The Beginnings Of Living Juicy

2020 taught me to list less and listen more.  

I’m sure we can all relate.  ‘How it started vs. how it’s going’ memes are viral. 

Robyn Schall, an amazing comedian is pouring her heart out (and the entire bottle of wine) on social and laying it down for reals.

When your 2020 goal list is trolling you!! #goals #humor #breakdown pic.twitter.com/eZ55zozpXK

— Robyn Schall Comic (@RobynSchall) November 13, 2020

After the longest zoom call of your life finally ends, your coworker decides it’s a good time to give you the play by play of why they don’t believe that wearing masks does anything to ‘stop the spread’.  You slowly move your hand towards your mouse, while you say “I’m sorry Karen, but my laptop battery is dying…”    

When you look for a common thread, the question is, ‘what was/is this insanity trying to tell us’?  

That’s me in a nutshell.  For as long as I can remember, I’ve threaded things together by reflecting on my life and my experiences. 

Asking ‘what is this trying to tell me?’ is much more wise than asking ‘why do I not remember anything that happened last night?’ after I finished that bottle of wine…by myself.  

Turning 40 in 2020.

First, let’s unpack turning over a new decade in any year, let alone 40 in 2020.  

Why do we focus so much on these milestones in particular?  Let’s dig in a bit and use the good ol’ internet to find some articles on why this is. 

Are you having a midi-life crisis? How the stress kicks in when you turn 30

Well Fuuuuuck……’The stress of turning 30’?  Can we talk about a crisis?!? I swear I said to someone once that your 30’s are the best times of your life! 

Give me a heck yeah in the comments section if you’ve ever laughed to yourself or your bestie about how old you said you felt in your 20’s and or 30’s, or secretly snicker to yourself now when the younger people in your life start bitching about their laugh lines or ‘saggy parts’.  

In that case, then we must have our shit together by 40 for sure.  Let’s find some uplifting articles about turning 40…. 

The One Thing Everyone Should Know Before Turning 40

…well, the headlines are much more friendly. Could this be an uncovering of sorts?  Perhaps a ‘coming of age’ realization? 

That if we take all the lessons and experiences we’ve learned over the years – by the time we turn 40, we can just calm the f*%k down already?      

Disclaimer: I Love Lists.

I really do.  I always have.  I used to ‘pen’ my lists, but now I have an app for that. 

The Grocery List, the Classic To Do list, the Honey-do list, which by the way, props to whoever came up with that one.

And when you search on the internet, there really isn’t anything you can’t learn about that isn’t identified in a list these days: 6 ways to cure….7 reasons why you shouldn’t….8 easy steps to lose those last 10 pounds…

But, why do we make lists?  

First off, “If you didn’t write it down it didn’t happen” – Health & Safety Rule #1. 

Secondly, lists save sanity, and keep our daily lives in order.  When I found out about Google Keep I pretty much nerded out in my colleague’s office. You mean I can write as many lists as I want AND edit and correct my spelling??

Getting Back to the Point…

My all time favourite list is a Gratitude List.  We humans have the ability to identify, analyze, and determine the next steps in life by reflection – keeping what we want and leaving what we don’t.  Leading with gratitude for the learnings, to move forward with a positive mindset.   

So instead of completing my 40 by 40 list (which was seriously CANCELLED by COVID anyway), I was able to rediscover the art of gratitude and reflection by creating a list of the lessons and experiences that helped me get to where I am in my 40th year, and who I have become.   

And this is where Living the Juicy Life Blog will focus.  A collection of advice, knowledge, and wisdom that I’ve been blessed by the lucky stars enough to pay attention to.   

Things I’ve learned in my life that I think mean something. Sharing a few of my own stories along the way.   

I believe it just takes someone saying it at the time of your life where you really need to hear it to make it resonate. Hearing people’s experiences that have gone through it before helps maintain some connection through this crazy world and what it throws at us.  

Each week, I’ll write about a new learning from the list. They won’t be in order, just in order of my list on Google Keep haha.  

This isn’t the be all and end all list either.  I’m still learning, and I’m still growing. 

I hope you’ll laugh, and share some of your stories with me.

If you shed a tear, shed 10 because it feels good to cry sometimes.  Just keep it out of your glass of wine, alright?

Connection.

2020 taught me that connection is the key to keeping us whole.  We can’t do this thing called life alone, and why would we want to?  Comment below and let me know 1 thing you thought was going to happen in 2020 and either how you pivoted or how you ended up making it happen anyway.

Cheers to sharing our stories, the good AND the bad. XO Juicy