Week 45 - ending 11/11: 45 Things

In honor of turning 45 this month I have decided to list 45 things on the 45th week of the year.

10 things I am grateful for

25 things I have learned

10 products, things or businesses I am loving right now

10 things I am grateful for:

1. Being Older. With the craziness in the world right now, I am more and more grateful that I am not young. I am grateful that my youth was not filled with electronics and instead I played outside for hours, only coming in when the sun was setting.

2. Air Conditioning. In my house and also in my car to keep cool since I always have my seat warmer on.

3. Words. I love amazing sentences. Whether it's the perfect line in a song, book or conversation. I love the sentences that just hit you differently or have a different way of saying something.

4. Effortless merging. I am very thankful when someone lets me in or when there is no traffic and I just merge into the lane with no issue.

5. Animals. Specifically dogs, cats and fish.

6. Kind people. Just random, genuinely kind people that you deal with at restaurants or stores or in traffic.

7. Talent. I recently watched the independent film, Waikiki. It was a very intense look at things including mental illness, homelessness, abuse, and Hawai'ian appreciation vs appropriation. The film was written and produced in such a way as to draw so much emotion in me which I love.

8. Seasonal changes. I love the shorter days and cooler nights. I get to sleep longer and still wake up before the sun. I get to make up for losing sleep in summer and rest up before summer comes and ushers me outside earlier.

9. Swimming. I have really been enjoying swimming lately.

10. Different people. I enjoy that people are different. They look different, act different, speak different languages. I appreciate that not everyone here is the same.

25 things I have learned:

1. In life you will learn, unlearn and relearn the same lessons over and over. It is neither good nor bad, it just is. As you gain more experience and information, you learn things you once thought to be one way, are actually another.

2. Be gracious and kind with others. You never know what demons they are battling. You also never know how impactful your presence or words can be.

3. Pay attention to people when they speak. Watch their facial expressions, eyes and body language. People say much more than we hear.

4. There are some things in life that you can never truly prepare for.

5. Never underestimate how much you mean to someone. Never overestimate how much you mean to someone.

6. Enjoy moments and cherish memories, but remember the memories are yours to keep. Two people experiencing the same thing, at the same time, can have very different recollections, emotions and feelings about it. Your memories are yours. Your feelings about a situation are yours. Keep meaning where you feel it, even if another doesn't feel it the same.

7. It's not always your choice to be alone, so you better get comfortable on your own.

8. There are some things that you will just never be able to accomplish or experience. No matter how hard you try, in life, there are some things that are just not meant for you.

9. Every journey is different. Lessons you learn, another may never encounter and vice versa.

10. Exercise. Even if its just walking around the block, do it, several times a week. Health issues can creep up on you and the older you get the harder it is to get back into shape.

11. Like health issues, regrets can sneak up on you too. Dive into the regret to understand the feeling and then either change your future to avoid the regret or make peace with it.

12. Some people will say they will but won't because they really don't want to. Others will say they will but won't because they genuinely cannot. Don't get mad, just make note and move on.

13. Learn about your parents. While you came from them, you are not destined to become to them. Talk to them and seek to understand them and their life.

14. Learn as much as you can about yourself. Whether that's pushing your limits on adventures or researching different ancient modalities, keep seeking knowledge about yourself. There is astrology, body graphs, ancestry, veganism, marathons, etc. Just try and learn. You don't have to believe it or do it but keep learning.

15. On that same note, remain curious. Life gets boring when we lose the excitement of our youth. Keep seeking out new things. Hobbies, places or activities, never stop being curious.

16. Travel. It doesn't have to be internationally but go somewhere. It can be just two towns over but it's a place your don't frequent.

17. The people who will be there for you when you need someone are often not the people you thought you would be relying on.

18. Find the thing or place that centers you. Whether it is the ocean, forest, song, activity or smell, find what (not who) brings you back to yourself.

19. There are times in life when it's too late. Don't think too much or you could think your time away and it will be too late.

20. Your life may be/can be very different from your parents.. and that is ok.

21. Be careful about becoming too comfortable. Comfort can lead to complacency. Make sure you examine yourself and your life periodically. Strive to grow, learn and be your best.

22. Be careful with how much you distract yourself instead of dealing with issues. Don't cover your pain or hide from your past.

23. Appreciate this place. Take time to notice the colors in the sunrise and sunset. Notice the different trees, grasses and plants around you. Look at the colors, understand the patterns. Watch the clouds as they swim in the sky.

24. Be discerning but also splurge. Don't be frivolous but if you really want or enjoy something, spend the money, time or energy to get it. Seek the value in things, don't just seek things.

25. Tint your car windows. No matter where you live. Tint your windows to keep your car cooler and keep items inside less visible.

10 products, things, activities or businesses I am loving right now:

1. JKC Wellness. Her name is Jackie and she is amazing.

2. Mahalo Skin Care. Since I have been using her face serums I have actually gotten compliments on my skin. It's not cheap but it's worth it since it works for my skin. (Lesson 24)

3. Ua Body. I am not a body lotion person but I love this stuff. It melts into my skin and I don't sweat it out.

4. Flying Pig. It's everything old Hawai'i and the owners are very knowledgeable about the history of everything they refurbish and sell.

5. Foodland poke. Poke bowl and a beer is my first meal when I get back.

6. In store shopping. For many years I only bought online. Lately I've been going to the mall and shopping in person again. I am really enjoying it.

7. Coffee. My love affair with coffee seems to be getting stronger.

8. Jackets. In the last 2 months I have purchased 3. A raincoat, blazer and bomber jacket. I will now be seeking out cool places to wear them

9. Chocolate milk. Lately I've been buying chocolate macadamia nut milk and having a glass every afternoon.

10. The ocean. My unending love affair with the ocean is still strong and always getting stronger.