I’ve noticed that people don’t just age in their bodies, they age in their spirit. Somewhere along the way, they decide they’ve seen enough, done enough, learned enough. And that’s when life starts quietly closing in around them.
I’ve seen it happen to people I care about, clients, friends, people who were once full of energy and ideas. It saddens me, because they’re bright and capable. But somewhere, curiosity slipped away.
In Al-Anon, I learned a truth that changed me: you can’t help anyone who doesn’t want help. You can love them, pray for them, and hope something inside them stirs, but you can’t carry their willingness. You can only keep your own side of the street clean, stay open, stay teachable.
I don’t want to reach the end of my life and realize I’d been asleep for half of it. That’s why I keep learning, writing, reflecting, stretching my mind as far as it will go. Because writing keeps me awake to myself. It teaches me what I think, what I feel, what I still believe in.
When I spent four days with Tony Robbins, one thing he said stayed with me: “Your energy flows where your attention goes.” I realized how true that is. If you give your attention to pain, regret, or fear, that’s what grows. But if you give it to curiosity, kindness, and gratitude, those grow instead.
I’ve met people in their eighties who live like they’re thirty, and others in their fifties who’ve already stopped living. The difference isn’t health or luck, it’s choice. The decision to stay awake, to keep growing, to keep saying yes to life even when it gets hard.
That’s what I want my life to keep saying: yes.
In the end, I want my life to be one long yes, to change, to learning, to what’s still waiting ahead. 🌿