Dawn’s Birthday Blog

There really is something special about approaching a milestone birthday. Yeah, that’s right. I’m about the enter the half-century club! While I don’t feel like a different person, I do feel differently about this birthday. Maybe it’s because I’m half the age of my two grandmothers who passed last year at ages 99 and 101 – two women who left a legacy of love, wisdom, strength, tenacity, and resilience. Maybe it’s because I finally feel like I know who I am. Maybe it’s because I’m really starting to love myself and where I’m at in my life. Maybe it’s because I feel that I’m starting to accumulate some wisdom that might be worth sharing. So in honor of my birthday month, I want to share what 50 years on this earth has taught me (in no particular order). We will call them my 50 Dawn-isms…

1. Study and know yourself. It’s the key to all wisdom.
2. Be true to yourself.
3. Find your passion and fuel it.
4. Everything we do is a reflection of who we believe ourselves to be.
5. Peace begins within, so make peace with yourself.
6. Never be at war with your own body.
7. Life is too short to diet or drink bad wine.
8. Always color outside of the lines.
9. Never fake anything.
10. Don’t wait to start checking the boxes off your bucket list. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.
11. Do what you love, love what you do, or change it.
12. Don’t let your fears hold you back from creating the life you desire.
13. Change is necessary for growth.
14. Don’t resist change. It’s going to happen anyway.
15. Desire is the greatest motivator.
16. Don’t limit yourself. All things are possible.
17. Perfectionism is a lie. Don’t believe it.
18. Always speak your truth.
19. Trust your gut. It’s often smarter than your brain.
20. Things are rarely as they seem. Get curious and ask lots of questions.
21. Yoga isn’t about the postures. It’s a way of thinking and being.
22. We don’t need to have all of the answers. It’s impossible, and the answers only lead to more questions.
23. Pain is a vehicle to self-discovery. Allow it to teach you.
24. Whatever you seek, you will find.
25. Know what’s yours to own. Own it, and let go of the rest.
26. Listen to your heart. It’s wiser than you think.
27. What you focus on really does expand. So mind your thoughts.
28. Find your tribe and love them HARD.
29. People will come in and out of your life and that doesn’t mean the time you spent with them didn’t matter.
30. It doesn’t matter what people think of you. It’s none of your business.
31. You can’t change people, nor should you try.
32. It’s ok if people don’t like you.
33. Never apologize for who you are.
34. Humans are beautiful flawed. Don’t forget, you are one of them.
35. Forgiveness is freedom. Forgive early and often. It gets harder the longer you hold onto it.
36. True love really exists, but it never looks like you think it will.
37. You have to love yourself in order to find true love.
38. When you find your soul mate, you’ll know it.
39. Two halves do not make a whole person.
40. Marriage is about bringing out the best in yourself and your partner.
41. Parenthood is not about you. It’s about them.
42. Our children are among our greatest teachers.
43. Grandparenting really is a blast!
44. Religion and faith are not the same. Don’t throw faith out the window just because religion has betrayed or hurt you. (See items #34 and #35.)
45. Things really do work themselves out in time. Trust the journey and let go.
46. Find ways to be grateful, even for the trials in life. Gratitude truly heals and uplifts.
47. Always be a student and never stop learning.
48. Love is always the answer.
49. When in doubt, just breathe.
50. Create a legacy that leaves a large footprint.

So there it is – 50 years of wisdom through my eyes and experience. I’m looking forward to the lessons the second half of my life has to teach me. Don’t worry, I won’t wait another 50 years to share them with you!