This is Fifty.

I said “Mummy I turned 50”

She said “You look like a teenager.”

Funny enough – at times I still feel like a teenager –

I don’t feel my age in so many different ways – but mainly it is my mind and spirit.?

My mind remains youthful, optimistic, hopeful, and grateful.

I have been spending a lot of time reflecting about age, life and why people feel the way they do and others feel other ways.

As I enter the second half, I wanted to share some thoughts on what I have learned and observed along the way.

I hope that you find it insightful.

Progress is the key to Happiness. ??The definition of progress is a forward and onward movement – I have spent a lot of time thinking about this – When we advance ourselves forward from standing still and potentially being stuck in a place of complacency, there is an automatic sense of reward that is sent to our brain. This releases positive neurotransmitters that are essential for psychological and physiological processes.?It is critical to set progress and forward movement into everything that we do.

Surround Yourself With People Who Truly Value You.?These are rare relationships but it means getting beyond the surface and being around people who really know who you are, what you value, what you represent, what you believe and having deeper connections.?This will forge stronger connections personally and professionally.

Do Hard Things. ??It is critical that you push yourself to do things that you never think may be possible.?Disproving yourself and breaking limits that you somehow put on yourself is one of the greatest gifts that you can give yourself.?Make it a practice.

Energy and Time are the Most Precious Commodities – Use them intelligently.?People and companies will deplete them and you need to find ways to restore them and also ones that equally fuel them.?It is a reciprocal relationship.?

Self-Estimation Is Essential.?What is the difference between successful and unsuccessful people (however we define it) The successful ones have a high degree of Self Estimation – Self Estimation is how well you view yourself.?Forget about others – How do YOU view yourself??What do you believe, feel and think about yourself??I am not taking this from an egocentric view – I mean, what kind of person do you believe you are??This will dictate how other view and treat you both in the workplace and in personal relationships.?

Move your Body Daily and Sweat – Growing up sports and exercise were not a part of what we did as a family.?I had a friend introduce me to aerobics when I was 16 years old.?Aerobics is a giant dance party where you sweat your guts out while you release tons of serotine and dopamine.?Sweat is the natural process for your body to remove toxins from your body -?Understand that exercise and moving your body should be treated like the same ritual as brushing your teach – it is mandatory.?

Food is Medicine.??In this modern world we often overlook the fact that food too can be a form of medicine.?There are nutrient rich foods that provide our bodies with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.?There are foods that can support our immune systems, promote cellular repair .?It is critical to know these fundamentals to best support your bodies physically and emotionally.

Teach Your Children to Have a Sense of Humour.??I love to laugh.?My family is funny.?My husband is funny.?My kids now make jokes and we laugh a lot as a family.?Not only is laughing therapeutic and releases tons of dopamine, it takes the edge off of life when things get real and intense.??Sometimes seeing the absurdity of a situation makes difficult circumstances a whole lot easier.

Take Cold Showers and Baths.?I have been following Wim Hoff for a while now with his deep breathing and exposure cold water.??While there are tons of benefits from mood enhancement, to inflammation reduction to increased focus – The induction into a state of stress on your body teaches you how to deal with stress head on and how to train your body to do so.

Live a Life Full of Adventure.??Adventure is thrilling, it is exciting, it is exhilarating.?This can be achieved from learning something new to travelling to doing sports or activity.?Living a life of adventure allows you to maintain a sense of your inner child.