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The Best is Yet to Come

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Lisa Speers pondering her intentions for next year…

โ„‚๐•’๐•Ÿ ๐•จ๐•– ๐•“๐•– ๐••๐• ๐•Ÿ๐•– ๐•จ๐•š๐•ฅ๐•™ โ„•๐•–๐•จ ๐•๐•–๐•’๐•ฃโ€™๐•ค โ„๐•–๐•ค๐• ๐•๐•ฆ๐•ฅ๐•š๐• ๐•Ÿ๐•ค ๐•’๐•๐•ฃ๐•–๐•’๐••๐•ช?

How many years have I set New Yearโ€™s Resolutions only to start berating myself a few weeks later for my lack of follow-through?

Sadly, too many years to count.

So a couple of years ago, I decided there had to be a better way. I started channeling โ€œmy inner-Dr. Philโ€ and asking myself, โ€œ๐™ƒ๐™ค๐™ฌโ€™๐™จ ๐™ฉ๐™๐™–๐™ฉ ๐™ฌ๐™ค๐™ง๐™ ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™›๐™ค๐™ง ๐™ฎ๐™–?โ€

Well, year after year, New Yearโ€™s Resolutions have not worked for meโ€”zero, nada, end of story.

Apparently, Iโ€™m not alone.

According to one study, only 9% of those who set New Yearโ€™s Resolutions successfully keep them for a full year.

With those odds, itโ€™s crazy that millions of us keep making themโ€”let alone consider the fact that the majority quit within the first month.

๐—ฆ๐—ผ. ๐—ช๐—ต๐˜†. ๐——๐—ผ. ๐—ช๐—ฒ. ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐˜. ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—บ?

Hope, ๐™„ ๐™œ๐™ช๐™š๐™จ๐™จ??

Thank goodness there is always hope, as it is a promise of better times ahead. Unfortunately, hope alone wonโ€™t get us where we want to go.

So what does work?

Well, of course, itโ€™s different for everyone, but here are 10 intentions that have been working for me, so I plan to carry them into next year.

Optimistic about the year to come

1) Graceโ€”Giving myself grace with the understanding that we are all on a journey, and at 50-something, some things are going to take time to unravel.

2) Presenceโ€”Making a daily intention to remain connected and to be present with my spouse, away-from-home kids, and the most important people in my life.

3) Authenticityโ€”To stop playing small. We are all unique and have something special to offer this world. It is a gift from our creator to find out what it is and how it might serve others.

3) Permissionโ€”Continuing to give myself permission to focus on my physical, mental and spiritual well-being. If youโ€™re like me and you havenโ€™t been doing thisโ€”itโ€™s time to put yourself on the list.

4) Consistencyโ€”this was my word for 2022. I put it as a weekly reminder on my calendar, encouraging me to keep going with what was serving me and let go of what was not. It has served me well; I plan to keep it for 2023.

5) Failure is not a 4-letter wordโ€”I have always learned more from what hasnโ€™t worked for me than what has. So, now I welcome these sometimes painful lessons because theyโ€™re like a compass pointing me toward a better, more well-suited path.

6) Lifelong learningโ€”Embracing the idea that itโ€™s okay not to know how to do somethingโ€ฆYET.

7) Listening to myselfโ€”Honoring my needs and giving myself permission to rest, go on an adventure, and simply be more in tune with what I need in the moment.

9) Awarenessโ€”Being keenly aware of the positive and negative messages I tell myself. Can we be done with negative self-talk once and for all? It has never served anyone. If this speaks to you, I pray you will leave behind all the negative messages youโ€™ve been telling yourself.

10) Remember to have funโ€”Let’s do more things that bring joy to our lives and find reasons to laugh until our faces hurt. ๐˜ฝ๐™š๐™ฌ๐™–๐™ง๐™š: Joy is infectious and spreads easilyโ€”no mask required!

