3 Things I've Learned in my 40s

Well here we are. The big 4-2 ... coming right up. I remember the anxious countdown to the big 4-0. It is such a very grown up milestone after all. I had just moved to Idaho and made some major quality of life changes, and I got to celebrate the big day on the beach. 40 was looking awesome, and then time seemed to pick up speed, and I have started waking up a little more sore each day. And, boom, I'm full on embracing this decade now. But, as many have said before me, with the physical challenges has come some true mental rewards and lessons learned. So, my topic today is the top 3 things I've learned so far in my 40s.

1. Health should be your top priority
I didn't focus on my health until my mid-30s, and I wish almost every day that I could go back in time and learn that lesson sooner. There is nothing more critical that learning to nourish your body and be active in a way that will bring you stress reduction, disease prevention and overall happiness. There is nothing that tastes as good as being healthy feels, and there is nothing on my to do list that is more important than moving and feeling my stress melt away and my happiness vibes going up. I may have learned the lesson late, but I did finally learn it. I appreciate every opportunity I have to move and thank my 42-year old body for allowing me to do these things and take care of myself. It's been a long journey, but I'm happy to keep working at it every day. And, oh yeah, thank you 40s, because I do have to work at it every day.

I want to feel like this all the time.

2. Stop apologizing
Many of us fall into the category of people pleaser. That one REALLY describes me. Something so positive can turn so negative when you focus all your energy on pleasing, to the detriment of yourself most of all, but also important folks in your life that should be a priority. As we mature, I think all of us learn the lesson of quality, not quantity, but I see many friends still struggle with apologizing if we cannot be all things to all people. We need to stop that behavior! Do what you can, be honest and earnest, and the rest is just what it is. No apologizing. This creeps up in so many parts of life, but it ultimately lessens you and your efforts, so I say, no more. (And I'm not sorry for that.) I could write a whole blog on the other side of this coin, apologizing too much in the business world, but I'll save that for another time. Let's just say, the same rules apply.

3. Wear sunscreen but lay off the regrets
My fair skin has been asking for this one for a long time, and I finally have gotten the message over the last 10 years or so, which is WEAR SUNSCREEN. Just Google some images of skin cancer if you aren't convinced. But seriously, I so wish I would have done this religiously for so much longer than I have. If I had, I wouldn't be checking out my girl Heather's lovely Periscope recordings all the time for great makeup tricks! Better late than never, but the lesson within the lesson on this one is also about regrets. I've always had a huge problem with re-visiting the past for any reason (large or small) to think about what I could have done differently. That behavior is so exhausting and really hijacks your present moments. So, as with the sunscreen, do your best, and if you screw up, leave it in the past and do better next time.

Now I'm going to prepare for tomorrow. It's going to involve eating some cake, going for a run, and not being sorry about a nice, living in the moment day for the big 4-2.