Hindsight is a great thing … unfortunately hindsight is just that …

hindsight

ˈhʌɪn(d)sʌɪt/

1. understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened or developed.

At the ripe old age of 47 I’ve lived a very full and eventful life . There have been amazing highs and devastating lows. I fell in love far too easily and in the process I kissed a lot of frogs ; turns out they don’t all turn into Princes.

While I’ve had a blast I’ve also made ALOT of mistakes and although I don’t think you should ever have regrets I do have a couple. Not taking the opportunity to audition for the weather girl position at my local TV station being one of them.

Which led me to reminisce ; muse about life [as you do] I have no complaints but if I had done things differently where would life have taken me? If I had the chance to talk to my younger self what 5 life lessons would I pass on .

1. Grab every opportunity

Bearing in the mind the above, this felt like the most appropriate lesson to start with.

I was a painfully shy, self-conscious girl and said no to a lot of fabulous opportunities. It was easier that way ; saying yes would lead to sleepless nights worrying I’d not be able to do it, I’d not be good enough . I would make an idiot of myself etc etc. and my anxiety would take hold.

All I can say is so bloody what …?

Nobody died in the process [ hopefully!]

So what if you make a ‘tit’ of yourself. You’ll learn to laugh about it … eventually.

So what if you can’t do it . You turned up and you bloody tried. Everybody loves a trier. You’ll do better next time and chances are you’ll have knocked it out of the park anyway.

You’ll find that the situations that scare you the most are usually the ones that give you the most fulfillment when you’ve completed them. It’s empowering.

Young Tracey would never have envisaged 45-year-old Tracey appearing on prime time local radio. How much she enjoyed it and how fabulous she would feel afterwards .

Oh and in 1996 you’ll meet Jason Orange. Go and speak to him FGS!

2. Be more than just a beautiful cover

Educate yourself.

Read anything and everything … absorb the words like a sponge, escape into imaginary worlds. Dare to dream. Words really are magical.

Watch documentaries. Lots of them. Everything from how a Praying Mantas eats its partner after mating … to the goings on at your local brothel !

Write your thoughts down , start a journal. Have a valued but educated opinion. Travel and experience new cultures. Surprise people .Be more than just a pretty face.

Yes a pretty face will get you so far … but believe me there is nothing more attractive than somebody with a lust for life , who has a fire in her belly. Whose eyes and face light up when they recall one of their many adventures. Who enthuse passionately about the book they have just finished reading, the amazing show they have just seen or the new place they have recently discovered.

Be whole. Be beautiful inside and out.

Aim to be that old lady in the Nursing Home who makes people’s toes curl on end with her outrageous stories; the one who  brings a smile to everybody’s faces.

3. Tell your Mum/ Dad / best friend you love and appreciate them

When you are younger you live in a beautiful innocent bubble where you believe everybody will be around forever.

Sorry to burst that bubble but the horrible truth is they won’t be. People you love can be taken away in the blink of an eye. I’m obviously speaking from my personal experience having lost [our] mum last year to cancer. We often used to muse about growing old, being little old ladies together. Having cream teas and perming each others hair… we’ll sadly never get to experience any of that BUT we have to be grateful for the good times; all the beautiful memories we made while she was around.

Love unconditionally. Show people how much you love and appreciate them. Don’t waste time sweating the small stuff. Life is precious. Grab it by the balls.

4. Look after your health and wellbeing

Eat well, drink in moderation and exercise regularly but like everything in life don’t deprive yourself. You want cake . Have cake. You want a beer. Have two.

Stop messing around with running it’s not your thing. Take up Pilates – you’ll really love it. It will Strengthen your ‘core’ and help control your cataplexy attacks

Eat your 5 a day, drink at least a pint of water daily and take your supplements. Lumity Lifes best selling Natural Day and Night anti-aging supplements are amazing and have recently won Best Beauty Supplement 2018 in the Beauty Shortlist awards. They are fairly pricey … but totally worth it. They will boost your energy and make your skin and hair shine

5. Stay Gold

Remember the film ‘The Outsiders’ [ you should its one of your favourites ] the part where Pony Boy recites the poem ‘Stay Gold‘ to Dally. Well  there’s a lesson for us all to be had there.

“Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. “ – Robert Frost

Hold onto your youth and innocence for as long as you possibly can. Retain your good nature whatever life throws at you .Believe in childlike and magical things.

Revel in the beauty of everyday ; the sun-setting and rising every day. The smell of fresh coffee and the taste of great carrot cake. Walking on the beach bare-foot; the feel of the sand between your toes. Get excited about Christmas, your birthday …days out.

But please DON’T EVER let anybody make you feel silly when you find white feathers and you believe they are messages from your mum …

She is always with you.

Stay Gold …

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Lots of Love, Tracey [ 47 and three-quarters ] x

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• I wrote this post as part of the #LumityLifeLessons campaign. I was gifted a months supply of Lumity Life as a thank you but as always all thoughts, wordings and opinions are strictly my own.