๐Ÿฅณ ๐™’๐™ž๐™จ๐™๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™– ๐™ฃ๐™š๐™ฌ ๐™ฎ๐™š๐™–๐™ง ๐™ฉ๐™๐™–๐™ฉ ๐™ช๐™ง๐™œ๐™š๐™จ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™™๐™ค ๐™ข๐™ค๐™ง๐™š ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ฌ๐™๐™–๐™ฉ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™๐™–๐™ซ๐™š ๐™—๐™š๐™š๐™ฃ ๐™ฅ๐™ช๐™ฉ๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ค๐™›๐™› ๐™›๐™ค๐™ง ๐™– ๐™ข๐™ž๐™ก๐™ก๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃ ๐™™๐™ž๐™›๐™›๐™š๐™ง๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฉ ๐™ง๐™š๐™–๐™จ๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™จ ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™š๐™ฃ๐™˜๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง๐™–๐™œ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™ก๐™š๐™ฉ ๐™œ๐™ค ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ฉ๐™๐™ค๐™จ๐™š ๐™ฅ๐™–๐™ง๐™ฉ๐™จ ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™ก๐™ž๐™›๐™š ๐™ฉ๐™๐™–๐™ฉ ๐™–๐™ง๐™š ๐™ฃ๐™ค ๐™ก๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™œ๐™š๐™ง ๐™จ๐™š๐™ง๐™ซ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช.

-๐™’๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ ๐™ข๐™ช๐™˜๐™ ๐™–๐™™๐™ข๐™ž๐™ง๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃ, ๐Ÿ’—๐™‡๐™ž๐™จ๐™– ๐™Ž๐™ฅ๐™š๐™š๐™ง๐™จ

*๐™’๐™๐™–๐™ฉ ๐™ฌ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ก๐™™ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™–๐™™๐™™ ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™ฉ๐™๐™ž๐™จ ๐™ก๐™ž๐™จ๐™ฉ? ๐™‹๐™ก๐™š๐™–๐™จ๐™š ๐™จ๐™๐™–๐™ง๐™šโ€”๐™„ ๐™ฌ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ก๐™™ ๐™ก๐™ค๐™ซ๐™š ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™ ๐™ฃ๐™ค๐™ฌ.

๐ŸŽŠ Starting off the year with an introductionโ€”I have sprinkled this page with bits and pieces about my marriageโ›ช, family, and myself this last year, but I have never made a bona fide introduction as the creator behind The Evolving Nest. 

Thank you so much for following along! I’m Lisa.โœ‹ I grew up in the days when no one locked their doors and our parents had no idea where we were all day.โ€œJust be home by dinner,โ€ my mom would say. I went to middle, high school, and college all in the โ€˜80sโ€”graduating from the University of Oregon in 1990. (If you’re a GenโŒer yourself, this alone tells you a lot about me.) 

I am 53 and met my best friend and husband of almost 30 years in college.๐Ÿ’˜ We have three grown kidsโ€”25๐Ÿ‘ฆ, 21๐Ÿ‘ฆ, and 18๐Ÿ‘งโ€”two are in college, and one is working hard. Our oldest has autism๐Ÿงฉ; he’s super independent and has the best disposition in the universe. 

Aside from my familyโ€”I love sugar-free vanilla lattesโ˜•, travel adventures๐ŸŒด, lying on the couch with my hubby binge-watching the latest, Jesus, coffee with friends/Girls Weekends, visiting our kids at college, listening to books ๐Ÿ“˜ while I walk, and connecting with other creators online. My guilty pleasures are eating nacho cheese sauce๐Ÿง€ and sneaking mini-Reeses cups.

I started The Evolving Nest when our youngest was a junior in high school. (๐Ÿ’กIf you are nearing empty-nesting, and are thinking about a new venture, I highly recommend beginning something before your youngest leaves the nest.) Yes, it can be scary to try something new. I still find it hard to put myself out there at times, but rewards have been innumerable.๐Ÿ†

The Evolving Nest is all about discovering YOU ๐Ÿ’Ÿ. For many of us, it’s more about REDISCOVERING ourselves AGAIN. It certainly was for me, with some nuances that surprised me along the way. 

Our lives are made up of many chapters ๐Ÿ“•, and at midlife, we still have exciting adventures to write about. The Evolving Nest is just a catchy way to ask, “What’s next?”

What is your Part Twoโ“   

This page initially started as a blog to share marriage stories from a variety of perspectives but it has grown and changed over time. (Just like us.๐Ÿ˜‰) I still plan to share stories but also much more about making the most of the years ahead, adventures in empty-nesting, and so much more.

Iโ€™ll share tips from my own thirty years of marriage, as well as advice from experts on moving toward your passion, having fun empty-nesting, and keeping the passion alive and well in your marriage.

I hope this page inspires๐Ÿ’ซ you to better understand yourself, your partner ๐Ÿฅฐ, and what energizes๐Ÿ’ฅ you to get out of bed each morning. 

