Tomorrow will be my 53rd birthday. 53!!! Where did the time go?! The very last daily blog post I wrote was written exactly three years ago today on the night before my 50th birthday and was titled “What 50 years have taught me”. That blog post read as follows:
Tomorrow I’m turning 50 years old and knowing that has caused me to be introspective about a few of the things those 50 years have taught me:
*They’ve taught me that happiness comes when we put God first, family second, and everything else third.
*They’ve taught me that excelling in the things of righteousness is the most important thing we can do to prepare us to excel in all things.
*They’ve taught me that integrity is always the most valuable asset any of us can or will ever have.
*They’ve taught me that we can’t successfully lose ourselves in the service of others if we don’t carve out adequate time to also take care of ourselves.
*They’ve taught me that taking time to watch a silly YouTube dog video with your child and putting down your phone to look them in the eye while they tell you about their day means more to them than buying them an expensive gift or taking them on an exotic trip.
*They’ve taught me that things are never as bad as we tell ourselves they’re going to be and worrying about things to come only strips our ability to appreciate what we have right now.
*They’ve taught me that getting something for nothing never feels as good as getting something we’ve worked hard for and sacrificed to be able to earn.
*They’ve taught me to trust God’s plan for me and have faith that He is doing everything He can to help me become the very best me I can be if I’ll just let Him.
*They’ve taught me that true fulfilment doesn’t stem from a list of accomplishments, it comes from the list of lives we’ve impacted for the better.
*They’ve taught me that even though wrinkles on the outside don’t feel good, having your heart softened from the years of wisdom feels pretty darn great.
As I sat tonight looking over that list of lessons I’d learned my first 50 years I began to think about the additional lessons these past three years have taught me. Here’s some of the things that came to mind:
What the past 3 years have taught me:
* How critically important it is to truly be present in the moment, because you’re never going to get that moment over ever again.
*That what we aren’t saying as we are listening is more important to the other person then what we are saying when we talk.
*That I have to say “no” to some things in order to have enough time for the most important things
*That as hard as things may seem they can always get worse, so be grateful.
*That making decisions may be hard, but not making decisions is worse. So weigh out the options, pray, then make a choice and move forward with faith. Trust that if you’re making a mistake the Lord will stop you from doing it or He’ll use it to help you gain wisdom you needed to know.
*That the work you do within the walls of your own home will forever be the most important work that you’ll ever do…and the most rewarding.
*To never underestimate the impact that doing one kind act a day will have on your life.
*How vitally important it is to write down our life experiences and lessons to be able to leave to our posterity because one day when we’re gone it’ll be the only words of wisdom and comfort we are able to provide them during their times of need. Take it from a daughter who lost her Dad – the advice and wisdom you leave for your posterity will become their greatest treasure after you’re gone.
*That nothing, and I do mean nothing, gives greater confidence and peace then living your lives in accordance with the gospel of Jesus Christ and that the closer we draw ourselves to Christ the even closer we’ll want to be.
I’m grateful for the opportunity I have to continue learning in life and I’m grateful to all of you for allowing me to share it as I do.
With love to all,
Amy Rees Anderson
