"And go round and round and round in the circle game." Joni Mitchell
Living life to the fullest
Life is good, so good I sometimes forget how bleak it once was. There was a time when I felt all alone, worthless and hopeless. What brought about the change? How do I stay out of the darkness?
My journey to the light began with positive affirmations that initially felt like lies. The words “I have an abundance of love and money”, “Only good comes to me and only good flows from me” were just two of the mantras I said daily and plastered all over the house.
In time, my affirmations took hold, allowing me to begin to enjoy life. I can still remember the first time I felt loved and realized I had an abundance of physical things even though I was stone broke. The revelation was very empowering, starting an avalanche of positive thinking and healing actions that I still practice 25 years later. Now, my everyday life is a series of coping skills.
The first thing I do every morning is give thanks for all the good things and people I have in my life. Then I spend at least 20 minutes completely alone - no people, no dog, and absolutely no phones. This solitary recharge is essential for me to be my best and face the world head-on.
As I go about my day, I do at least one thing to bring me joy and one to bring someone else joy. I may take a bubble bath, read a mystery, or eat a piece of good chocolate. I can compliment strangers, pick up library books for a homebound neighbor while getting mine, or let a car cut in front me in traffic. Whatever I do, I realize I deserve luxuries and am a positive force in the universe. In that same vein, I laugh everyday, sometimes at my dog, sometimes talking with friends and sometimes watching reruns of my favorite sitcoms.
Of course, I have a serious side. Different stages of life have different purposes and challenges. Now that I’m retired, I have the time to learn, grow and explore new activities. I stay young by taking advantage of opportunities that expand my skill set and social network. I’ve embraced my creative side as well as my practical, intellectual side.
Recognizing that retirement can lead to laziness, I make myself do at least one productive task a day 6 days a week. I take a day off just like I did when I was working.
Finally, I believe that physical health and mental health go hand-in-hand so I walk daily. I can’t say I eat healthy as I am a fan of red meat, white carbs and sugar. While I have added veggies and fruits to my diet, my eating habits would make a nutritionist cringe. I accept this without guilt or judgement. We all have our quirks.
There are probably a zillion other unconscious things I do to add to my life. It seems like the more positive I am, the more I accomplish, and the more I accomplish, the more positive I am, etc., etc., etc.
As Joni Mitchell once wrote:
“And the seasons, they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look
Behind, from where we came
And go round and round and round, in the circle game.”
I’ve made a conscious decision to be happy for the rest of my seasons and to live life to the fullest in my personal circle game. I urge you to do the same.
