Chairlady’s Musings: A Work in Progress
Dame Maggie Smith passed away two weeks ago. What a loss to the arts, she was one of my favourite actresses. These are my favourite two quotes from her:
“Accept that you are a work in progress, both a revision and a draft: you are better and more complete than earlier versions of yourself, but you also have work to do. Be open to change. Allow yourself to be revised.”
“Don’t wait for your life to magically come together-it’s your work to do. Every day, every moment, you are making your life from scratch. Today, take one step, however small, toward creating a life you can be proud of.”
Don’t you just love the fact that you are a work in progress? I guess it can bring up one of two emotions – that this is too much hard work or that the best is yet to come. Maybe it is both, but I am leaning to the “best is yet to come” and the fact that I am in control of the construction. And as a bonus, I can reshape, redo, remodel and recreate at any time.
This is also making me feel like putting a little bit less pressure on myself to be “at a certain stage” in my life at this age. Gosh I battle with this a lot, and comparisinitis (this is a word, right?) kicks in BIG time. I guess my masterpiece is just taking a bit longer. And that the best is yet to come. But I certainly do not want to use it as an excuse either. It is just accepting that life is where it should be now and that I am here due to a culmination of decisions I’ve made, but that I can move forward from here, toward a different goal and end-result.
Just imagine at age 25 you have done and achieved everything you ever wanted to – then what? So the fact that we are on this journey called life with its twists and turns is pretty exciting. There is so much to learn and so much to experience. Have your goals and dreams and work towards them with passion, determination, joy and excitement but realise that you as a person and your life is but a masterpiece in the making….
Slight side-note:
I have spoken about Sarah Blakely before, but I also follow her husband Jesse Itzler on socials (two incredible positive people who just do life to the fullest – ok they do have a gazillion dollars in the bank, but I think that it is their attitudes that got them there, and for now it is beside the point.)
In one of his latest posts, he talks about ways to really add meaning to your life and suggested the following (he does this!)
- Do one BIG thing a year (Japanese ritual Misogi) – learn to play the guitar or another language or climb Kili…something that is really big for you.
- Do 6 mini adventures a year (again, according to your likes and finances – and it is often easier to achieve if you actually book and pay for it upfront)
- A new winning habit each quarter (daily meditation etc).
Maybe some of these things above can be added to our lives as we grow and create our one magnificent life!