Waaaaaay back in early January, I read this Huffington Post article entitled "Life Skills: Ivanka Trump, Thich Nhat Hanh And Others On The Things Everyone Should Master By Age 40." The article consists of a list of 20 life skills that various well-known individuals believe everyone should be able to do by the time that they're 40, and includes helpful quotes and links along with each item.
I loved the article--bookmarking it so I could come back it it later--partly because it covers skills that run the gamut from "How Not to Embarrass Yourself at Karaoke" to "How to Say Goodbye To A Loved One," and also because I love the idea of life lessons and learning to be comfortable in your own skin. So yesterday, I revisited this article, and as I read it, I began thinking about my own list of skills that I think everyone should master in their lifetime. Although the article does a great job at touching on many truly important lessons ("How To Laugh At Life," "How To Know When To Quit," "How To Forgive Yourself," "How To Make New Friends--At Any Age"), I think there are still a few things that I would add... 10 More Life Skills Everyone Should Master By Age 40 1. How to say NO 2. How to enjoy your own company/being alone 3. How to hang a picture (or a shelf, or a painting...maybe I should do a "how-to" post on this soon?) 4. How to listen to your body 5. How to travel lightly 6. How to take responsibility for your energy--"the energy you give yourself and the energy you create for others" 7. How to sew on a button 8. How to relax/take time off 9. How to love your body just as it is 10. How to turn off your phone What would you add to this list? Funny aside: As I was reading this article, I said to Ben, "What is a life skill that you think everyone should master before they're 40?" His answer: "Um...I don't know...I guess if you have kids, er, being unselfish............I don't know. Whatever it is, I don't have it." Haha! So we all have some growing up and learning to do, don't we? I hope that no matter what your age, you've begun to master at least some of these skills. I know I'm still working on many of them! Namaste, Mary Catherine I loved all your 10 life skills, they are so true and relevant. I especially loved "How to love your body just as it is." when the emphasis is on beauty and youth this can be so difficult even when your 40 plus. This one I am still working on, especially loving my wrinkles and flabby bits, which I tell myself just add character. I also want to let you know I really enjoy reading your blog post.
Mary Catherine
2/20/2013 10:54:40 am
Thanks SO much, Fran! I truly appreciate your reading and think your comments are RIGHT on ;) Also checked out your blog--fab! Comments are closed.
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HELLO!I'm Mary Catherine, a Cape Cod-based yoga teacher, painter, designer, writer, mom, and list-maker extraordinaire. My goal is to inspire you to start living a more creative, simple, joyful, + purposeful life.
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