LIVING AN ABUNDANT LIFE I used to think that living abundantly and luxuriously involved an expensive lifestyle and having everything you could imagine at your finger tips, wanting for nothing. As time has moved on, I've found the types of abundance and luxury that revolve around extravagance are meaningless to me. I have no desire at all to add more "stuff" to my life, to own more, to spend more, or to keep up with the Joneses. Abundance and luxury for me are all about the small delights that are part of everyday life, simple pleasures that we often take for granted. Today I thought I'd sh ..read more

WHEN YOU LOVE BEING HOME I think one of the signs of settling into Midlife is that, as nice as it is to have lots of outside interests, I also really love being home. I think about all the freedom I have now, all the places I could go, all the social activities I have the time for, and all the entertainment that's available....and for the most part I'd rather be home. I know that we all need to get out and about and be sociable and stay engaged with life, but I also love that my home has become my sanctuary where I can just relax and be in my own space. Today I wanted to share a few though ..read more

image via freepik WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE WITH EQUANIMITY? When I chose "Equanimity" as my Word of the Year for 2024 I knew it would be a challenge. It's not a word that comes up in day-to-day conversation, but it's full of depth and gravitus, and I just love the ideas that come with it. For me, it's about being centered, grounded, and at peace with the world around me. This year I've wanted to live from a heart-centered worldview - to be calm and grounded on the inside and to be able to move through life's ups and downs without being too buffeted by them. I'm at the halfway mark ..read more

image via Freepik HOW DO WE GO ABOUT AGING WELL?  A fellow blogger asked the question recently - "How old is too old?" and it got me thinking about whether age is to do with the number of years we've lived, or whether it's to do with how we go about living the years we've been allocated. Are we aging well? And how do we go about intentionally aging with grace? I came up with three choices that I hope are helping me to age well into the years ahead.... Read more ..read more

image via Freepik FIGURING OUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT I used to be a very busy person. I used to juggle several different roles each week - and often had a few on the burner on any given day. I was proud of all I could accomplish and how many things I could tick off my to-do list; my self-worth was firmly attached to my productivity. Since leaving work and settling into retirement, I find my priorities have shifted significantly. I don't find my sense of achievement in how much I can cram into my week, instead I'm finding it in who I'm becoming and the qualities I want to invest in to ge ..read more

image via Freepik WHAT DOES AFFIRMATION LOOK LIKE? I've been noticing the waning of connection in my world recently, and I think it comes back to there being less reciprocation and affirmation than there used to be. I see it in small day-to-day encounters, I see it online, and I see it in some of my friendships. I'm wondering if it's a sign of our times, or is it a sign of Midlife? Today I thought I'd give a few examples and I'd be interested to hear what you think.... Read more ..read more

image via stefamerpik on Freepik INTRO Today on the blog I have a great collaboration that helps with navigating the process of finding care for our elderly parents when the time comes. I think we all hope that we won't need to access much help, but it's better to have some knowledge tucked away, than to be caught completely unaware if the need arises suddenly. And I'm also keeping in mind that I might need to know some of this for my own needs down the track. I found it to be a really interesting overview and guide, and I hope you do too.... Read more ..read more

Image via freepik WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE ON PURPOSE? I read a sentence a while ago that resonated with me, it said: I focus on living 'on purpose' vs finding my purpose I liked it because it took the pressure off trying to find some grand life purpose for living, and allowed for the idea that I could live my life intentionally, on my own terms. Once that idea settled into my mind, I went looking for other thoughts and found a great site called The Intention Habit where there were so many fantastic quotes about living intentionally - with the added bonus that Holly genero ..read more

LOOKING BACK AT THE AUTUMN THAT'S BEEN Summer here in Western Australia was a doozy with many, many days that were 35°C and hotter, so it was a relief when Autumn brought its cooler days, and a great deal of relief from the heat. I love Autumn (and Spring) for their milder weather and how much easier it is to be out and about when it's not too hot or wet. It's been three months since I wrote my last update and today I wanted to share a few of the highlights from time with family, time at home, and time on holidays, and I hope you'll enjoy them too..... Read more ..read more

INTRO One of the best things that ever happened to me was being able to retire early. Not having to wait until I was 67 before leaving work has been an unexpected joy. I'm so glad that we made good decisions leading into our 50's that paved the way for an early retirement, I know others are wanting to head in that direction but need a little boost to get there. Today on the blog I have a great collaboration that gives some excellent suggestions that might help to give you that little push you need to get there sooner than you expected.... Read more ..read more