Last week I celebrated my 40th Birthday. Even writing that seems a bit strange. Honestly, I still feel 22. Every now and then I look around at my life and feel so blessed. I truly get overwhelmed by it and happy tears start to roll down my cheeks. I can say this isn’t where I thought I would be at 40, but I can also say it is exactly where I want to be.
As cliche as it sounds it is true, I was graduating college, I blinked, and now I am an actual adult. I am a wife, a mother, a puppy owner, a home owner, a business owner and I am also still young at heart.
This isn’t your average photography blog post and I even hesitated writing it. Aging in our society isn’t something seems joyful and exciting. Instead it comes with a lot of fear and hesitancy. As we age we look back on our past often feeling a sense of loss and worry about what our future will hold.
I remember a quote from one of my favorite childhood movies, Hope Floats. It said “Beginnings are scary, ending are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts the most”. That always stuck with me. As I hit ‘Middle Age’ I feel like this quote resignating with me even more. I am living in the middle….I guess we all are. So making this count is what I plan to do.
I thought I would write a little list of things I would tell my younger self.
- You will have regrets. Embrace them. Learn from them. But hate to tell you that you will most definitely have them. Oh and that tattoo that you spent months trying to make sure you would love forever…it will be one of them.
- Trust your gut. If I could tell you just one thing this would probably be it. Sit in silence and listen to your intuition. If you listen it will not let you down. The biggest regrets you have are when you didn’t follow this rule.
- The only things that will matter is your family and your health. Protect both with your life. Never get so busy that you let either one not be your main priority.
- Don’t get so busy planning your life that you forget to live your life. I think this was one of my biggest regrets. We were constantly looking at the horizon. Believing if we just made it to this next point we would be happy or life would slow down. It doesn’t. Make lists, learn to manage your time, but above all when an opportunity comes up…take it!
- Comparison really is the thief of joy. Social media doesn’t really exists for you yet but you it will soon and it will change the world. You will see so much joy, pretty pictures and it will make you feel like your life isn’t as great. It isn’t real so look away. Use social media to connect with others. Don’t use it to compare your life to others. That will destroy your soul.
- Moisturize your face everyday! Use a exfoliant a few times a week. Wash your face every night. Just trust me. You will not be able to stop the signs of aging, but with a consistant routine you can help slow it down.
- Keep learning! You are never too old and you will never know it all.
- Last, life is really short. Shorter than you ever imagine it could be. As you age you will lose people. This loss will take a piece of your heart and soul. That is why it is so important to be kind to people because that kindness repairs and fills those holes.
Thank you for letting me share my thoughts!
Carrie
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