Time flows on, regardless of our attempts to hold it back. But what if, instead of resisting the changes time inevitably brings, we made time our ally in creating the life we desire?

Here are five simple practices you can incorporate into your daily living to make time your ally.

1. Your Body Knows Best:  Listen to it. Heed your inner wisdom so your choices align with your overall well-being.

Several years ago, I ignored the swelling in the back of my knee, the one with the ACL I tore many years ago. I kept dancing. And then, it ballooned out like a puffer fish. Had I stopped, asked my body what it needed and listened to its response, I might have avoided being rushed to emergency to have it drained.

“Ask yourself: ‘What am I feeling right now? Tiredness? Joy? A quiet nudge in a certain direction?'” – and then listen for the answers. Don’t rush them. Just listen.

Taking time to hear your body creates a deeper mind/body connection, allowing you to move beyond purely emotional responses.

2. Embrace Imperfection: Time is our ally because it allows for growth and change. We don’t have to get everything right immediately. Mistakes are part of the journey. Just as there is no perfect way to write a book or paint a portrait, there is no perfect path to living and aging. There is only the path you are on.

When I worked in a homeless shelter, I taught a personal development course to individuals striving to re-enter the workforce. “What if I don’t get it right,” one individual asked when contemplating which basic certificate to take first to obtain his license to drive a forklift. “Do you have any of the necessary courses?” I asked. “No,” they replied. “Then whatever course you take will bring you one step closer to your goal.” They signed up for a course and then another until one day, they proudly came to see me to say they’d got a job in a warehouse driving a forklift.

Embracing imperfection allows for grace to walk with you, no matter how or where you’re going.

3. Practice Presence: Instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, find joy in the now.

Every day, as I walk the familiar shoreline of our island, I see something new. Each discovery brings me joy.

Remember, there is beauty in every moment, in the everyday wonders that surround us. Savour the beauty all around you, look for small and big miracles everywhere and allow the past to lay in peace. The future is a mystery yet to be discovered. Live in the miracle of now.

4. Cultivate Curiosity: Always be a student of life. Time provides endless opportunities to learn and explore. This keeps us engaged and our minds sharp.

As a mixed media artist, curiosity is an essential ingredient in everything I create. As I work on a piece I always ask myself, “I wonder what would happen if… [I did this] [added that]. Always I am surprised and pleased with my wonderment.

Let yourself be surprised by life.

5. Forgive yourself and others: Holding onto grudges and regrets steals precious time and energy. It also clouds your joy and your relationships.

My mother and I had a strained relationship. I wanted her to be the mother of my dreams. She could only be the mother she was. I struggled to simply be present with her until I finally worked with a therapist on forgiveness. In forgiveness, I became the daughter she wanted. I no longer made waves or asked challenging questions about the past; questions she did not want to answer. In my decision to forgive her, without having to involve or tell her, our relationship became less strained and I felt more peaceful.

Forgiveness liberates us to move forward.

What about you? What’s one way you can listen to your body’s wisdom today? Or a step you can take towards a long-held dream?

The Return of the Light
by Louise Gallagher

As the light begins its slow return
and the earth tilts
her body weary of long nights
spent yearning 
for the freedom
to slip away
from the longest night,
behind the billowing clouds 
gathered upon the horizon
the sun gathers strength
to rise above our fear
the light will not return.

We stand upon the precipice
of Solstice,
leaning tentatively 
into the edge of hope,
holding back
in fear 
the air will still be thick with shadows
and the questions
we cannot answer.

Will the sun rise
to pierce the frosty air?
Will the moon and stars give way
releasing this brand new day
to a world free of the chaos and pain
of whispered threats and shattered hopes,
of long nights spent
dreaming of the sun's warmth 
returning
to kiss our skin
and awaken us from dreaming?

Will the earth continue its orbit around the sun
and the moon to reflect its light
so we can see daylight at the end
of this darkest night?

When will we choose to release our fears
and step, unencumbered 
into this brand new day
knowing
the celestial dance of time
is beyond our control?

When will we recognize
the steps we take 
to navigate
darkness and light
are all we have
to measure our progress
as we journey each year
around the sun.

Have you ever felt responsible for smoothing over someone else’s bad behavior? Like it was your job to absorb their negativity, apologize for their actions, or pretend everything was okay when it really wasn’t – but for the sake of ‘peace’, you smiled and carried on as if your feelings were not important?

I have. For too long, I carried the weight of other people’s “stuff,” their unresolved issues, their emotional storms. I thought that by being understanding, accommodating, and forgiving, I was somehow being a “good” person. But in reality, I was neglecting the most important person in the equation: myself.