Thank you again for joining me on this journey, lisa@evolvingnestwithlisa.com

* I’d love to hear your thoughts about marriage, midlife, and empty-nesting. Please don’t hesitate to reach out, and if you’re a writer or aspiring to be one, I’d love to consider sharing your story on The Evolving Nestโ€”Empty Nesting & More.

Original Source of Quote Unknown

I saw a post by Simon Holland, writer and comic, this morning on social media that said:

“๐—œ๐˜’๐˜€ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด,”๐—บ๐˜† ๐˜„๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ณ ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐˜€.”

And I immediately shared it with my husband and close friends as that is exactly, me. Here, in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, we haven’t seen measurable rainfall since spring.

So the forecast alerting us to over an inch of rain this weekend, along with lower temperatures, is being met with enthusiastic hoorays from everyone.

Personally, my โ€˜Harvest Decorโ€™ has been up since a few days before September (don’t judge), as it hallmarks the “cozy” time of yearโ€”and I just couldn’t wait.

But, when I really think about the symbolism of what “Autumn” represents, I’m definitely not the first to dive in and accept that this new season is upon us.

Over 20 years ago, Christian recording artist, Nichole Nordeman, wrote the song “Every Season,” in which she describes the physical, metaphorical, and spiritual purpose of each season of life.

It has become a sort of anthem for me, recognizing that God is with me, no matter where I’m at in life. The song begins with a vibrant description of summerโ€”when life is full and abundant.

Sure, it may seem overcrowded with busyness at times, so there is not a lot of time for reflectionโ€”just going, going, going. Having gone through the struggles of many winters of life, “Summer” is where I long to set up camp to create and savor every memory I can make.

But now, I find this verse of the song resonating most:

“And even when the trees have just surrendered
To the harvest time
Forfeiting their leaves in late September
And sending us inside
Still, I notice You when change begins
And I am braced for colder wind
I will offer thanks for what has been and what’s to come
You are autumn.”

You see, I’m one of those people who does not like to embrace “change.” I love tradition, routine, and yes, I’ll admit itโ€”control.

CHANGE messes with all of that.

So, for longer than I care to admit, I thought I could beat CHANGE at its own game by preparing for it. I would imagine what a life would look like when my son and daughter eventually launched from our nest. I would ponder the traditions and holidays and how that might be obliterated because of their absence. I would say farewell in my mind to the precious ongoing memories that we make together, as our family unit of four reduces to just two.

As you can imagine (and perhaps even relate to), this line of thinking wrecked me. And not only that, because I had tried to get such a head start in preparing for CHANGE, it was destructive to the moments I had in those final years where we were all together. Instead of embracing those moments, I was fretting over how those moments might be my last.

I remember the first time I watched a parade with my mom and saw those strange flaps next to the eyes of the beautiful Clydesdale draft horses. As she’s the expert in all things equine, I knew she’d have an answer. She explained they are called “Blinkers” and blind the horse from seeing anything to the rear and peripherally. They are used to prevent the horse from being distracted or spooked, especially on crowded city streets.

I’ve thought a lot about those little leather patches, as I believe that has been what God has gently been attempting to use on me, “blinders” to keep my focus on the present. He’s been nudging for this all along.

Still, perhaps the introduction of Covid, forest fires, and a further dividing climate in our country has forced me to accept this perspective or risk plummeting fully into a life of constant anxiety and worry. Instead of using my imaginary telescope to zoom in on what might be furthest on the horizon, God has instead said, “Focus right here, Steph, I don’t want you to miss what I do TODAY.”

He’s also encouraged me to find joy in all the memories and traditions of the past, but not mandate they be part of the blueprints of the future. As the Ultimate Architect, He may actually have something so much better.

Another quote I love is, “Autumn teaches us how beautiful it is to let things go.”

Again, I’ve loved this statement because fall brings out all the “feels” for me. I ooh and ahh at every notice of vibrance in the changing colors and eagerly anticipate the first frost and opportunity to wear a sweater. However, it has been uncomfortable to attempt to unpack that sentiment and apply it to my life.

Now, I am finally recognizing its truth. CHANGE can actually be beautiful.

In my own life, it dug up lost dreams and passions that had been set aside because my family came first. I was offered a position to take over a third-grade classroom, and it was like a part of my soul emerged from its dormant cocoon. It was scary, exhilarating, and so far beyond what I believed I was capable of doing or any plan I might have construedโ€”it ended up feeling like I had been made for just that position.

