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Reflections of the Mindful — A publication designed for the writer to reflect, the reader to be inspired, the creatives to find their muses.

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Realigning

Tony Robbins Views Life In Seasons, Sounds Right To Me

But this year mine’s in thirds

3 min readNov 25, 2024

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A bunch of bright yellow Daffodils burst through the snow. The sky is a muted dark gray. The Daffodils are confused about the season.
Beautiful Daffodils confused about the season. www.freepik.com/free-ai-image by vecstock

This year, 2024 to be exact — in case you’ve lost track — is the year my life neatly lines up in thirds. Big news, I know. I prefer to think of my life in seasons like self-help guru Tony Robbins advises but guess what — in 2024 my preferences mean diddly squat.

This is a story from my first third, roughly 23-ish years.

During that time I went from the stubborn kid who refused to drink milk to the one in charge of my siblings to the one sneaking cigarettes, Rolling Rock beer, and Mom’s car.

There were a few other things along the way but you get the idea. I was a kid with a defiant streak, and because I was the oldest of four sisters, our parents trusted me to keep “the kids” in line. I was good at being bossy. I was also good at hiding in plain sight through funny stories, a skill that has served me well.

My siblings also include brothers, an older one and a younger one. Because of his Y chromosome, and the era, my older brother was exempt from “women’s work.” He did mow our postage-stamp lawn.

My younger brother, 10 years my junior, was exempt from chores because he was adorable and the sisters couldn’t get enough of him — except…

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Published in Contemplate

Reflections of the Mindful — A publication designed for the writer to reflect, the reader to be inspired, the creatives to find their muses.

Kris Downey
Kris Downey

Written by Kris Downey

I’m a woman who pays attention and enjoys sharing the absurd things I notice. My humor essay collection and less-humorous memoir are in the works..

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