Yoga – SeasonedSistah

January 12, 2013, after weeks of struggling to set up this blog website, I published the first post, “My Final Season: How I Choose to Live It.”

Today, I began this post with what I wrote three years ago:

“As a 70-year-old, I faced reality. Approaching my final season, it’s time to make a choice. My final season, as defined by ME, is the time to focus on ME. My inner voice spoke to ME. I listened. God wants to direct me down a new path. A new journey. A new venture. A time to explore and discover ME. In this final season of life, I plan to open new doors.”

Beginning this blog opened my space up to new people, places and things. I have gone far beyond my own expectations in this discovery of ME.

Blogging took ME down a path to connect with other bloggers who, many without knowing, inspired ME to expand my world. With confidence, I went outside of my comfort zone, explored and discovered:

Yoga

Photography

Container Gardening

Mindfulness – Adult Coloring Books for Stress Relief

Ancestry Research – Maternal Family History

I also want to express gratitude to those bloggers who shared information and thoughts about:

meditation;
mindfulness;
positive affirmations;
random acts of kindness;
expressions of gratitude and thankfulness;
exercise;
spiritual uplifting; and
healthy eating.

Motivated by these bloggers, I expanded and/or incorporated healthy practices into my lifestyle. This has improved the overall quality of my life; and, I am on a path to build a healthy mind, body and spirit.

As I continue down this journey to define ME, expressing gratitude for the doors that have opened and the new doors to open.

Happy Blog-A-Versary to ME

I retired in 2010. Mind you, it was not a planned retirement. Just the opposite, MY goal was to work until MY mind and MY body deteriorated to a point, which made it impossible to continue working. But things happen.

In 2010, after surviving a life-threatening illness, Hubby and I decided retire and move to Florida. Leaving our:

family owned business that we had nurtured for more than sixteen years;
three children who were also our co-workers;
four grandchildren who spent a lot of time with us; and
extended family and friends that we had known for many years.

Four years later I can honestly say, “there are no regrets”. I entered a whole new world as a retiree. And, traveling through the first four years has been both exciting and enlightening. On this new journey, I made many stops along the way.

I undertook new challenges; and, the old fears of “stepping outside of MY comfort zone” disappeared. The inquisitive mind appeared, which had been latent for far too many years.

This inquisitive mind led ME to:

Yoga Classes
Aqua Zumba
Daily Meditations
Daily Affirmations
Blogging
Facebook
Texting
Container Gardening (flowers, herbs and vegetables)
Journaling
On-line Church Services
Bible Study

These new activities improved the QUALITY OF MY LIFE —spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Most days, serenity and tranquility are present. On those rare days when they take a break, I still express gratitude and thankfulness. For I believe, in every day, there is something that we can be grateful and thankful for.