Lessons I've Learned As I Get Older

There's something about late summer that always makes me nostalgic. Maybe it's the fact that all signs are pointing to the end of my favourite season, and the realization that I have a whole year until I enjoy it again - it brings up feelings of time and reflection on all the years that have passed.

While I try not to live too much in the past, I do regularly practice a quiet reflection to take stock on my life; the triumph, the failures and everything in between. I've learned that rather then dwelling on the past, it's so much more helpful to try and look at lessons that you've learned that help you to navigate to a better, more peaceful future.  Here's the result of my latest late-summer refection, and lessons that I've learned as I get older.

You're More In-Control Then You Think

Life has a way of throwing a ton of stuff at you; sometimes it's roses, and sometimes it's bullshit. While I've learned the hard way that you can't control what gets thrown at you, what you control is how you react to it. In most situations there's a positive side and a negative side, and I'm working on focusing on the positive. It's definitely a work-in-progress, but it's well worth it. Taking back control and being more proactive and less reactive is something that I'm just starting to learn now, and I hope to continue to solidify this skill as I get older.

It's True: Your Metabolism Will Slow

I really always thought that this was a myth. I still remember eating a large shrimp burrito at work years ago, and having my older co-workers tell me to enjoy it now because one day my metabolism will slow. Right, I would think with an eye-roll after shovelling the last of my burrito in my mouth. Turns out, they were right. It happened somewhere after I turned 30, but my metabolism has definitely started to slow. What was once a casual dinner of fast-food burgers is now the source of near instant weight gain. This isn't so much as a lesson, as it is a cautionary tale: your metabolism will slow - it's not a myth! Eat all the burritos while you can.

Learn To Love Your Body

While your metabolism may slow, your relationship with your body changes. This may or may not come with age and have more to do with mindset, but for me the older that I get, the more that I appreciate my body for what it does for me - outside of aesthetics. I've learned to cherish my body and prioritize my health and I can honestly say that my relationship with myself has never been better. Who cares if I can't eat an extra large shrimp burrito on the regular anymore? I have two legs that allow me to walk, arms that may be soft but they work and organs that allow me to function. I'm finally understanding when they say that your body is a temple. Be nice to your body - it does way more for you then fill out a pair of jeans nicely.

Time Is Your Most Valuable Commodity

This last lesson is why I love my job of being a content creator so much, and cherish it. It's not about money - it's about time. It's true that money comes and goes, but time if a commodity that you can never get back. I'm so grateful that my current job allows me the time that I need to spend with family and friends. It's also a job that I love, so I don't feel like I'm wasting time. The lesson to take away from this is that if you're stuck in a situation that you feel as though you're wasting what precious moments you have in the day, the time to make a change is now. It may take a while to execute, but if you take the steps to utilize your time in a way that fulfils you, it will be the best decision that you've ever made.

What do you guys think? I hope you like these sort of brain-dump posts. I've been in such a reflective mood the past few days, and this is almost like therapy for me to get it out. I would love to know the lessons that you've learned as you get older. Let me know, and thank you so much for reading.

xo Joëlle