Likewise, my husband’s career transformed, offering more travel and responsibilities that ideally fit his personality but weren’t what was best for our family for two decades.

Trust me, as I share all of this, I still fail to keep this perspective on a daily basis. I’m constantly batting and pulling down those “blinkers” to see what others are doing at this stage of life or dwell in the concerns I have for what lies in the future.

But more importantly, I am starting to see the beauty in my own “Autumn” of life and perhaps the brilliance that comes from โ€˜changeโ€™ too.

1. Be silly!

2. Let your voice be heard. Donโ€™t subdue your voice to make others comfortable.

3. Always wear a black shirt while doing a presentation… sweat stains are a thing.

4. Hydration is your friend.

5. Falling in love is breathtaking.

6. Pass out compliments.

7. Floss!

8. Move your body each day.

9. Pay close attention to your gut.

10. Eat ice cream without any guilt.

11. Smile… you never know who needs it.

12. Putting on comfy clothes after a long day can change everything.

13. Sometimes all you need is a hug.

14. Reach out to a friend who has been distant and make sure everything is okay.

15. You can do anything for a short amount of time.

16. Make your bed each morning and open up the shades!

17. Sending a love letter in the mail is a beautiful thing.

18. Get fresh air each and every day, no matter the weather.

19. Own your opinions and feelings.

20. Always be your authentic self.

21. Sometimes a pink starburst can add a little bit of joy to your day.

22. Be open with your friends… you will all benefit.

23. Always challenge yourself.

24. Ask… the worse you can hear is no.

25. Laugh and laugh some more.

26. Hold hands.

27. Sometimes calling mom is all you need.

28. Love yourself beyond measure.

29. Take time to rest your body and mind.

30. Always know the world needs you!

Xoxo

Twas the end of the summer,
It just wasnโ€™t right.
Every beach chair was packed up,
And so were the kites.

two empty seats

Last grains of sand,
Shaken out of flip flops.
With dim hopes that fall shoes
could be found in mall shops.

Kids far and wide were sighing,
all mad in their beds,
With visions of homework
crammed in their heads.

And papa in his lounge pants,
And I in my shorts,
Were ready for anything,
Definitely done making โ€œforts.โ€

By Esther Goetz at Moms of Bigs

When checking our phones,
To see whatโ€™s on our plate,
We couldnโ€™t believe it,
It was already past 8.

Away to the kitchen,
I made a mad dash.
To see if we had snacks.
โ€œOh no, forgot the trash!โ€

The moon was all shiny,
Its man poking fun.โ€œ
Summer is over,
caput, gone, YUP, done!

โ€When thoughts to my wandering
mind did come clear,
The fall is upon us,
There are things we can cheer.

Like football, Like pumpkins,
Like lattes, Like scarecrows,
Like apples, Like sweatshirts,
Like cider, Like warm clothes.

To the ice cream truck songs!
To the fireworks all night!
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away! Thatโ€™s right!

Make room for the soup
The outdoor fireside chats.
Make room for the leaves,
Thank God, no more gnats!

As I came to my senses,
And was settling down,
A smile snuck to my lips,
No longer a frown.

Iโ€™ll be dressed in all manner of
sweatpants and hoodies,
Iโ€™ll feel so so cozy,
All ready for some goodies.

That Halloween will bring,
Thanksgiving too.
It wonโ€™t be just eats,
Itโ€™ll be lots of hugs, true.

I spoke no more words,
But went straight to my bed,
Said a prayer filled with thanks,
For what lies ahead.

And laying my head,
And closing my eyes,
My heart felt more settled,
โ€œMy goodness! Time flies!โ€

I rose one last time,
To check on my crew,
โ€œHappy Fall, my sweet ones,
Iโ€™m thankful for you!โ€

Debbie Prather, Author, and her son

A mother’s love letter to her son and daughter-in-law on their wedding dayโ€”

โ€œI love you, mom.โ€

โ€œHmmm?โ€

(A little louder) โ€œI love you, mom.โ€

โ€œI love you too, honey, so very much.โ€

Iโ€™d been deep in thought, listening to the song we were slowly dancing to.

