BESTSELF™ ICEBREAKER | Self-Awareness 23
WHERE IN YOUR LIFE ARE YOU LIVING IN A BUBBLE?
It's funny to get this prompt now that I’ve decided to exit my safe and secure bubble!
The last few years - caring for then losing Bill, the fears of the ongoing pandemic, dealing with Caden’s cancer, my move and resulting renovation - life has been full of highs and lows, but isolated. Completely my choice! I am alone, but rarely if ever am I lonely. As an introvert, staying inside with my pups, and the occasional visits with kids and friends, I was perfectly content to read and write all day long, indulge in my woo practices, binge-watch shows, and dabble in a few new hobbies, all of it was the ideal way to spend my days.
Like many, it’s time to get out of the house and put fear, exacerbated by the pandemic, away.
I just turned 59. I’ve started my 60th trip around the sun. My second Saturn Return has held several lessons that I plan to implement. In this year, I have been open to discovering a clear direction for my next 30+ years (if genetics are a thing, I should be around until my late ‘90s). Though I have no problem being alone, I’ve worked hard to become the best version of the person I want to be; I’ve integrated all of the tough lessons and experiences, I’m in complete alignment with who I am and show up fully every day. I continue to be endlessly curious about many different things; I’m a creative magpie and don’t see that changing anytime soon. In the last five years, certainly the last three, I pared everything down to the minimum required to live a full life.
Now is the time to add in a few things, starting with social engagement. I have some lovely friends here in my new home and feel like part of the family with the Greenwood sisters. I realized it’s not up to them to keep me entertained and involved (though they’re all super outgoing). They and their husbands are my core group, and I’ve met their friends, too. I feel incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by such kind and generous spirits. I’ve learned to say “yes” to almost all opportunities. Our group of 7 regularly meets for dinner at different restaurants in the area, we see plays at the local playhouse, and enjoy (very loud) card and games nights complete with potluck or Chinese take-out.
In spring, I branched out and joined a book club, requiring me to join the larger organization. Now I’m in a second book club, attend the dinner club, produce the newsletter, and hope to introduce more interest groups. Who knows what else is next? I’m simply saying “yes” to all the things that resonates with me.
My safe and quiet bubble has burst wide open, and now I have a calendar filled with activities I enjoy with people I choose to hang around. I have one life and I’m living the hell out of it. I’m beyond grateful to have found such profound contentment when a mere three years ago I was convinced it would elude me.