What I’ve come to realize is that true self-care begins with honouring my own truth. It means recognizing that I am not responsible for other people’s feelings or actions, and that it’s not my job to fix them, o rmake them feel better about having acted poorly. True self-care means setting clear boundaries of what is, and isn’t, okay in my life, speaking my truth, and refusing to compromise my own well-being for the sake of others.

This doesn’t mean I’ve become cold or uncaring. Quite the opposite. By prioritizing my own needs and staying true to myself, I have more energy and compassion to offer others. But it’s a conscious choice now, not a default setting.

The Harm of Self-Neglect

When we consistently put others’ needs before our own, we engage in a subtle form of self-harm. We diminish our own worth, silence our inner voice, and create a breeding ground for resentment and frustration. This can manifest in many ways:

• Emotional exhaustion: Constantly absorbing other people’s negativity can drain us, leaving us feeling depleted and overwhelmed.
• Physical symptoms: Stress, anxiety, and suppressed emotions can take a toll on our physical health.
• Strained relationships: Resentment can build when we feel taken advantage of or unappreciated.
• Self-loathing: In our silence and resentment, we leave ourselves at risk of losing our sense of self-worth, undermining our belief in our own voice and undervaluing our truth as we give more credencce to the nees of others.

The Power of Truth

Choosing truth means acknowledging our own feelings, needs, and boundaries. It means having the courage to say “no” when necessary, even if it disappoints others. It means recognizing that our worth is not dependent on others’ approval or validation.

This journey isn’t always easy. It requires self-awareness, courage, and a willingness to prioritize our own well-being. But the rewards are immeasurable. When we live in alignment with our truth, we experience a sense of freedom, authenticity, and inner peace that no one can take away.

Taking Action

Standing in our truth, releasing ourselves from the habit of making it okay for others to behave badly in our lives, asks us to recognize and acknowledge where we are behaving badly towards ourselves by accepting or enabling that bad behavior from others. It is a step-by-step process of deepening our understanding of our values and beliefs, learning to identify our emotional boundaries, and developing the courage to assert those boundaries.

It requires us to be brave, be honest, and to stay unattached to the outcome. This means accepting that we cannot control how others will react to our boundaries and focusing on the inner peace that comes from honouring our truth.

If, like me, you have had the habit of smoothing over conflicted emotions by focusing on ‘the other,’ here are a few steps you can take to start prioritizing your own well-being:

• Identify your core values: What truly matters to you? What principles do you want to live by?
• Recognize your emotional triggers: What situations or behaviors make you feel uncomfortable, resentful, or drained?
• Track your habitual trigger-responses: When triggered, take a breath and ask yourself, ‘Will responding this way get me more, or less, of what I want in my life?’ This helps you become more conscious of your patterns and make choices that align with your goals.
• Engage in self-compassion: Rather than beating yourself up for feeling triggered, focus on how you can respond differently to honour and promote your self-worth and respect.
• Practice setting small boundaries: Start with saying “no” to small requests that don’t align with your needs or values.
• Use “I” statements: Communicate your boundaries clearly and assertively, focusing on your own feelings and needs. (e.g., “I feel uncomfortable when…” or “I need some time to myself…”)”

Remember, self-care isn’t selfish. It’s an act of self-preservation, an essential step towards living a more authentic and fulfilling life.

A meme circulating social media proclaims (and I paraphrase), “I don’t want to grow old with grace. I want mischief and mayhem.”

I wholeheartedly agree! Give me mischief and mayhem—as long as it’s expressed with grace.

And that’s the crux of it. We often take words, twist their meaning, and rally against not just the word but the very essence it embodies.

I do want to grow old with grace! But a fierce grace. A grace that embraces all my facets and expressions. A grace that allows me to fiercely claim my space, in whatever way I choose. I want to dance wildly, love fiercely, and devour every moment of life with gusto.

So let’s stop quibbling over semantics. Let’s start living—and aging—with a fierce, fiery, and fearless grace.

Hear ye, hear ye, gather around to hear the tale of Sir Beaumont of Sheepadoodle, a noble knight born into the whimsical fur of a Sheepadoodle, and his quest for the holy grail of meats, the T-Bone steak—a feast not provided by his most negligent hooman, Louise, but rather mysteriously bestowed by the cosmic courier service known as The Universe (delivered by a mysterious stranger, courtesy of a fan named Rod methinks)….

To read the rest join Sir Beaumont at Sundays with Beaumont