I knew this mother/son moment of ours was supposed to be the time to say all the things, but this boy and I had already said all the things, so the lyrics to the melody played in our ears:

Hold the door say please say thank you
Don’t steal, don’t cheat, and don’t lie
I know you got mountains to climb but…

๐˜ผ๐™ก๐™ฌ๐™–๐™ฎ๐™จ ๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™–๐™ฎ ๐™๐™ช๐™ข๐™—๐™ก๐™š ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™ ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™™

When the dreams you’re dreamin’ come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but…

๐˜ผ๐™ก๐™ฌ๐™–๐™ฎ๐™จ ๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™–๐™ฎ ๐™๐™ช๐™ข๐™—๐™ก๐™š ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™ ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™™

As we moved from side to side, I felt in a dream and took in everything my senses could hold: the supportive, joyful faces looking on; the army of twinkling lights decorated throughout, reflected in the antique mirrors on the opposite wall; the warmth of his strong arms as we held each other.

๐™ƒ๐™ช๐™ข๐™—๐™ก๐™š ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™†๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™™โ€“

๐—ง๐˜„๐—ผ ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ, ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ป, ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ท๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐˜๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฏ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ.

I recall Spring Break of 2017. We traveled down to warmer weather and spent time with Brett, who, at the time, was living and working in Orlando.

He had recently been out with Abby, another student he knew in college when they were part of the same circle.

She had visited Florida, also, and messaged him, just two friends reconnecting, and they went out to eat together before she headed back to the midwest.

When he and I sat on the beach in St. Petersburg about a week afterward, I asked him to tell me all about their time.

He lit up, told me a bit, and then said, โ€œI donโ€™t know, I just have a really good feeling.โ€ Because of his words, I did too.

When we met Abby that summer, I immediately saw the qualities that Brett had used to describe her: kind, thoughtful, playful, smart, beautiful.

Brett fell for her fast, and so did we.

Brett’s gut instinct was right.

Our daughter-in-law, Abby, gives us all good feelings because sheโ€™s funny, sincere, creative, empathetic, hard-working, faith-filled, and full of love.

She has a special tenderness for dogs of every type, and she gives the best hugs! Unfortunately, she and I have experienced similar past heartache.

Like myself, Abby lost a parent to cancer at the time of her high school graduation.

We talked often about those profound losses in the early days of getting to know one another.

Abbyโ€™s grief was close to the surface, as itโ€™d been six years since her mom passed away at the time we met.

With over three decades out from losing my dad, I could express to her that the pain lessened a little more each year, although, never completely.

I suspect Abby was an old soul even before her mom went to heaven, but that event, and her awareness that life is fragile and precious, make her even more so today.

Sheโ€™s the perfect match for Brett: the match weโ€™ve prayed for since he was little.

As hard as it is watching our children grow up and leave the nest, thereโ€™s nothing better than seeing them start their own family, by marrying the one God had planned for them since the beginning of time.

The night of the wedding, when Brett and I were finishing our dance, the end verses struck me.

Donโ€™t take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where youโ€™re going donโ€™t forget turn back around
And help the next one in line.

๐˜ผ๐™ก๐™ฌ๐™–๐™ฎ๐™จ ๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™–๐™ฎ ๐™๐™ช๐™ข๐™—๐™ก๐™š ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™ ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™™

For many long years, to get where I was going, was to plead with God to give Craig and I strength and wisdom to raise our kids up right.

Now that they’re all but grown, I don’t take one second of it for granted.

I think of the generations that have gone ahead of us: their words of encouragement, their silent and spoken prayers, their admonitions and stories, their smiles and reassurances; extended from those who walked before and then alongside, getting us to this place.

Craig and I plan to assist, pray for, tell stories and jokes, and be there – please God be willing – in any way our children want or need in the years to come.

With a heart of gratitude, I thank the Lord for the blessing theyโ€™ve been to us, and for every single treasured, unique member that makes the love in our family vast and abundant.

๐—œ๐˜’๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐˜๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„, ๐—–๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ด’๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ, ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜…๐˜ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ฒ, ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ป ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ธ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฝ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜…๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ.

It’s a privilege, an honor, and an undeniable gift.

So are the riches of having humble and kind young adults that make me drop to my knees in gratitude . . . I’m a wealthy woman indeed.

Proverbs 22: 4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

Micah 6: 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.

All credit for Humble and Kind goes to Tim McGraw for his vocal talents and the writer of the song: Lori McKenna for her beautiful words.

Lisa Reinhart-Speers at 50-something…

I am turning 50-somethingโ€ฆ

I am grateful.

