I made it to the 55 milestone this past week. I must say that reaching double nickels brings on an interesting perspective. I’m halfway between 50 and turning 60. I feel like I should “feel” something or be going through a list of goals and yet, I feel peace. I feel content. Quite frankly, it feels great!

My sense of peace and contentment brings me to a bigger picture for all of us. A few important questions come to mind:

• What do we make up about each “age,” especially the milestone ones? (most of us think of the 40’s and 50’s)
• What happens when we embrace who we are here and now?
• What can we celebrate each day? 

To celebrate turning 55, I went for a 3-mile walk and then got in a couple rounds of boxing on the bag. I may have lifted a weight or two, as well. I also invited a group of friends to gather, toast to another year and, yes, eat a variety of foods including cupcakes and cheesecake. I spent time journaling about this past year—the high points, the low points, the learning. I took time to write down my goals for the next year. I imagined myself turning 56 and what I want for the next 365 days til that birthday. It was a little surreal and yet, I felt a sense of purpose and direction.

I don’t like wasting time and I also know there is a time and place for rest. If we worry about the future, we completely miss what is here and now. When we dwell on the past, we take away our happiness for today. Yes, there is an appropriate time and place to dig into these places. Let’s just not live there. Friends, life is too short and as my mom’s friend Marge would say, life changes in a New York Minute. There is no guarantee of tomorrow—in fact, there’s no guarantee of the next breath so why not embrace what we have now?

May I invite you to pause and reflect on these powerful questions:

What does it look like for you to embrace the here and now? 

What are you celebrating today? 

What are you grateful for today? 

What captures being fully present in this moment for you? 

Where do you feel peace and contentment?

Cheers to living and making it another day!