Timelines, Seasons and Limitations

“My life is good…isn’t it?” I have a loving marriage and all the boys are doing well. By society’s markers and checklists, my life is good - even great! Then, like a thief in the night, sneaky and insidious, my mind is filled with disturbing thoughts. Real joy killers that offer no solutions. What to do with all the free time? Where do I direct the energy so joyfully spent in the midst of school events and ballgames? In the blink of an eye, my life had changed. 

Your nest may not be empty. You may still have the satisfaction and safety of a jam-packed calendar. You may wake up with an exhausted excitement for new events in the day.  Looking back, I wondered what might have prepared me for the void in this season of life. It seemed that in an instant, my boys were grown and the future was unknown. It was a little bit scary too.  Even a small amount of preparation would have gone a long way. 

The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of you, but those who

 win battles you never knew they faced. 

Uncomfortable? That’s an understatement. There was no high, no low and nowhere else to go, except inside the heart to find out just who you are. What to do next and how to feel about it remained elusive. So, with raw emotions and denial in full swing, I made a decision! I would visit my oldest son. Yes, I would go to the Big Sky country – Montana - where it seems you can reach up with your fingertips and touch the Milky Way. 

While visiting him in a little town that Anthony Bordain made famous on his network show, the most unusual thing interrupted our conversation. I was soaking up the mountain view, sitting on a barstool dreaming Anthony might walk in. When deep inside, the spirit moved. 

The bartender looked my way when the ice rattled in my empty drink. He thought I was asking for a refill. A quick shake of my head and I stood up to declare, “I DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET OLD!” Timelines split and bumped together. Suddenly I could understand the answer to my tension, malaise and confusion. Discovering the power of this ‘critical truth’ was, I dare say, life-changing.

It seemed too simple. I began to fervently pray this question, “As humans, are we simply “programmed” to expect physical and mental decline? Is it some unwritten rule that we expect it without questioning the options that might be available? Without expanding vision, opening the heart and mind to receive all that God has for us?” I prayed to my source, to God, to open my heart for growth to help others. Outside of my family again. 

What hurts you also blesses you. 

Darkness is your candle. 

- Rumi

There are great gifts in each passage of life. Perhaps you feel it is not enough to just help one person?  Remember that one starfish out of thousands on the beach that you put back in the ocean? It’s certainly better to help one than not helping at all. There are billions of people on this planet! Of those billions, how many people want to stay healthy and look, feel and live young? 

It's about reconnecting to life's purpose and passion. Stop living in life's limitations. Who put those around your life anyway? It's about staying vibrant to meet new friends, no matter what age. 

Now Sugarfoot, you do have a choice. I don’t know how to get old and now I realize I don’t have to live this "old" stereotype. Of course, body parts wear out, but you can get those fixed. And the energy level may not top out like when you were twenty. But a life lived in wisdom is a vibrant life. 

In the South, there are three great secrets in a woman's life. 

1) The surgeon who can see your vision for yourself:)

2) A little dress shop that has great fashion, but it is not expensive. 

3) A family recipe handed down for generations. 

It's good to have a collection of something girlie girl too. Something that will lift your spirit every time you walk by, see it and enjoy it.  I collect angels. And I believe in miracles. My prayer for you is, "there is more’ for those who seek it. The angels say that this is truth!

There are timelines and seasons in your life. Live the one you are in. The darkness will take your NOW by having you lament over the past or pour all your energy into what you are planning for your future. You don't know what is going to happen in the months to come. Who knew our schools would be closed because of a pandemic? COVID19? Or that you would be wearing a mask into the grocery store? 

The "fountain of youth" can come in many forms in your life. So far, an actual fountain of youth hasn't been found. If there truly is a physical fountain, look no further than somewhere in the South! Life, love and strength flow through our veins. It is a lifeforce handed down from generation to generation. 

My elegant grandmother would always say, "Things aren't like they used to be. And they never were. What seems like Heaven to you may be Hell to another person." 

Being young at heart is the absolute best way to overcome illness and/or to stay healthy. Or to help you and your family through a difficult time. Always have friends that are different ages. Different points of view keep the mind fresh. 

How many want to stop letting society's expectations limit their lives? I mean, really...is there more out there? I believe there is. 

Do these words stir your Spirit? If so, you could have a bright shining coaching experience!

Are you ready to live the life of “staying vibrant?”

I believe in you.

With Love, 

Staying Vibrant!

Jinger