Life sits like an unopened present
An invisible box that I daily circumnavigate
Never opening
Never revealing
I give it a little shake sometimes
Wonder what’s inside
Yet like the celebratory treat a loved one has hidden, kept in store for me
I’m never quite sure what to make of it – or some days – where it even is
Yesterday I glimpsed it
Oddly, right out here in the open
For so long I skirted the edges
Unknown
Unfathomed
Until at last
One string at a time
The gift is revealed
There all along just waiting for me
And all that is left is just crumpled paper, ribbon and a card that reads
“The joke is over, let’s begin”
*a milestone this year. I’m turning 50. When I was younger I had no idea that 50 would feel like this, look like this. Yes, smile wrinkles, a few grey hairs but so much energy. I’m just getting started and it feels like my life is beginning to make sense.
I’m deeply grateful to have made it to here, many don’t. I shudder to think of dying ten years ago, ten months ago, even ten days ago – so much would have been left undone,unthought, unknown. Then I think ahead – there is time, time yet to become a better person, a wiser one, I hope to take advantage of that.
It’s been quiet on the blog but busy in reality. I’ve got big plans for the year that will take a lot of fitness and health changes.
We bumble along thinking “oh I’m not so bad off, I run, I eat pretty healthy, most of the time” “I’m okay”.
Complacency lies. I stood on the scale – something I usually avoid as being so self judgemental and self critical. Yet there is something about those numbers in black and white – irrefutable evidence of a curve that is bending in a direction I don’t want to go…
I had no idea just how far it was trending heavily. Damn that holiday period of indulgence! Clearly things were out of hand (and on my hips)
The trouble is I have a good level of baseline fitness. I can run 5-7km relatively easily any day of the week, I can swim a km, bike 20km without dying. But I don’t do any of that consistently. A week here or there when I go after it, and then become complacent again. Or distracted by other interests
Consistency
The flip side of which is that odd thing that we humans do – of being in life – right in the stream of it every day – but not really allowing ourselves to plunge in and get wet
What if I took that base line fitness and actually built it into a daily practice that soaked me?
What if instead of thinking “tomorrow” I realised that actually this is it, and filled up todays dance card to the max?
We live lives of such unexplored and unfulfilled potential
There is a lot to be done and much of it begins with less talking (writing) and more action, but thought I would check in and offer a little burst of inspiration to anyone who’s January goals are slipping.
Don’t give up now. The year is just beginning and it could be the greatest of your life
Open the present
Live in your life
Have a brilliant year but also, have a brilliant today, hour, moment
Because everything changes in a decision and a decision is made in the moment
Header photo courtesy of Unsplash and Olivia Bollen.
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