Moving Forward Through a Midlife Transition
In the first 50 years of my fabulous life, I wore many hats in different styles, sizes and colors. All were neatly stored in the hatbox called motherhood. I have raised a total of seven children and have loved every moment. I wouldn’t trade any of them for a paid career. But at the midpoint of my journey, with all my children grown and gone, I found myself asking one simple question: “What do I want to do when I grow up?”
Most of us have made the mistake of attaching our worth to others at some point in our lives, and I am no different. Now I felt stuck in my journey - one of my dainty size 7 stilettos firmly planted in the past and the other cemented right in front of me. How could I move forward?
As I "shopped for one" in the fruit section, I reflected on my worries. Suddenly, I imagined myself as an orange, that amazing miracle of Mother Nature which grows on a tree with a face full of sunshine. I decided right then and there that my life was no longer just a pile of orange pieces--some full of pits that choked my desires and goals; others as dry as cardboard because I hadn't drunk enough from the abundance this wonderful universe had provided me.
Now I saw all the pieces back they belonged, covered with the protection of a beautiful bright orange rind, full of zest, color, flavor and aroma. I could feel every drop of juice nourishing my dreams and encouraging me to move forward, and I could see every pit as a seed of creativity stoking the fires of my determination with enthusiasm and humor....
I finished my shopping exercise and stopped to look inward at the dreams and goals I still wished to achieve. I decided at that moment to re-evaluate each on a regular basis and shift my energies to bring joy and balance to my life. The robust orange has become a symbol of the moxie that I have had all along. My peel has grown strong enough to shoulder the load I must bear and shield me from the opinions of others. I am full of love and, most importantly, I am brilliantly me, as brilliant as the orange on my countertop.
My stilettos are now moving forward!
Visit her website at www.moximize.me.
Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Moximize_Me and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/moximize.