Random Thoughts by Shelley: Tolerance is nice

Tolerance is you saying something crazy and me smiling and saying, ‘That’s nice.’ – Penn Jillette

Week #22 - 49 Weeks ‘til I’m 50 – Ready, Set, it’s all about A FOCUSed plan to get there!

Here I am, yet again, a little off track from the big plan. We’re getting closer to the ½ way mark of turning 50. The seasonal change from winter to spring is finally becoming more evident. I'm finding more Vitamin D opportunities popping up just like the flowers. I’ve been tolerant with my lack of posting, so this week is what I’d call a “transition” week to see if I can get more energy moving in the right direction again.

Let’s talk about tolerance for a bit first. The word tolerance has been on my mind this week for some reason. I’m not sure if it is because it’s a “gift” of mine to be tolerant, or after all these years I’ve become more tolerant? Has tolerance simply replaced the more negative responses of apathy and weakness in my life?

How about switching up the quote above to this - “Tolerance is me saying something crazy and you smiling and saying, ‘That’s nice.’

5 things about life that I’ve learned to become tolerant with on my journey to 50:

Natural aging takes over, no matter what it’s just the way it is.

The natural aging process isn’t so bad after all. Being tolerant of how your body changes over time presents you with the freedom to be yourself instead of someone others think you should be. This is a time in life where you can find a new look, let go of some of the clothes from the past. Experiment with colors and styles, be brave, be tolerant with the fact that you aren’t twenty anymore but you can still try on some of their clothes just for fun. Who knows maybe you can pull off a new way to look youthful. Maybe it is time to find a new color that flatters you in your speckled, freckled, and greying look. Hot pink sounds like a nice choice nowadays! Be tolerant of the new found wrinkles or changes in your body. Take care of yourself. This is a pivotal point in life. Find time to keep moving every day.

People in general will amaze you by the choices they make.

People and their choices truly amaze me. As you approach 50, it is time to be more tolerant and letting them make those choices. They’ll get a chance to learn what you’ve already learned so far in life. If they learn something new, you can too. At this point in life, you can enjoy being able to say what’s on your mind and not be afraid of what others think. The younger folks are beginning to learn to be tolerant with you as you age, and you’re beginning to realize in the big scheme of things, you’re going to compliment some people along the way and you’re going to offend some people along the way. I am secretly looking forward to that next stage. How many times have you been sitting with an elderly person and they just blurt out whatever they feel like. When you’re 70 or 80, the things you can get away with saying can be very funny! Maybe we’re all destined to be comedians in our old age?

Just when you think you have things figured out, you’ll soon realize you haven’t after all.

The trend to set goals, plan the life of your dreams, and set out to get there, remains a “tried and true recipe for life.” I don’t know about you, but if I think back to when I was in my mid-twenties, I sort of knew what I wanted to be doing in the years ahead, but not so specifically. I can say the people and things that are truly important to me remain my priority. Isn’t that what matters most? What about all the other things in life you might be excluding by setting out on a specific course you’ve written in stone? I’m sure there are people who say you can, but I often wonder if you can ever really figure out life? Is it what we are supposed to do anyhow or are we supposed to enjoy the life we end up being part of? Being tolerant of a not so smooth course allows you to ebb and flow and adapt. Think of the moments in life where you enjoyed a change in course, it wasn’t so bad after all was it? Why is that?

Finding opportunities to continually learn new things will make the aging process more fun.

Being willing to continually learn new and different things is about you being tolerant with yourself and your limitations. It’s not the time for apathy or insecurity. Even if you’ve been there, done that, you can still be tolerant and just maybe…you’ll learn something new. Seize the opportunities to say ‘that’s nice’ a lot! At 50 years of age, if you don’t look at each new thing as an opportunity to learn something new from every situation or person you encounter, you might just turn into a curmudgeon or grumpy old person stuck in their ways. You can always revert to the tried and true thoughts, but just maybe the “new” way might be better. Look for ways to do something different. Listen intently to someone who’s going through a stage you’ve been through before, what do they see that you didn’t? It’s like taking the camera and turning it upside down to see things from a new perspective.

Every bump in your life is an opportunity.

What are big bumps in life? Being brave, or not. Graduating or choosing not to. Getting your dream job or choosing something totally different. Getting married or staying single. Starting a family or deciding not to. Buying a house or renting. Watching your children go through the same bumps you did, but with their own twists and turns. Turning 50! Yep, there are definitely bumps in life. Bumps aren’t all bad! I can see that turning 50 doesn’t have to be a bad bump in life! Being tolerant of all the changes and embracing the moments to learn, yep - it’s going to be a great bump in life! I'm thinking it will be a 'that's nice' change in life - if nothing else, I'm going to choose to make it so.

~Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy discovering the moments of tolerance in your life!

PS – photography moments – I’m still learning about shooting in manual mode. I discovered that lighting and framing make or break a moment. Good thing I was there at each moment, otherwise I’d be sad to have missed them. I’m definitely more tolerant with my mistakes as I continue to learn!