One week into my sixties, I find that life goes on. Surprise, surprise! I continue to reflect on the lessons these sixty years have taught me. I have been blessed far beyond what I deserve, even through the hardest trials of life. Continuing from last week’s post, here are a few more life lessons from these sixty years.

• Invest in the dual-threat – Purpose and Relationships – Purpose leads to fulfillment. When our life points toward positive impact, whether through our career or beyond our career, then we experience a sense of meaning and contentment. The power of purpose multiplies when arising out of our unique gifting and passion. I believe God has a unique purpose for each of our lives. Finding and living that purpose makes all the difference (check out “Discovering Your Life Mission” on my website). Couple purpose with deep relationship and we enjoy the best of what life has to offer. Purpose without relationship can easily lead to driven obsessiveness without heart. Our close relationships balance us and soften us. Love received and given, bring joy to life.
• Speed kills. Clutter chokes. Noise deafens – I continuously battle needless rushing. I am learning that abundance comes with choosing less. I resist the compulsion to always turn on some sort of sound. My spirit comes alive when I slow down and quiet down. When we take on too much, we lose perspective. Step by step, habit by habit, we need to change the way we live. Therefore, I seek to slow down, quiet down, and create space to breathe. Savor life!
• Choose hope– Life is hard. If I let myself, I can drown in the negativity and struggles of each day. Choosing hope on a daily basis is critical. By an act of my will, I decide to live into the positive around me. I choose to trust God rather than have my outlook and emotions dictated by my circumstances. God is a redeeming God and so choosing hope is more than just being an optimist. Despite regular failures, I have never regretted trying to choose hope. Even in those times when life’s experiences crushed me, hope made the pain bearable because I knew that pain was not the last word. The more difficult hope is to grasp, the more critical it is to pursue.

Each season of life has its special place. I never expected that my sixties could welcome in such a time of promise. Fresh possibilities abound. Deep friendships await, as more time opens in this new season. I walk into this decade with God and with gratitude.