It’s my birthday weekend.
As an aside, this is what 54 looks like on me. No make-up on yet, and early in the morning! I don’t pole dance like Jennifer Lopez and you wouldn’t want to watch me perform at the Super Bowl halftime show (ha!). I do some basic weights and lots of walking. I appreciate and love all the variations and choices of other women for them. Personally, I choose not to colour my hair or use botox. I like to be on Team Natural and my favourite add-ons are perfume and fun rings.
(You do you! Love it! I’ll do me! Love it!) I find all women’s choices inspiring and intriguing.
But the real point of my photo is this: I am at a cross roads. This is my year to make a simple decision.
Do I go all in and back myself, or not?
Advance with what I love, or retreat?
Can you relate to this? It would be so easy — so natural — to slow down now and live in my world of what has always been.
To stay settled into the same career and same routines.
To drift into next year.
To believe it’s too hard to create something new.
To stop learning.
But we have so much life left. We do! Look back at the last five years, from 2015 until now, and think about all you’ve done in those 1,825 days.
In the next five years, we will get 43,800 hours.
Is it time for all of us to get a whole lot louder, and take up more space?
Yes, I have a million voices arguing in my head about my lack of expertise, my imperfect work, my faults (many), my blind spots (also many). Do you have those voices, too?
But I have new things I want to do.
Next weekend I’m going to share a surprise — something new I’ve been working on. I’m really hoping for your support.
I wish you were here to chat about it, and we could all encourage each other to step out into our Great Unknowns.
So there you have it: happy birthday to me.
This year, I’m giving myself the gift of backing myself and being my own best friend. I hope you will, too.
Let’s love our age (together),
Catherine x
PS.
Beautiful flowers from my mother-in-law and sister-in-law! Pearl necklace from my dear friend and blog reader, Jen. Lovely cake from my stylish friend, Jules. Thank you all for spoiling me rotten this year. I loved every second.
A reader asked for my gluten free, no bake brownie recipe. These are so delicious. Cut into tiny squares and enjoy a small sweet treat!
