Rather, than Who do You Want to Be? the title should be Who do I Want to Be?
I’ve been giving this some thought lately. Now that Kiddo number 4 has moved out and Kiddo number 3 is getting married later this week I’ve started wondering who I want to be in this next act.
Am I gonna give into my internal Iris Apfel (top left) and go crazy with color and collections? Maybe I’m gonna be like Pearl (top right) from Advanced Style and own that bad ass artsy chick vibe?
Maybe I’ll just hole up in my little cottage on the hill and be a hermit? Nah! That would never do.
I think the real question to ask is, “How do you/I want to feel?”
Want to be a bad ass art chick who also volunteers in the community to feel a sense of purpose?
Want to garden your green thumbs off and donate some of your produce to the local food pantry so you can feel like a contributor?
Do you want to make and sell your creations so you can feel abundant or independent?
How do I want to feel from 49-79?
It’s a good question and I have a couple of pieces of poster board around here. I think it’s time for a Desire Map.
So how do YOU want to feel the next several years? Do you know? Have you asked yourself?
Vicki, I so enjoy following along in your world, with your ups & downs & creativity & encouragement of REAL LIFE abounding! With your thread above, I am also 49 & had both of my daughters (1 w/my 1st granddaughter) leave the nest in the same day!! Wow…. I felt exhilarated to be able to claim MY space again, but yet empty w/no “lived in messes” to clean up (& crab about!). I have found in the past couple years as I’ve been waiting for this to come (though didn’t expect it ALL at once!) I’ve released more & more responsibilities (school, work, church) that I have more free time than I know what to do with sometimes. I had lots of ideas of just going to town to do more jewelry & crafts, house make-overs, anything artsy & creative…..but I find that my creativity & imagination has gotten a bit drained & I hit a mental block of “now what?” Where do I begin? I’ve so much to do! I start on one thing & get distracted by something else I was “supposed” to do, then something else, then another…..Geez – I’ve just become my mother!! I think about my Grandmother, who’s house I now own & all of the entertaining that she so frequently did. I dread that – means more cleaning, more planning, more setting up & cleaning up after. Then I get tired just thinking about it all & collapse in the chair & watch mindless TV!! Where did “I” go????
I want to reclaim my younger days of vast creativity & energy…not bogged down with mind-blocking “should do’s”.
I want total peace in my home & my heart. I like how Pamela J. (above) said so wonderfully …to just be a happy, self-expressive ME in all aspects of my life! I laugh & I laugh a LOT nearly everyday – always have!! I choose to surround myself with people who make me be a better me!
Thank you Vicki for your self-expression & including all of us in your journey!!
Oh, gosh, Linda. I hear you with that “supposed to do” thing. Sometimes it’s hard to know what you WANT to do when SUPPOSED TO is always chatting away in your head. That was why I had to start concentrating more on how I want to FEEL. If what I’m doing doesn’t fit in with how I want to feel then I have to re-think it.
I used to also let TV suck up my time when I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. Again… sort out how you want to feel. I feel disappointed with myself when I waste too much time in front of the TV. Definitely not what I was going for. 🙂
Having said that, be sure to go slow. This isn’t a race.
XOXO V
You’re right, Vicki. I will sort everything out with how I want to feel…. Thank you. (((Hugs)))
I want to feel positive, happy and blessed every day. I want to express myself openly without hindrance; in my home, in my attire, in my relationships, and in my attitude towards life. All the while maintaining my compassion, empathy and sympathy. I want to laugh every day too. 🙂
Oh Pamela, that sounds lovely. I know from personal experience that GRATITUDE goes a long way towards helping me feel all of those things. Gratitude is the basis of all of the good that comes into our lives, I think.
Keep it up!
V