Friday, September 26, 2014

Getting Older (And Growing Up).


The other night, I spent the evening with my parents in the house I grew up in (which is how I've been spending most of my free time lately). Upon leaving, my mom told me that I had "really grown up." And it kind of got me thinking...

Getting older, or growing up, is really a journey of paring down. It is a journey that leads us to make good choices, bad choices, and everything in between. It is a process of learning… (hopefully) a lot about ourselves, and as much as we can about other people, especially those closest to us. It is being aware of the things we deem important in life— those things that are essential to our own, individual, happiness. It is realizing that we all value different things in life, and understanding that it’s okay to be different.

As the years go by, I get to know myself more and more. I appreciate my attributes and strengths. I accept my flaws and weaknesses, yet try to improve upon them. I don’t ask for things from others. I don’t expect anything from anyone. I don’t seek acceptance from anyone because I’m happy with myself. The only person I try to impress is myself. I understand that not everyone will like me, and that I won’t like everyone. I believe it is important to be grateful for the positive things in life (as well as the negative… they are banked as “lessons learned”, and they also let me appreciate the positives). I think to truly have gratitude, you must not expect or assume. Just be grateful for any kindness that comes your way! Figure out what’s important, and tend to those things. For me, it really comes down to health, family, and close friends. And food/wine, of course. I like to keep it simple, because-- Less is More. By paring down, I am growing up.