Living in the moment

Today is my birthday. I would normally let the day pass without mentioning it but this is the last birthday of my 40s. Ever since I turned 29, getting older has filled me with trepidation and a heavy feeling in my heart. On my 29th birthday I got a second piercing in my left ear to mark the momentous occasion. Some time after my 39th birthday I started my first blog, Stories & Scribbles. All tame things really, when you think about it. So what about this year? How will I commemorate the last year of my 40s?

How I will commemorate the last of my 40s

I've seriously been giving this quite a bit of thought. Once the Christmas festivities were over and I boxed up all the decorations and cleaned the house, I fell into a bit of a funk. My birthday was getting closer and I was dreading it. I started to feel inordinately sad; so sad and upset that, one day last week, I ended up with tears falling into my  Greek yoghurt,  oatmeal and dark cocoa concoction. After that I felt better and decided that I was done feeling sorry for myself and letting the passing years get to me. After all, as my mother-in-law says, getting older is generally better than the alternative. So, with that in mind, I decided it's time for some changes; positive changes for my own well-being and for this beautiful planet we have been gifted with. I've chosen three phrases that I will live by in this coming year? Will I fail occasionally? Of course I will. Will I get nostalgic for my youth? Without a doubt. But I will try and focus on my new mantra and aim to keep positive. So am I making a few resolutions even though I always say that I never make any? Perhaps. But they are fun resolutions that I hope will be easy to keep.

Go green

I am determined to wage a war on single-use plastic and plastic in general.

I'll buy refills whenever possible.

I'll try not to buy new clothes unless I need them and, if I do buy something new, I need to give something away.

Shopping my closet will be a good way to ensure that I make the most of what I already have (and I have more than enough).

Let it go

I need to learn to stop worrying about things I cannot change and to let go of any anger about situations that are beyond my control. This will be my biggest challenge but I will do the best I can. And when I fail, I will try and try again.

Live in the moment

Stop thinking that I'm too old.
Stop worrying what people think.
Wear the red nail polish.
Ger a new hair style.
Learn to do something new or improve something that I already do.
Stop being so bashful.
Wear my best clothes as often as possible  - each day is special in its own way.
Mix and match more.
Smile more, even if smiles cause laughter lines.
Go for a weekend trip with my husband to somewhere special: London, Paris, Vienna, Prague - the list of cities I'd like to visit or re-visit is endless.
Eat the gelato.
Go to the theatre.

I think that's a good starting point. I'll let you know how it goes. All of you that visit and leave a comment are always a source of inspiration. I know that some of you are battling your own problems but I think that there is a beautiful community of women on Instagram and in the Blogosphere that are doing their best to left each other up and bring out the positive in people. And for that, my friends, I am truly grateful.