I live in a world where everyone is free to be who they wish to be. I live in a world where we have the right to speak how we choose and do what we choose. You see, I live in the United States of America.
Of course, this is not to say that I’m free from the consequences of said choices. I simply enjoy having the freedom and liberty to make such decisions. Should an undesirable outcome occur, I use my freedom of thought and choice to make a new decision.
And I repeat this concept again. Over and over. Every Day.
Yes, life is that simple, in my humble opinion.
Perhaps this is why I get to enjoy adulthood a bit more. I feel emotions, but I tend to lean more into what ‘feels right’. NO, this isn’t to say I always stay in my comfort zone, no no! Rather, I take the time to pause and reflect more frequently.
I see things around me. I notice how my body language is, how my stomach feels, etc.
I notice my angel numbers showing here and there guiding me forward, letting me know that those around me, those I cannot see, are here confirming that I’m making the right choices; be them good or not-so-good, it’s the right choice given the current circumstances is how I see it.
Well now that you know a little bit about how I can enjoy adulthood I want to show you how you can enjoy adulthood a bit more, too!
Relax Your Emotional Response
Listen, you cannot control how someone else feels about you, how they treat you, or how they respond to you. You can’t control what enters your life. You can’t control the ups and downs of your unpredictable life patterns.
This simple fact helps me stay calm in chaos, and make decisions that better align with the future I desire, rather than go with whatever emotional tugging I get in the moment.
Here’s an example of how Emotions Can Take us Down the Wrong Path
I may feel lonely and as if my husband doesn’t understand me. I wish he’d only do this or that more often, or that he’d do this differently. I feel upset. I feel hurt. He, however, sees it a bit differently. He made dinner so I could get work done. He put gas in so I didn’t have to do that in the cold. He gives me a hug every morning because he loves me.
I can understand from his perspective how he can’t fathom the idea of me feeling lonely. However, we’ve been around each other for many many many years, he knows when I’m feeling this way. So perhaps, his extra steps to help like doing the dishes or making dinner, are his “silent” ways of showing he loves me rather than saying he loves me in words.
I could respond with emotions and ruin a relationship that matters to both of us, and matters to our children, OR I can take the simpler ground and realize that today these things are bothering me but tomorrow they won’t again. I can pause and see if my feelings towards him are coming from something missing internally or are truly issues I have with him.
Oftentimes, I find that my emotions are more about something I’ve been neglecting within myself. We all need to keep our cups closer to full than empty and recognize that others who love us are trying to carefully help in their own way. While keeping your emotions in check is your job, keeping the external life in a simpler perspective can help you enjoy adulthood more often.
Make a Schedule
I know making a schedule doesn’t sound so fun to others, but I am at my most joyous time in life when I have a routine in place. I lost that routine as my hub’s started his own business and enlisted my help with it. I lost that routine as the chaos ensued around the holidays, and sickness seasons, etc.
BUT at the end of 2021, I found myself recognizing that I am a person who needs a routine. Prior to having children, I was a spontaneous person and I wanted so badly to bring that chick back … especially now that my most routine-driven kid is older and doesn’t seem to need a super solid routine.
However, the funny thing is that now I need a routine and structure more than ever before. Having a daily routine with a time schedule using Asana, and Coschedule for other things truly helps me feel more stable. I feel confident. I feel like I have a purpose. I feel amazing.
All because I decided to let go of that old me who desired spontaneity like over 15 years ago, and embrace the person I am today at 40 years old. A woman who loves being a mom, who loves running her own freelance writing business, and also loves having a routine.
So perhaps, you may find some joy these days by simply making a schedule! I use Asana for tasks and Coschedule for social media and writing stuff. You can use Cozi for personal family stuff and other options to schedule your days. See if a schedule helps you learn how to enjoy adulthood better, too!
Live Aligned with What Makes You Feel Whole
I am a firm believer that we need to believe in something bigger than ourselves to get through in this life. Whether you’re a Christian, Catholic, or just a spiritual person who believes in the power of one conscious being or something like that, having some sort of belief system is what helps a human feel whole.
If you think about it, someone who thinks they are all there is to life and doesn’t think their life is that great may just struggle a bit more than someone who believes they are a part of something larger than themselves. Make sense? If not, ponder on it a bit …
Living a life that makes you feel whole is not all about doing things you love every second of the day. It’s not about pushing aside other people’s needs, especially if you’re in a committed relationship or parent. Living aligned with what makes you feel whole is more about creating a schedule that includes those things that make you feel joy.
For me, I like to walk, read, write, and spend quality time with my kids. As my kids got older I started to feel this sense of something missing, and that’s because I focused all of my energy on being a Mama. That’s what was needed, and it brought me joy but now my mama duties have adjusted so I need to live more aligned with today’s lifestyle – which allows me to walk, read, and write more often.
In conclusion, learning how to enjoy adulthood will look different for each of us, but ultimately we each have of our own issues to work through. We have to muddle through the ways we respond, how we feel and why we feel during various situations, and how we can overcome things that hurt us.
Sometimes just being able to write it out, talk it through, or get some Quality Therapy can help us see how our emotions have been holding us back simply because we ‘thought we were that person’ or we ‘thought we had to still be that other person’. Life changes, and so do we – we’re ever-evolving, or at least we should be.
I hope that something I shared today resonates with you and that you’re better able to enjoy adulthood a little more in the coming days. If you have your own tips on how to enjoy adulthood, please do leave a comment below. I’d love to hear what has helped you, together we’re stronger!
