11. Use your vacation days - you can’t take them with you and you aren’t winning points for working yourself to exhaustion.

12. Learn to be content alone.

13. Dance.

14. Put effort into friendships.

15. Give compliments like candy - at least one a day.

16. Make time for play!

17. Get outside. Breathe fresh air. Sit in the sunshine.

18. Prioritize your sleep.

19. When you get something out, put it back where it goes when you’re finished.

20. Pick up the phone - call your family and friends, let them hear your voice.

21. Don’t wait for ‘the perfect moment/time/season”

22. Volunteer.

23. Be confident in who you are.

24. Make your house festive, warm and inviting.

25. Decorate for everything - every holiday and occasion, even if you’re the only one to see it

26. Dress your best - be it formal or frivolous - put your best foot forward, always.

27. Share your gifts with others. You have skills and knowledge to share. Don’t keep it to yourself.

28. Go to the doctor. Take care of your health.

29. Collect as many friends as you can.

30. Play music - loud! - in your house or your car and focus on the lyrics, not just the melody.

31. Learn how to fix things - or at least who to call to help you fix them. YouTube for the win!

32. Travel. See the world and immerse yourself in other cultures.

33. Walk - get your steps in when and where you can. Movement matters. As my mama says, ‘motion is lotion’ for your body. Keep it movin!

34. Talk to strangers. Ask them questions. Learn their stories.

35. Learn people’s names - consider the security guard, mailman, custodian, drive thru worker. Watch their face light up when you use it. People love to hear their own name.

36. If something feels like a ‘sign’ to you, don’t ignore it, listen to it!

37. Look for connections - in information, in people, in your work.

38. Embrace your own craziness.

39. Laugh, as much and as often as you can.

40. Be present. Put your phone down and your eyes up.

41. Tell the truth, even if it’s uncomfortable.

42. Be bold.

43. Call your mom, and your dad.

44. Save handwritten notes and cards, you’ll appreciate them later.

45. Don’t wait for ‘some’day - do whatever it is TODAY!

46. Print your pictures! Don’t leave them on your device never to be looked at again. Hang ‘em up, put them in an album, mail them to a friend.

47. Take videos. You’ll love looking back to see and HEAR the important people in your life.

48. Don’t choose something in order to avoid another.

49. Splurge on something - YOU deserve it.

50. Stop worrying about what other people think. I’m certain they aren’t worrying about you.

51. Ignore the dust bunnies and dirt. Nobody cares if everything is spic and span - they care about your hospitality and how you make them feel.

52. Set boundaries as bridges to invite the right things in, not to keep the wrong things out.

53. Learn something new - about yourself, the world, your people.

54. Love yourself - exactly as you are!