November marks my 50th trip around the sun!
Are there things I miss from my youth? Absolutely! First off, why wasn’t I warned that it’s possible to sleep wrong? It’s just sleeping! How is it that I can wake up injured? And don’t even get me started on sneezes that mess up your back—seriously, what the heck? An involuntary action can land you in traction.
But here’s the thing—50 years have given me something youth never could: determined confidence. When I was younger, I think I wore the veneer of confidence to mask the fear that I had no idea what I was doing—and worse, that someone would notice. Today? I wouldn’t say I have it all figured out, but I know I will figure it out. And that makes all the difference. Everything will be okay.
There’s also something liberating about reaching this milestone: a healthy dose of detachment from other people’s expectations. My expectations for myself are more than enough to live by.
If I could go back in time and give my younger self some advice, it would be this:
- Take good care of your spine.
- No one knows what they’re doing—everyone is just pretending to have it all figured out.
- The only eyes really watching you are your kids, so live your life as an example for them—not for anyone else.