I am energized.

And I am optimistic.

I’ve been slowly unraveling latelyโ€”letting go. 

Letting go of the illusion of perfection.

When did I adopt this mindsetโ€”this burdenโ€”and why have I been carrying it around for so long? I’m not sure, but it has become too heavy to lug around any longer.

I feel lighter now. 

I was always striving for what I can now see it was an unattainable goal. For years, I’ve been waking up every morning thinking about all the things I didn’t check off my to-do list from the day before, how many carbs I ate and didn’t get in enough steps. I’ve allowed that pesky, small voice to whisper in a hundred different ways, “You are not enough.”

I am done.

I’m letting go of all this negative self-talk. Finally, realizing that I can do great things, just not all at the same time.

I’ll get done what I can today; the rest can wait till tomorrow. I am exercising for meโ€”not to count steps and then feel crappy because I didn’t walk 10,000 steps. I’m flipping the switch. I want to walk those steps to stay healthy, feel better, and keep up with my active family.

I’m grabbing hold of my life. 

I’m waking up grateful to be alive, healthy, and excited to be hereโ€”in the now.

Of course, I still need my caffeine-fix to get going, and some mornings my joints ache. I still have tough days that suck the life out of me, but I am also starting to listen to a kinder voice that has grown loud enough not to ignore. 

It’s gently urging meโ€”You got this! While graciously reminding me that time is precious.

Time has a beautiful way of showing us all what really matters.ย 

I have known this all along, we all know it, but it’s hard to wrap our minds around. We always feel we’ll have more time. Some of us will, but sadly, some of us will not.

So, I’m pursuing my passions and discovering new outlets for my creativity. I look forward to traveling and exploring places I’ve never beenโ€”I am excited for the world to open up again.

I am also grabbing hold of my 30-year marriage. I love my husband more passionately and with more depth than I ever thought possible. I didn’t know I could love him more today than twenty-plus years ago.ย 

We’re focusing on creating more intimacy in areas of our relationship that might have been a bit neglected while we were raising our kids. We are also more mindful of how we communicate our wants, needs, and desires with each other. 

We’re envisioning what the next phase of life might look like as our youngest heads off to college. We are asking ourselves, “how do we want to ‘fill our nest’? Especially since our nest might look slightly different as our oldest son, who has autism, will continue to live with us for a while longer. We know that sometimes it may be just my husband and me, but there will be three of us more often than not.

We are also considering with whom we want to spend our precious time. This is an important question. Of course, we hope our two adult children will continue to come home to visit, and they are always welcome to stay awhile. We miss not always being together.

We enjoy spending time with family and friends who support one another and lift each other up. This makes life interestingโ€”deep conversations around topics that matter. We don’t always get to see our friends and family who are scattered across the country, but that only makes getting together so much sweeter.

Turning fifty-something has been surprisingly good for me. I’m enjoying this unraveling of sortsโ€”this letting goโ€”while still holding on tight to what’s really important to me.

Photo credit Anna Shvets via Pexels

๐—›๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜† ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐˜‚๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ธ๐˜€ ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ฐ? The ‘Perfect Mom’ mask, the ‘Successful Business Person’ mask, or the ‘I Got It All Together’ masks…Almost everyone wears some sort of mask.

One woman shares her storyโ€”

Itโ€™s Time To Take Off The Mask by Faith in the Mess – Melissa Neeb, Writer

I wear a cloth mask everywhere now. It doesn’t really bother me.

What did bother me was the metaphorical one I wore for years. I wore a smile but it was a lie.

No one knew the pain I was in. It was difficult to even admit it to myself. I stuffed it down. Locked it up tight in my heart.

It was my box of darkness. Only mine.

So in the world, I pretended. I faked it. I told everyone I was fine. I was ok. I was good.

Those masks, layers of them, kept my secrets and tears hidden.  I hated who I had become but I didn’t know who to be anymore.

I came to the end of myself, the edge of the proverbial cliff. Dangling. Desperate. Alone.

Then I walked into a room and sat down with a bunch of strangers who could see the face behind the mask because they recognized the pain. They had worn it themselves. They had put it down and left it behind.

So slowly, my masks came off. One by one. Ever so carefully.

I didn’t have to be afraid of my reflection anymore. I could change. Grow. Transform into something I never imagined.

I could learn to love myself again.

And so, my smile turned real.

