Twenty Seven

Hello folks!

Guess what? I have impishly called this post "twenty seven", but really, I am now twenty eight years old! Whoopee! I am excited! This feels good. (By the way, I started writing this on 15th July, the day after my birthday, and it's now 24th July. I got distracted. But I still want to post this.)

Before delving headfirst into my twenty-ninth year on the planet (which, I happily announce, I have already started to do in the last two ten days), I wanted to share a few things about being 27 and what I have learned in the last 12 months of my life.

In no particular order... here are my Life Lessons from a 27 Year Old

• It's always good to try something new. Life is full of opportunities to try something new and live. In the 12 months gone by, I went to my first hen weekend, my first wedding of a childhood friend, tried road cycling for the first time, went camping for the first time in England, got made redundant for the first time ever (on that holiday), went on my first ever holiday with my biological father and half-brother and sister, then went on my second ever holiday with him and met my paternal grandfather, got a group of people to sing the Sun Song at a workshop, learned all about tax and finance, became a CEO, got engaged (although I have been asked before if I would marry someone, but they were drunk. And a stranger. So I don't think that counts.) I moved in with my fiance - my first time of living with a man! I stepped up in Clearmind and did Level 2 assistant's training. I got my first paid writing job. Had my first ever colonic. Was in a pantomime for the first time ever, and sang a solo for the first time since being a child. I was in a musical as a principal role. First time having my car break down and die on me. First time trying archery and axe throwing. First time interviewing an applicant for a job I was recruiting for. First time going self-employed. I took singing lessons. And I attended a friend's birth, the first one I've ever been at since my own! I also didn't do a lot of stuff, but far better I think to celebrate rather than regret.

• Every day is a precious opportunity to teach love and remember that only the love is real in any situation. But it takes practice. Lots of practice. A mighty companion to help point me in the right direction is also very helpful.

• Starting the day with some quiet time is the best way for me to reconnect on a daily basis with my true purpose and function. The resistance I feel - towards meditating, towards being still and quiet, towards pretty much any practice that requires discipline - will pass, and when practiced regularly, not meditating or saying prayers in the morning will feel abnormal. Quiet time rocks!

• Facing my demons helps dissolve them. Doing one thing every day that scares me is a sure fire recipe for freedom. Picasso said that "If there is a voice inside you which says, 'You cannot paint', then make sure you paint and that voice will be silenced." I have sung, acted, drawn, written poetry, made love, cycled up - and down - big hills, gardened, done scary things that seemed way out of my comfort zone, and somehow, have always survived. I'm now willing to believe that I can sing, write poems, be free and expressive when I make love, dig deep and get to the top of the hill, and then let go and get down it. Oh, and I can garden amongst the spiders, feel the fear and keep going, brave girl that I am.

• Love is really the only thing that matters. I can trust that if I'm following the path of love, all my needs are taken care of. This lesson is one I've learned just recently. Day after day of not knowing where August's rent money was coming from. Assurance and reassurance from friends, coach, universe. Layer after layer of fear swelling up from deep inside me. And then suddenly, opportunity after opportunity to earn, to be part of something.

• Relationships. Friendship. Sisterhood. Connection. These are so much more than just words. Nurturing the relationships in my life is one of the most beautiful responsibilities I've been given.

And now I'm here, in today. And there are conversations to be had, bike rides to go on, quietness to sink into. So much is happening in my one human life, and so much more in the world. It's almost overwhelming. How do I keep in touch with all my friends, be present in my beautiful relationship, work, create, and still have quiet time for myself? How do I respond to the cries for love in my family, my friends, the world? A step at a time, I guess. A moment at a time. A loving thought at a time.

I wonder what will happen in my life today.

Do you wonder what will happen in yours?