When I was a teenager, I thought getting older would be a curse. In my mind, 27 was old, and 40 was ancient. I dreaded the idea of getting old, wrinkled and fat. It’s strangely funny to look back at those thoughts as a woman who is now approaching 50. As I hit my mid 20’s, I didn’t feel old. I still felt like a teenager in many ways. Getting older was not the curse I had imagined.
Looking back, my 30’s were fun. I was beginning to hit my stride as a young woman, becoming more confident as I leaped over life’s hurdles. I had a husband, a young son, a home, and had finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I cleaned up my diet and went back to school.
Once I hit my 40’s, I was really hitting my stride. By this time, I no longer cared what people thought of me. This became so empowering! Sometime during this period, I realized that life isn’t going to last forever, and there became a need to do and say everything I wanted to do or say. The forties are a GIFT in so many ways!
Now, as I approach my 50’s, I am excited and present every day. Yes, the body changes; however, if you begin taking care of yourself early on, those changes will be so much more enjoyable and graceful.
20 Things I Would Tell My Younger Self
1.) Nobody is judging you as harshly as you are judging yourself. Most people won’t even know what color of shirt you wore a day after they saw you. Just be yourself.
2.) Start your day off with a tall glass of water. Give up soda. Never underestimate the power of water.
3.) Learn to love yourself. There is NOBODY like you. THAT is your super power.
4.) Do what you love. THAT is your gift.
5.) Eat foods from the earth, and don’t touch the processed junk. It will make you old, wrinkled and fat.
6.) Stretch. Do yoga. Stay limber and strong.
7.) Make time for yourself. Quiet time, a bath, or a walk can bring a hectic day back into balance.
8.) Dream. Give yourself permission to fulfill those dreams, and take small steps as often as possible to make that happen.
9.) Nobody can ruin your reputation but you. Some people might say negative things about you. Don’t sweat it. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, not bring you down. Living well is the best revenge. Move on and don’t look back.
10.) Not everyone will like you. That’s okay! Resist being a people pleaser. There are plenty of other people who will love and respect you.
11.) Get plenty of sleep. You will be glad you did once you hit menopause.
12.) Stay in the moment. It’s the only thing that really exists. All of your power exists in the moment.
13.) Have faith in yourself, and the unknown force that is always supporting you. Meditate or pray, and ask for guidance often.
14.) Trust yourself. That gut feeling: you can ALWAYS trust it.
15.) Get plenty of sunshine.
16.) Learn to swing dance.
17.) Always remember that with everything that seems like a negative experience offers an equal or greater positive potential on the other side of it.
18.) When things get rough, the one thing you can count on is change. If you are at your bottom, rest assured that better days are coming.
19.) Energy sinks to the lowest common denominator. If you find yourself within a group of negative people or conversation, gracefully remove yourself.
20.) Realize that you are the result of the love of ALL the generations that came before you. They stand behind you in spirit with the greatest hope that you will LIVE LIFE TO IT’S FULLEST.
Summer Williams, HHP, CCN, CMH, CGP, CiHOM
Holistic Health Practitioner
Summer@SummersKitchen.com
Summer Williams, HHP, CCN, CGP
Holistic Health Practitioner
Certified GAPS Practitioner
www.SummersKitchen.com