Daily Strategies: prompt
Thankful
The Grace to stay present
I found in retirement that staying present is a lot easier.
My body’s natural rhythms can be accommodated. I’m getting more sleep, eating more mindfully, moving in some way, shape, or form every day. I have time to pursue hobbies I enjoy. I can learn what I’m interested in — not what my career required of me.
Nearly everyone who heard I was retiring at age 60 told me I’d be bored — that I’d be back to work in six months. They completely underestimated how much I enjoy my freedom. They forgot my struggles to get time off to visit my family. They thought that just because I was good at being a nurse — I would want to continue to be one until I dropped dead.
My day is now filled with all that I WANT to do — very seldom does a something intrude that MUST be done. Caring for my own body, soul, and mind can now be the priority it always should have been in My Life.
I feel blessed to have lived long enough to be at this place. Aging is a gift denied to many. I am vividly aware of this grace in my day-to-day existence. I think this more than anything, guides me.
Gratitude has always been my antidote to chaos. I live each day completely steeped in thankfulness. For All. The. Things/Humans. I have been given. Abundance flows in and through me. Love walks with me.
Not everyone I loved lived long enough to experience what I am experiencing. This knowledge keeps me grounded in each moment. I am grateful for each dawn, each breath, each hug, each smile.
Namaste.
