I am about to turn 40 and I have a lot on my mind. I’ve been thinking back on all of the things I have done lo these many years, and my friend Ellie Di made a post this week that reminded me to share some of these thoughts with you.
I’ve been through a lot of stuff.
They say wisdom is born from adversity though, right?
I mean, let’s be real, life isn’t always a smooth ride. Things happen and you get thrown for a loop… and sometimes it’s scary, or overwhelming, and can be really hard to get back on track.
But you learn something. A little nugget to carry with you. Maybe something about yourself, your strength, your courage, your weaknesses, what to do in a situation, what *not* to do in a situation.
Maybe something about other people, like who you can trust, who stands by you, how you feel about them, their strength, their courage, etc.
You learn SOMETHING.
I have been thrown for a lot of loops. I have had to rethink my ideas, ideals, plans, and beliefs, and it has made me wiser. (Sometimes I think I must have a truckload of wisdom by now!)
I know I have talked a little bit about my relationship and a little about being laid off from a job I had for a long time. But there is plenty more to make me wise.
I have been married, divorced, and remarried. (All of which came with nuggets of wisdom.)
I have been unemployed for a short time, unemployed for a long time, supported someone who was unemployed, and now I am self employed. (Is anyone else hearing this in a Lloyd Dobbler voice?)
I have been broke and bankrupt, and I‘ve been comfortable and had savings. (For the record, I definitely prefer the latter!)
I have moved across the country away from my family. (Who I am trying to convince to join me. Come on mom, ya know you want to!)
I have learned a lot of these wisdom making lessons, and I want to share that wisdom with you. I want to share it if you are in the middle of learning them yourself, and I want to share it so that you don’t have to learn the way I did.
The biggest thing I have learned… the thing that keeps me sane and keeps me moving forward when things around me go sideways is this…
When the shit hits the fan, hold tight to your Spirit!
Yes folks, I am getting spiritual up in here!
I am not, however, talking about religion. That is something different, though for many of you it may be a part of Spirit.
What I am talking about is that core that runs through every part of your life. The thing that shows you what is most important. The Spirit I am talking about is made up of your core values, your beliefs, and your purpose. All of the things that tell you in your heart who you really are bundled together into the foundation of your being.
Spirit acts as a guiding line and a safety net.
Have you ever seen pictures of someone climbing a steep mountain? They are all geared up and there is a rope running alongside them. They clip into it from their harness and off they go. The rope ensures that they keep going in the right direction, and it also means that if they slip, they can only go so far before the rope tugs at them and guides them back.
That’s Spirit.
The part of you that keeps you together even when you stumble.
There are so many ways to clip into this guiding line of connection… meditation, exercise, yoga, breathing, art, journaling, and on and on. The most important thing is that you CONNECT.
Know your values
Know your beliefs
Know your purpose
And if you don’t know these things about yourself. FIND OUT. Pick one of the ways above and start looking. Need help? There are tons of books and videos, and classes. If it gets overwhelming or you need help processing, let me know!
Because this is part of MY Spirit… helping you connect to the core of yourself.
YES YES YES! To all of this! Learn your lessons, hold on to the core of your Self, and you’ll do fine. <3
Holding on to the core is so key! Thanks, Ellie!
Spirit acts as a guiding line and a safety net.
I love this description Tina – I think I could do with some serious guiding line and safety net right now!
I’ve been working – hard! – on my figuring out my values and my beliefs and my purpose this year. Actually, I’ve been working on them for a while now, but I feel like I’ve been doing the super-intensive, extra credit course this year.
And now it’s time to put it all into practice *GULP*.
Thanks for being a light on the path I’m travelling.
Blessings
TANJA
Omg some years are totally the super-intensive extra credit course!!! Please let me know if I can help at all.
woohoo! Tina, the best journey I’ve ever taken and experienced has been the inner journey…….loved reading this and thank you for your openness and sharing…..
Thanks so much, Gina!
Wonderful post Tina. It is so important to know these things about ourselves in order to be able to move forward through tough times. We always have that anchor inside – just have to reach for it & believe it is there.
Yes!! It’s so vital to know what anchors you. Thanks, Petrea.
Ahhhhh yes. Spirit, that one thing that’s always with us, that doesn’t go anywhere. So necessary to remember when I get caught up trying to hang on to the temporary things of this world.
Thanks Carolyn!