May seem like a funny question.

And so so useful when you are frustrated and angry with someone or something.

When you listen to your heart and trust yourself you discover a whole new approach to life.

One where you live rather than worry.

Where you take good care of you.

And show yourself kindness, compassion and even love.

Labor can be work, stress, worry, and struggle.

If there wasn’t enough labor in life already,

we create more labor with heavy thoughts and emotional and physical clutter.

The “shoulds” add immensely to our life labor.

Many are not feeling ok right now.

So much pain and hardship in the practice of medicine right now.

Sending love and compassion to each and every one of my colleagues in medicine.

The birthdays of those you love are a moment to pause and be present and reflect and appreciate.

And as I sat down to do just this, I was inspired by the fact that The Mindful Healers Podcast episode released this week is called “Allowing Joy.”

Some of us have to work at allowing joy, my husband is an expert at it. He does it effortlessly.

“Do not ask your children

to strive for extraordinary lives.

Such striving may seem admirable,

but it is the way of foolishness.

Help them instead to find the wonder

and the marvel of an ordinary life.

A long-time client shared a mantra she has been practicing -- “may I find my path.”

What a kind way to explore your next steps.

Realizing that there is no urgency.

Allowing and giving yourself permission to explore

That is the first step.

If you are going somewhere amazing you can't get there piecemeal.

I NEVER imagined turning 52.

Honestly, it feels great.

I have spent the last few years on an incredible journey to un-become who I was not

and to become who I was meant to be in the first place.

It has not been a piecemeal effort.

It has not been without bumps and struggle and discomfort.

Living life luxuriously is not about spas, resorts or “fancy”.

It is an approach.

.

Living luxuriously is no longer rushing or hurrying.

It is enjoying each moment.

Moving through life with ease.

Getting help has never been an easy thing for me.

I expect this is true for many of you.

My mind likes to tell me I “should” be able to do it all myself.

That self-sufficiency is a measure of strength and adequacy.

That striving and pushing will get me farther.

My to-do list became a birthday list or a “gift” to myself list.

Next week is my birthday and what I most wanted I realized when I listened to my heart- was to NOT have a lot of stuff on my to-do list. To declutter the to-do list.

To have the peace and freedom that would come from having it done.

So I changed my to-do list- to a birthday list.

One I would do FOR ME as a gift.

It’s possible to go from struggling

to managing

to living more easefully

to feeling engaged and connected.

Eat happy. Get a routine baggy enough to live in. Be kind.

Accept that not everyone will like you. Appreciate those who do.