For what it’s worth, it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over. – Scott Fitzgerald
My daughter was home today, sprawled on the floor studying and I had a flash back to those years when she was homeschooling.
Then the penny dropped…that was 10 years ago! It was 2010 when she was finishing her school studies and applying for universities while I was nervously contemplating what was I going to do when I became redundant as a homeschooling / taxi-driving sports mother.
These past 10 years have been such a blur of good and not so good times and what hit me the most, is how incredibly fast they have passed. I launched into an entirely new field of study once my daughter headed off to university in 2011, which led to 7 years in the fitness industry. That season ended 3 years ago and I have focussed on writing and working with women to help them build purposeful lives and businesses ever since.
There have been health challenges, having to live with chronic pain that altered so much of my life, including leaving the gym and focussing on writing, unable to physically hold down a “regular” job. I’ve watched friends walk their own health journeys as well and witnessed a number those precious people lose their fights, There have been a lot of tears over this decade.
I’ve seen my children flourish and I’ve seen them face their own challenges. I’ve also seen my husband literally fight for his life with illness, and face the sorrow of losing his mum as well as other friends along the way. Scattered throughout the years have also been joyful celebrations and family get togethers and the ordinary moments that make your family unit unique.
A decade seems so long, yet flies by so fast. My first midlife “reinvention” was at 44 and here I am turning 55 this year, mulling over next season. I’ll become a grandmother for the first time soon and like the rest of the world, life is very different for all of us at the moment.
What I do know for sure, is that time is fleeting. Tomorrow isn’t promised and it is up to us to not just play the hand dealt to us – but to grab our lives and live them whole heartedly, making a difference to others along the way. I know that there will be ups and downs over the next decade, but I’m facing forward with hope and faith that they will also be fulfilling years.
Where were you 10 years ago and where will you be 10 years from now? I encourage you to take the time to pause and reflect, before heading into the fresh start of this new week.
PS: Looking for encouragement and inspiring stories to support your midlife journey?
Check out the Rocking Midlife®Podcast HERE, as well as my Youtube channel HERE.
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