Another 365-day journey around the sun

So here I am again… Another journey around the sun completed. It’s been a weird one, but then it seems that nothing can surprise anyone anymore in 2020!

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Thank you, Friends 🙂

 

I’ve been enjoying summarising my years since 2017. Then another post followed a year later,with the latest one from China.

So what’s happened since?

  • I enjoyed most of my post birthday summer last year in Shanghai – having friends there too made the whole experience beyond exceptional!
  • I started having some work done on the house – actually more than had planned for and, my oh my, it’s still on hold and it’s still driving me bonkers :-/
  • I really got back into climbing and have been making progress, especially with my leading skills
  • I completed Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) course
  • I’ve meditated (almost) on daily basis- if not, I substituted it with some positive affirmations. Perhaps one or two might have slipped through the net? But I guess that’s my opportunity to being nice to myself and truly understand that it’s ok to have a slip up and/or to make an occasional mistake.
  • I attended Wisdom Born of Stillness weekend retreat with Ajahn Brahm at Gaia House – and Ajahn Bear was there with me, of course 🙂
  • I attended Love To Break All Boundaries: Metta Retreat with the Venerable Canda at The Barn: things aren’t always so fluffy and easy as they sound, but they’re definitely worth it!
  • I’ve started yet another Masters degree! Yeah, I know 🙂 But I’m loving it, despite an occasional tantrum 😉
  • Despite some rather rubbish past experiences, I’ve braved the weird world of online dating again… This though requires a whole new and separate post, if not a book 😉 Maybe some time soon. I have a plan. You may hear it about in not so distant future 🙂
  • …and since you’re asking, yeah, I’m enjoying it this time 🙂
  • I’ve met amazing, supportive, kind and lovely people – I just can’t imagine not feeling grateful  for who (and what) I have in my life 🙂
  • I experienced being furloughed
  • I’ve been asked to be my good friend’s bridesmaid 🙂 We even managed to go on a great hen do in Spain and be back just in time for lockdown…
  • I might be getting more ideas about what I want to do when I grow up… 😉
  • I’ve learnt some online teaching skills!
  • Life goes on…

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Ok, the thing is that not everything in the last year was all hunky-dory…And of course I experienced a lot of emotional ups and downs. But as 2020 seems to generate lots of (so called ) negative feelings and emotions, I just wanted to focus on good and meaningful events in my life. What have I learnt? Hmmm….The biggest takeway for me was to learn to set up and/or assert my boundaries much better and develop abilities not to get sucked in into somebody else’s’ dramas (especially happy with this one!). The old Polish proverb ‘Not my circus, not my monkeys’ has finally started making sense to me. I’ve learnt freakishly lots about myself in a relatively short period of time. I recognised my strengths and excepted my vulnerable self more. I love being a human being , though this often requires that vulnerability, which I’m still working on. I enjoy being ‘a work in progress‘ kind of person as for me it’s more realistic, more true and authentic than pretending that I’m (almost) perfect. I know that there’s plenty I need to work on, but for now I’ll stick to being (just the right amount of) enough.

I think here’s only one more thing to say :

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME 🙂 🙂 🙂

Like a fine wine…

“I’m like a fine wine. I get better with age. The best is yet to come.”

                                                /Richelle Mead/

Celebrating my birthday with some Lady Grey tea and violet and blueberry cake

 

Since my last birthday:

  • I’ve continued my mindful journey and meditated daily
  • I learnt that kindness may come from the least expected directions and from people who I would’ve never thought could extend their helping hand to me, as if they were there to balance out those who I thought would’ve been there for me when I really needed them
  • I’ve learnt to be a bit more assertive ( and I’m not planning on stopping any time soon! )
  • I visited Japan
  • I became an aunt of a beautiful baby boy ( and the first American in the family!)
  • I (finally!) went to Cuba ( and surprised myself I can still communicate in my broken Spanish 🙂 ) . Oh, and for the first time ever, my gut got defeated by Cuban water (or whatever was in it!). I won’t divulge further details, it’s a rather shitty story… 😉
  • I got caught up in Ft Lauderdale crisis (yes, I’ll write about it one day)
  • I started my blog (wow, I still can’t believe it sometimes!)
  • I’ve completed Positive Psychology and Demystifying Mindfulness courses on Coursera  (and started another one with one more waiting in the pipeline)
  • My health deteriorated (but I’m working on it and I’m getting better)
  • I moved from Asia back to Europe (so not such a big change 😉 )
  • I attended a christening in Poland and wedding in the UK
  • I’ve been living with a Buddhist community again
  • I started teaching again
  • I’ve continued meeting amazing, inspiring and supportive people
  • I helped Amanda to launch her first book “Creative Unblocking: Bypass Self-Doubt, Tap Your Genius, and Complete Your Best Work

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But most importantly I realised how resilient and strong I’ve become, having had to deal with the whole plethora of issues which had landed on me like a ton of bricks within a very short period of time in a foreign country. I’m extremely grateful for all the lessons I’ve been receiving since my last birthday- they hit me on the head, poked me, tickled me, made me cry, made me laugh, but, first and foremost, have been shaping this fine woman that I am.

Happy birthday to me – the best is yet to come 🙂