What I've learned over the past 40 years. Part three

• I've learn't that meditating and trying my best to be present in the 'now' really does work wonders!
• that the only thing in life that I have total control over...is myself. I control how I choose to react in situations, what attitude I adopt, what mood I choose to be in, how thoughtful I am, how organised I choose to be; the list goes on and on. It's not easy to choose that amount of responsibility for my life, but it sure is liberating!
• I've learn't that spending time in nature is the most cleansing experience you can give yourself. The more prisine and beautiful the location the greater the healing.
• It's so much nicer seeing the kids play on the beach than on the DS.
• I've discovered that if you're short on time and you haven't had a chance to take the pet rats out of their cage for some exercise, then bring them into the bathroom with you when you take a shower. They love running in and out of the water, shaking the drops off and then coming back for more, plus it's a good place to give them a bath!
• If you can teach your kids a second (or more) language as earliy as possible, you open up more of the world to them as adults.
• the world is an awe inspiring place...I love it!

What the last 40 years has taught me Part Two

• instead of thinking about what you 'should' be doing for the rest of your life, think instead about what fills you with passion, what floats your boat, what you'd absolutely love to do if money were not an issue. I'm quite sure that if you're doing something you love, if it feels good to get out of bed in the morning just to get started, if most days feel like a fresh dance with life, then the money will soon follow.
• if you spend your life chasing money for money's sake, then get ready for a marathon!
• I've discovered that an expensive and beautiful car sure is fun! ...but after about a month it just feels like another car.
• look after your body, you want it to still look good at age 60 and beyond, so put the care in now, no diets, just a healthy middle ground that you can sustain for the rest of your life.
• listen to people, listen, listen, listen! stop thinking about what you're going to say next and just give people you full attention.
• continuing on from that point, listen to your children! stop what you're doing, look them in the eye (or at the dance they're showing you) and give them your full attention. We know when someone is paying us lip service and not really litening, and it feels awful. Well children are the same, they know when you're not interested...ouch!
• smile at people, so simple, so effective.
• look for things to appreciate everyday, the more you look, the more you find!

What the last 40 years has taught me. Part One

• I'm glad I have the parents that I have, they're not perfect (who is?), but they did the best they could with what they knew at the time. And along the way they gave me some great pearls of wisdom.
• that I've made plenty of mistakes, made bad choices, and basically made a fool of myself too many times to count...but somehow I love myself now more than ever before. Not the superficial love that goes hand in hand with looking in the mirror, but the deeper, quieter, contented-with-life love.
• that the most important people in my life are my family, so these relationships need to be nurtured and cared for, every day.
• in my childhood I thought mostly of horses, in my teenage years I thought mostly about how to 'fit in', in my 20's I thought mostly of myself, in my 30's I started to seriously think of others, and in my 40's I can't go a day without sending some form of love out into the word. Thriving comes from thinking of others, it fills you up like nothing else.
• Laughing at myself is really fun!