Birthdays make me wonder how I got here!

I think birthdays always make me introspective. As I sit and think about all I have in my life—family, friends, security, teaching, health, happiness—I feel deeply grateful.

I don’t think there was any way for the little girl who grew up on a small farm within a family with its full share of difficulties to see forward to this place of contentment. I couldn’t see it even a few years ago when I decided to stop working full time – I’d had a great career in business although it was a times stressful, uncertain and downright awful as well as rewarding, satisfying and exhilarating—but I’d had enough. I had no idea what I was going to do—and certainly wasn’t planning on teaching mindfulness as my main occupation. Yet teaching mindfulness has been and continues to be a great gift in my life. I am here but there was no way to predict it.

I think life is always like that—you simply can’t see what is ahead of you. My future is still a mystery and I love that. Sylvia Boorstein says that life alternates between wow and phooey! The trick is to focus on the wow and know that the phooey is passing. Right now there is a lot of wow in my life and I am going to savor it as fully as I can. I have no idea what the future hold for me but I can't wait to find out--no doubt there are still a few of surprises waiting around the corner.

Here is a link to a great First Person article along the same vein.