Giving Yourself a Green Light

Hi Readers,

As usual, been very slack between posts. Not because I haven't wanted to, but just because I didn't know how to frame this topic.

I've spent most of this year getting some things done that were both planned and unplanned. The first part of the year was just getting accustomed to retirement and enjoying this new form of freedom that I knew was not going to end. Previously while enjoying holidays or long service leave there was always the thought of having to go back to work dangling, and it often took the shine off having the time away from work. 

Don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike my work, more the opposite, but holidaying sure beats work any day. For me at least.

How dos the saying go? "Your worst day of holidays is better than your best day at work!!"

 I had my time overseas which was great, then it was time to start organising some more things at home. I had an upcoming operation on my ankle that I thought would only lay me up for a short time, but due to some complications that turned into quite a lengthy recovery period which is still ongoing.

During this period I have had more than enough time to think about things and what faces me in the future. While we generally have a plan for the future, we just don't know exactly what we will be faced with and what will happen out of the blue. We can make plans, and often these plans might be really practical, other times they can turn out to be total failures, and I think I've been experiencing a bit of both.

In the past few weeks I have sold my motorbike, mainly due to practical reasons beyond my control, and also because I think it was a smart thing to do as well.

Then I sold my caravan as it just wasn't getting used and I couldn't see that it was going to get much use in the future due to some of my ailments. I also felt that it was too big for me anyway, I didn't enjoy the amount of setting up and packing up required for it and I was never comfortable towing a thing that size. As I no longer had the van I questioned whether I still needed the 4WD that I bought to tow it. While it was a great car, I just wasn't comfortable with driving around in such a larger car when I didn't have a reason for having it anymore. Furthermore, it was difficult to get in and out of with my bung ankles and bung shoulders. So that got sold and I downsized to something more practical and economical. It seems now that my fire sale is over!!

Readers, I can hear many of you saying "What an idiot!" I sort of agree with you, but these are things that I didn't come to realise until I tried them. An expensive way to find out!!

Which brings me to the point of this post, 'Giving yourself a green light'.

In the past I would have only dreamed about doing these things and would not have taken the risk of doing them. But the events of the past few years have taught me that life can change in a snap of the finger, and we can spend forever thinking "What if I had only tried that?" No more dwelling for ages on decisions from now on, I'm choosing to act on things sooner and live with the consequences.

Well, that's what I've been doing, giving myself a green light to try the things I've often dreamed about, especially as I now have the time to do it.

Since being given the green light from my surgeon two weeks ago to start putting weight on my leg I am now more mobile and this has resulted in a totally new mindset for the future. Whereas for the past few months I've been pretty much housebound I had developed a sense of negativity for the future, but now I can see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. 

Many things have been falling into place on the home front and I now have the opportunity and attitude to pursue some new things, and to have a second crack at others that I had thought were not for me in the first place. Some of these might surprise those close to me and you will really think I'm a crackpot, but I am still to fully make up my mind about some of these.

So how do I make up my mind?

We all know that opinions are like backsides, as everyone has one, so I'm only really listening to the advice from our three sons as they know me best. Sure, I listen to advice from others, it would be disrespectful not to, and often it is good.

But the boys are quite honest and simplistic in what they say to me, "Dad, just do what makes you happy"

I know that something I'm considering soon will make many of you seek to have me certified, but once again I'm just giving myself a green light to do something. Stay tuned on that one as I'm still only a 70/30 chance of doing it!!

 If I don't have a crack at some of these things I can just see myself hanging around home all the time and not making the most of the opportunity to get out and do things. I could be in danger of becoming a hermit, which I can see can easily happen!!!

I'm set up so well for retirement I may as well start enjoying the benefits. I do however feel guilt that I get to do this when it was meant to be the two of us, but a show I was watching yesterday spoke about making the most of your days and this is what I'm going to try and do.

I've used this image before in a number of posts, but it means even more to me now as I look forward to whatever may be waiting for me. 

I was on a run through the streets of Vancouver a few years ago and I found this painted on the footpath. As I kept running I kept thinking about it and wished I'd taken a photo. It took me ages to backtrack and find it, but since then it has sort of been a mantra of mine and something I try to live by.

Back in the day when I was dreaming about retirement, I envisaged myself going for long runs everyday. I could never have predicted how I would find myself today, but I'm not dwelling on it. I'm looking at what I might still be able to do and taking steps (no pun intended) to get there. It means changing my mindset and just sucking it up and moving on, something that I am now hoping that I'll be able to achieve more successfully. This couldn't be done unless I gave myself a green light to have a crack at it.

And was it just coincidence that while I had music playing in the house this morning that a line from one of my favourite artists, Neil Young just slapped me across the face?

"...Like a coin that won't get tossed..."

That's exactly how I have been feeling lately. To me it's saying that I need to make things happen, otherwise I'll just become the equivalent of an untossed coin, unfulfilled.

So Readers, the point of this post is about giving yourself permission to seek the things that you may at times keep at arms length, just in case they don't happen, or might not work. We often don't take risks purely for the fact they are risky. I've had a crack at some things in the past years that haven't worked, but I feel glad that I made the choice to finally have a go at them. I just might try some again but in a different way as I still have that niggling feeling that perhaps I didn't do it right in the first place. And if it doesn't work the next time at least I'll be happy in the knowledge that I tried. No-one else has to worry about it except me. I'm at the stage of searching for my "Next thing to do" and with the body being somewhat more willing (touch wood) I have renewed confidence that whatever it is I'll be searching for ways to make it work rather than worrying about things that might stop it from working.

In just a few short weeks my aspirations have changed dramatically, maybe it's the prospect of the Spring weather slowly descending upon us? Whatever, I welcome it!!

Readers, good luck in giving yourself some green lights to pursue things that are lingering in your mind, it's actually quite liberating to commit to something without fully knowing how it will turn out. And if it doesn't, at least you tried.

Until my next post,

Cheers 😁