I was accepted. I was welcome here.

And so my masks stayed off.

And I never want to wear them again.

Is now the perfect time? What is holding you back?

For years, fear held me back from starting a blog, writing, or pursuing any projects I thought they might appearโ€” “frivolous.”

Who am I to start a blog?

There are so many accomplished writers out thereโ€” I’ll never be good enough.

How will I ever overcome all the technological hurdles of building and maintaining a website?

Well, something happened when I turned ’50’โ€”I let down my guard. I stopped trying to be perfect. I realized I didn’t want to look myself in the mirror on my 60th birthday, having still not launched the blog I had wanted to start in my early 40’s. The time is now!

What about you? Do you have a passion you’ve been wanting to pursue? I will tell you a secret…there will never be a perfect time to start, but it’s never too late and you are never too old.

Join me in my conversation with Amy Schmidt, the host of Fearlessly Facing Fifty about how I finally got the courage to pursue my passion.

Click on the link below: “EP 72: Making deeper connections with The Evolving Nest…

Amy launched her business and brand six months before turning 50. Her mission is to encourage women over forty to push fear aside and find that hidden treasure of confidence that may have been pushed aside for a while and not let this time of life allow them to lose their identity. You can also find her on socials:  Fearlessly Facing Fifty on Facebook, and Instagram: Amy.K.Schmidt and https://fearlesslyfacingfifty.com/

Craig and his wife, Nikki, enjoy the great outdoors surrounding Bend, Oregon

More Happiness in the COVID-19 Era?

In any relationship (Personal or Business), if we canโ€™t be happy together at home in the โ€œshelter in place COVID-19 eraโ€, maybe we need to look in the mirror and be the change. That doesnโ€™t mean you leave your partner, spouse or family and make a new life, it means we find greater happiness in ourselves and it may mean we take this COVID-19 era opportunity to create new better habits together.

The quote about how long it takes to form a new habit goes like this – โ€œIt takes 21 days to form a new habit.โ€ Since so many self-help authors have written about making new habits and how long it takes to do so, I decided to find the genesis of that quote and it appears to be here in Psycho-Cybernetics (audiobook) by Maxwell Maltz. Iโ€™ve now purchased the book.

Interestingly to me, as I searched a little more I found this study that suggests it takes over 2 months to form a new habit. With that amount of time to be invested, it makes sense to be very intentional about it and that we work to form โ€œgood habitsโ€ in our personal, family and professional lives.

While personal life and family life are intertwined, I separated them for that same reason to make sure that Iโ€™m a better me for me, making me better for my family and my customers, partners, and peers.

Part of making me better is a focus on physical and mental health. The book Younger Next Year has been my go-to for years now, though please donโ€™t buy this book for yourself and then force on your partner or spouse. In 2014, I started on a more intentional fitness path that prepares me for an annual backcountry mountain bike ride on the Kokopelli Trail from Fruita, CO to Moab, UT. The preparation and ride make me better for me, my family and my customers, partners, and peers. You see the theme here.

Now back to the โ€œshelter in place COVID-19 eraโ€ and a few observations:

First, my wife Nikki and I are having a blast together. Never perfect, though almost. Same as it was in the pre-COVID-19 era, but slightly better.

Second, we are watching a ton of shows and movies and I really liked the Dolly Parton themed movie Dumplinโ€™ (Netflix). I really enjoyed the Dolly quote โ€œFind out who you are. And do it on purposeโ€. Too many people (Iโ€™ve done it before too) felt others needed to change when we just needed to be a little happier with ourselves.

Third, whatโ€™s made Nikkiโ€™s and my time together in this COVID-19 era very special are the following, some old and some new:
– WE each have stopped sweating the small stuff

– WE laugh a lot

– WE are not pouting when the other doesnโ€™t want to go to the grocery store, go for a walk, clean the house or do anything when we feel it needs to happen. If you do this pouty thing now, please STOP. Instead, one of us goes to the grocery store, goes for a walk, cleans the house or does anything when we feel it needs to happen and NOT guilt the other.

– WE have always functioned as a team to each do our share of the above OR other critical matters not listed above, like earning a living. Itโ€™s a balance, we talk about it and make sure we each give mutually so that one person doesnโ€™t need to do everything.

– WE have added new work, fun, activities, chores, and hobbies that will hopefully become a HABIT alongside those in our pre-COVID lives that will continue to make us better together.

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