It’s my birthday in a couple of days. This year I decided to extend my holiday and spend my birthday with the people who created me!
My parents live in a tiny town on the coast next to a national park. Each day I’m here I spend the morning under a tree at a beach in the middle of the bush. It’s usually just me, the dolphins and waves washing over the rock pools.
I start my day by standing on the sand feeling the earth beneath my feet, the universe above me and feel the ocean energy in front of me.
I ponder goals I want to achieve this year; what experiences I would like to have and what projects I want to take on.
I’m not entirely sure what I want to achieve this year, but I do know that if you have found something you love to do, even if you haven’t achieved the fame/success/expert status – whatever you want to call it – don’t let your age stop you.
I just reread the book The Alchemist by Paul Coelho. When it was first published, he sold three copies in the first six months, and the publisher dropped him. He was 41 and desperate.
He never lost faith in his book because he “wanted to share his treasure with the world”. He eventually found another publisher, and now it’s sold more than 65 million copies in 56 different languages.
What about Carmen Herrera. She had been painting full time for 60 years before she even sold a painting. She was 89 when a collector bought five works which catapulted her onto the world stage.
She says, “I worked very, very hard, and little by little, over many, many years, I came to find my own voice.”
“Perhaps it was a good thing I was able to work without recognition for so many years. I was left alone to refine and distil my art for decades, and my work is more important to me that ever.”
“The world came to me eventually – I just had to wait 94 years.”
So remember, whatever you do this year, do it with compassion and humility. Grow from the obstacles on your path and find wisdom through their solutions. Treat yourself with love and care.
Strive and achieve all of those goals, but know that even if you haven’t reached the heights you set out, find joy in simply doing – you never know what’s around the corner.
