Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas
Make the most of yourself, for that, is all there is of you. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friday evening five of us went to see Abba Revisited. It was a fun evening listening to songs that have been part of the soundtrack of our lives. Before the show, we were shopping for outfits to wear and we were talking to the sales lady in one of the stores about seeing Abba Revisited, she was adamant she wouldn’t want to see a tribute band, only the real Abba. As a “real” Abba fan she would probably have enjoyed the concert immensely.
It was a fun evening and one of our group informed us he doesn’t pass up invitations anymore. He’s realized that now is all we have and he’s making the most of it by fitting as much into life as he can.
No matter what we do in the next five years those five years will be gone whether we did anything with it or not. It’s one of the gifts of getting older, we realize we don’t have that much time, we never did, but now we realize it. That trip to Europe, the pyramids, the wonders of the world, we should plan it now, because we don’t know what the future has in store.
Hurricane Hazel McCallion, Mississauga’s Mayor until her nineties died at 101. She was a force to be reckoned with and even if not everyone agreed with her vision at least she had one for Mississauga. We need leadership that isn’t afraid to lead, and that was Mayor McCallion.
Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible. Saint Francis of Assisi
Life is about growth, in our lives, our families, our communities, and the world. I came to Mississauga in 1976, two years after Mississauga became a city, and have seen it grow and develop into Canada’s sixth-largest city.
It’s hard to believe all this time has passed but when we look at our children, grandchild, and the mirror we know it has. The torch is being passed, sometimes to us, but often to our children. We are becoming the older generation, it happened so fast, but we still have time to do some of the things we’ve always wanted to do if we start now.
We can think what if we did… twenty years ago, but if we didn’t what if in twenty years we can say, wow I’m so glad I started twenty years ago. We can’t go back and change things, but we can look back and think about what we’d change if we could, and if it’s still possible to change it now.
Maybe we can heal a breach that like a festering wound hasn’t healed. Is there a long-lost dream we could bring to life? A talent we want to develop, a skill we want to learn, something we want to build? We won’t know what something can be if we don’t try.
This blog turns five in July. It’s a small thing that brings me joy, something I almost didn’t bother doing, because what would I say, finding something to say has never been a problem. It is like I stumbled upon something I was meant to do, and by being willing to do it, my horizons have widened, and a bigger view of life is before me. We have to grow into a bigger life; we have to become who we want to be, by taking risks and figuring out each step along the way.
Five years ago I wouldn’t have thought my fourth book would be close to being self-published. I could have looked for a publisher but decided instead to take things into my own hands and do what I could to put my work out into the world. Maybe a publisher will find my work one day and want to bring it to a larger audience. Who knows what the future holds, what is in my control is my output, and that is what I focus on.
We have a limited amount of energy, and a limited amount of time to do what we are to do. We may wonder why bother, who cares? We care; we need to develop ourselves so we know who we can be by making the most of ourselves. It isn’t about fame or fortune although that could come, if we don’t do what is in us to do we will never know what could have been.
When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life. Jean Shinoda Bolen
Always be a first-rate version of yourself and not a second-rate version of someone else. Judy Garland
It is so important to take time for yourself and find clarity. The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself. Diane von Furstenberg
Thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you will come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.
