Next year I'll have 50 years of life to look back upon and to ponder. Old? Maybe, although I guess it depends on ones perspective. Certainly older to one entering their late-teens and not all that old to one in their 70's.
For me...Well, I feel 50 sometimes and feel 32 at others in the same way I act 50, 32 and probably 20 at times; That is to say I act according to the situation. Do I feel like I'm old though? Well no, despite the fact I joke about it sometimes. In truth, I'm still rockin' it and have a pretty cool life...But that didn't come easy.
My life began the same as other people's, I was born, but as I travelled along through it my life became more and more my own; I made choices, good and bad. My life kind of just unfurled before me based on those choices and, of course, happenstance, circumstance and many things well-outside my ability to control. Like most people's lives I guess.
But many things have been within my control too, my attitude for one, and I've always worked hard to maintain the right attitude or mindset. I believe it's made the road I've travelled more acceptable.
One of the things I've been careful to control is the people I have around me and I've been quite selective in this; I've also been very brutal when it comes to the process of cutting them from my life. I did so today and it feels good! I'm pretty good at it too...A real professional.
Negative influence is to be removed like a cancer. Doing so allows me to focus on the positive influences that are all around, those that empower me, create the right attitude and help me design my life the way I'd like it to be. The thing with negativity though, is that it has a way of obscuring positivity and that's not acceptable - Not on my road anyway.
If someone, or something, is negative don't go as often and don't stay as long. If you can avoid going at all, do that - A phrase I think about often and one that reminds me of the importance of removing negativity.
The road of life, my road of life, doesn't go forever. At almost 50 what's left? 20, maybe 30 years? 35? A little depressing to think about but it's the reality. Better that they are lived my way, without the negativity and toxicity some people can bring. Don't you think?
To that end, I've made a point of removing negativity from my life...People, places, jobs, Facebook...Anything. Doing so helps pave my road a little better moving forward, and mitigates the opportunity for regret to raise its (ugly and difficult to remove) head when I happen to glance in the rear-view mirror.
How's your road going?
Design and create your ideal life don't live it by default 🇦🇺