Hi Everyone:

What changes have you made since entering midlife in regards to your daily living and loving?

Me personally, I am working on not sweating the small stuff - and boy is this hard(lol).

And loving to the best of my ability each day.

As I age, I now realize that tomorrow is not promised and I need to make sure EACH day counts for something.

Now your turn

When exactly is 'midlife' considered? I turned 40 in January.
I recently got to experience the 'joy' of sciatica. Tired more and easier so I don't like the thought of my body forcing me to slow down. My eating is the same as always except now I'm a berry holic! I can't go a day without having some kind of berries. I long for a vacation one day, and wish there were more hours in the day, on the next, so I can finish all that needs to be done.

I agree Angela, about the small stuff. 10 years ago it would work me into a frenzy. Now I just kinda shrug and move on.

Physically, I know I'm slowing down now, but mentally, I'm so much happier!

Good question, I consider it when you hit the BIG 30 - now other folks may disagree. What is sciatica? I could look it up I guess Where would you like to vacation and what is stopping you?

At least you are "shrugging" - me, have to open my usual BIG mouth then walk away. But I am working on not opening it while I make a quick exit

Hehehe
Sciatica is a catch all phrase that doctors use to describe unknown, excruciating back pain that sears from my left hip to my foot, leaving my big toe numb, and shoots like lighting to head back up to my thigh, butt and hip--all in a nanosecond.

Vacation--oh! Italy!! I like painting and drawing, and they have the most exquisite art work and architecture there! The food--oh yea! the scenery-gorgeous! the people--so friendly!

I have what I call "buttons" as in certain topics I know that suck me into a rage. I have always had anger issues that I've worked over the years to control. Long ago, my vehemence would take over on some topics and it would have me raging for literally days at a time!

Now, I use my mantra, "this is one of my buttons" to make me acknowledge that while I don't like the subject matter, I will not lose control of my emotions over it.

For example the 'pet wolf' topic infuriates me and my fingers tremble as I type, however, my little lab girl is laying next to my bare feet with her nose on my toes. It's best for me to shrug, reach down and pet my dog on the head. Exhale, let it out, move on.

Mmmm *sips some coffee* that helps too! lol

So there is no cure?

I have to go for an x-ray and an mri to see if they can pin point the exact cause. Last year on July 13th, one of the horses, Gem, decided to shy at a leaf blowing by so I got another 8 seconds of air time before my butt hit the ground. They're thinking it might be a pinched nerve or some kind of disc problem. I'm reluctant to go for further testing although Al keeps bugging me to make the appointments. Sigh. I hate bad medical news. If they tell me I need surgery or something, I just can't! I can't give up the horses! I won't give up the horses! I'll crawl on my hands and knees if I have to, but I just don't want a doctor telling me to have surgery. Surgery will mean recovery time. I can't afford recovery time-financially, physically or emotionally!Just can't!

you snuck a button on me. *insert swear here!*

Hi great_grandaughter:

Have you done any research on your own?

Reason for asking:
If I had not done this, I would have had a complete hysterectomy instead of vaginal surgery to remove some troublesome and growing fibroids(lol).

It was like the first doctor was from Germany (and should have stayed there/lol) and was telling me that if I was his wife or girlfriend, he would insist. Excuse me, don't ever touch or examine me again. He ended up getting fired through several complaints.

I am glad to say, the fibroids did not return and I have no evidence of my surgery - just joy

Now for your second post about *insert swear here!* I am confused????

Can you explain as I do tend to have a lot of "senior" moments of late = clueless

I swear I was a horse in my past life because I get these moods! When I put *insert swear here* it's to stop me from actually inserting my own swear here on the forum. When I was in Ten. they would say "Shut the front door!" instead of "Shut the F up!" so it's my way of controlling my button before I lose my temper.

That doctor sounds like a donkey with 2 backsides! I'm squeamish of vets doctors because they just never give good news! Honestly, they all make me nervous and they all smell like rubbing alcohol. I'd rather just avoid doctors altogether.

Yes, I'm showing most of the signs of peri-menopause, but I don't care. I'll just tuck it under my arm, shrug and worry about it some other time. Never liked doctors.

What is Ten?

And half the battle is knowing what you are dealing with and what to expect. You doing good

I don't think of the changes in my life relating to me being a certain age or certain stage. Rather, I try to review my life every few weeks and see what I can try to work on improving. So it's an ongoing process.

Are there things that have changed as I turned 30 and 40? I used to mountain bike a ton and now we don't. My boyfriend likes road biking more and I don't like the danger of being on the road. So it's more that I need to find someone else to mountain bike with.

Certainly circumstances have changed in general - my son used to be a child, now he's 22. So that has cased changes.

I think I am more focused on getting rid of clutter. I used to at least tolerate shopping. Now I don't want to shop at all. I just want to go through the house and find new homes for all this stuff we have. I want to whittle us down to just the things we really need.