On Middle Age

What sets me free + B.U.T.T.E.R.F.L.Y. Notes Chapter #7

As you grow, you learn more. Aging is not just decay…it's growth. — author Mitch Albom, in Tuesdays with Morrie

When I turned 40 four years ago I am not exaggerating when I say that I felt a sudden shift in my body. 

I distinctly remember going on a run the day after said birthday and felt a sharp pain on the side of my right foot. 

Plantar Fasciitis was the culprit and I was sidelined from running for the next 6 weeks. Needless to say, the first day of this decade did not impress me much.

Simultaneously, I also felt a notable change in my mind. But this was a welcome transition; one where I felt myself bloom. With it, I noticed that I felt more confident in saying no to things that I didn’t want in my life and saying yes to the things I wanted. 

In middle age, I have learned that I will happily take the slower runs along with a stronger sense of contentment. I will willingly take the slow-growing wrinkles on my face along with more acceptance of myself. And I will freely take grey hairs along with the opportunity to become a little wiser. 

As I grow older I find myself less afraid of what life has in store. Instead of being hesitant, I feel like aging can feel like a gift; a gift of recognizing the things that matter most. This is a small sliver of perspective on aging gracefully that has set me free from looking too closely, or judgementally in the mirror.

*This is a longer e-mail so if you’d like to read in full make sure you either “read in browser” or click on "View entire message" to view the entire post in your email app.

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And now onto the seventh Chapter of B.U.T.T.E.R.F.L.Y. Notes. A roundup of little notes I’ve made throughout the week.

James Needham’s artistic process is incredibly unique in that he combines different elements of photographs he takes into a collage, to create one unique image. I appreciate his use of negative space, imagination, and innovation and have entered a rabbit hole into his beautifully creative process. You can hear more about his process here.

It’s easy to forget how about the amazing places and opportunities that present themselves right in my backyard. This week a hidden gem of a golf course 10 minutes from our house is hosting the BMW Golf Championship where the top 50 golf pros worldwide compete. My husband is a huge golfer and while I’m just getting started I am fascinated by the game these players. We attended a practice day together and it was an awesome way to escape from day-to-day life if only for a few hours.

One of my favorite comedians, Heather McMahan, recommended this Spicy Beef Larb on Instagram and she’s a very qualified foodie + I trust her taste so I’ll be cooking this one up for the fam next week!

You’re Only as Smart as Your Emotions is an important opinion piece that discusses the importance of a healthy emotional state in all aspects of our lives. I have always felt this intuitively and it is heartening to read that neuroscientists can attest to this with the research they’ve invested in throughout their professional lives.

My core point here is that you need to be a great emotional athlete in order to make the great decisions in life. You need to be ardent enough to feel and astute enough to understand your feelings. Life is not a series of calculus problems. Life is about movement — moving through different terrains and circumstances. Emotions guide the navigation system. As Mlodinow writes in “Emotional,” “While I.Q. scores may correlate to cognitive abilities, control over and knowledge of one’s emotional state is what is most important for professional and personal success.

This was the article that sparked my short essay about approaching middle age at the beginning of this letter. I wonder if the knowledge that aging is inevitable and part of every human’s experience makes it a bit easier to embrace the good with the bad.

Speaking of age, Isabella Ducrot, a painter in Rome, didn’t really pick up a paint brush until her fifties. In her 90s now, she says, “I must tell you immediately that I have never been so happy in my life!”. What a testament to investing in yourself no matter the timing. This is such a wonderful article about her journey and success.

I recently discovered Benson Boone’s music and just can’t get enough. This song is my current favorite on repeat.

These two mamas teach shuffle dance together and I’m about to invest in one of their online classes because it looks like so much fun + great exercise.

Bonus:

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As always thank you for being here and I’ll see you next week!

Flutter On,

Sara