50 Things I’ve Learned in My 50 Years of Life

Life passes by slow and fast. We have both good and bad times. Happy and sad experiences. We walk through life and experience joy and loss, as well as happiness and death. There is contrast through it all. As I arrive at my 50th time around the sun, I took the time to sit with SOME of what I have learned. These are in no particular order and are certainly not all I have learned. I am sure I have forgotten some BIGGIES, but it’s a good start; and more importantly, on my birthday day, it is a good reminder to me of this amazing life I have been blessed to experience and all that I have journeyed through … on both sides of the contrast.

Enjoy ~ Sunny Dawn Johnston

1. Love is who I am. Light is my expression of that Love. Love is our reason for being.
2. Asking for help can be hard. And it’s even harder to deal with the consequences of not allowing yourself to receive that help than it is to simply ask for it.
3. Drinking water is important to your health. Every single day drink at least half your body weight in water.
4. We choose our parents. They are here to teach us what to do and what not to do. How to be and how not to be. They offer us contrast at the very beginning of the journey we call life. If you had parents that taught you what to do and how to be, consider yourself blessed. If you had parents that taught you what not to do and how not to be, consider yourself blessed as well. They are both teaching. One teaches from Love, the other Fear … but they are both teaching. Thank you, Mom, for being the more loving teacher.
5. Love Never Ends. Our loved ones are always with us. Death does not separate us. It just begins a new cycle of connection.
6. Hurt people hurt people.
7. You cannot help someone that isn’t asking for help. It’s not your job to control other people’s lives – even your children or grandchildren’s.
8. Peace is within. Always.
9. Mindset is 80 % of everything in life. If you want to make changes, start with mindset.
10. Garlic infused olive oil is the BEST!!!! It is good on everything and with everything, especially salads.
11. Our body listens to everything we think and feel about it. And it reflects it back to us – in order to heal it – through the manifestations (illnesses) within it.
12. We can heal ourselves. It takes commitment of heart, mind and spirit and consistent guided intuitive action… and the support of like-minded and trusted helpers and healers.
13. Being a parent is the greatest gift and the greatest challenge. It is harder to be a parent to adult children than it is to young children. It can be overwhelming when they are young; but when they get older, you have to create a new relationship with them, as adults. It’s hard to stop being Mom, but necessary for them to grow and thrive.
14. Marriage takes time and energy and unconditional love. True unconditional love in this relationship can be one of the greatest challenges and greatest blessings.
15. Freedom of spirit is an absolute necessity. If you are threatened by other’s freedoms, look within. They are teaching you something.
16. Trust first. In my world, trust is given, not earned. Once it is broken, then you must earn it back – but until then, it is a gift I give everyone… along with my love. We are all a part of humanity and each of us deserves that love simply for being.
17. Chips and salsa are the best snack – anytime, anywhere, for any reason – AND protein is important for a 30-year vegetarian. I’ve learned more about this as I have gotten older, and it hasn’t been easy.
18. Mother Nature heals. When there is worry in your head, some time in nature can re-direct you back to your heart.
19. Being an entrepreneur allows you a freedom and a responsibility like no other. It is such a blessing to be in charge of your life… and a responsibility to be in charge of others. I am honored to have both the freedom and responsibility and take them both seriously. My choices affect others, every day.
20. Pets are family. I can’t imagine my home without a dog.
21. Be kind. A kind word, even when others are not kind, can go a long way and offer light in someone’s darkness. You never know what another is going through, even when you think you do.
22. Having expectations most often leads to disappoint. Being open and trusting the process creates room for more joy.
23. It’s better to disappoint others than it is to disappoint yourself.
24. Being a grandma is the gift for surviving being a parent J
25. We are not meant to all be the same. Marry/partner with people that have different skills than you do. It makes you an even greater team throughout life.
26. Always be YOU, no matter what others expect you to be. You are unique, and you are supposed to be. That in itself is a gift.
27. Life is meant to be fun. Live it!!!
28. Trying to control anything or anyone is a waste of time and never ends up the way you want it to in the end. Let go of control and trust the process… including their process (for the person you are trying to control).
29. Eat small meals throughout the day instead of big ones. It feels better and keeps your energy up.
30. Not everyone will get you and that’s ok. They aren’t meant to.
31. Health matters. Pay attention to your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. If you need support, reach out. Educate yourself in all areas of health.
32. Don’t take things personally. Thing’s people do (or say) truly are not about you – even when they are speaking directly to you. People are only ever expressing what is INSIDE of them. Don’t take it personally and instead send them love.
33. Words don’t teach. Actions and experiences teach. Allow yourself and others the opportunity to learn their way. We aren’t all on the same timeline and don’t learn the same thing at the same time in the same way.
34. Paddle boarding is a great meditation and is good for strengthening your body.
35. Sometimes you have to let go of others and relationships in order to save yourself. Yes, that can mean family; and no, that doesn’t mean you are a bad person.
36. Your opinion of me is none of my business.
37. Comparison is the thief of joy. You will always lose when comparing. Always!
38. Bodies of water bring me peace.
39. Being lied to hurts, until you realize that people lie to protect themselves AND other people. It’s not personal. It truly never is personal.
40. Choices are the most important things we can give ourselves and others. EVERYONE gets to make their choices and there are always choices to be made.
41. When people tell you they are hurting, believe them.
42. Life changes in the blink of an eye. Enjoy each and every moment. You will never get THAT moment back again … which also means to use your time mindfully. Be choosy in how you spend your energy. Don’t just give it to anything.
43. Purpose is found in the present moment.
44. Hormones affect our bodies SO much more than we know, until we are forced to know. I am so grateful that I asked for help at 49 and chose to have an endometrial ablation. No more periods. Yay!
45. Think outside-the-box. How boring would it be if we were all the same? Learn to appreciate the way other people color outside-of-the-box too. You can learn a lot from others when you are not judging them.
46. One of the greatest choices my husband and I have made was to buy an RV. It has allowed us (and my team) to see the world in a new and different way and heled me to learn to SLOW DOWN.
47. You can choose your family. Blood relation isn’t the only kind of family there is. Surround yourself with people that can support you and your dreams. We all need support. Everyone needs help in some ways, and allowing it allows your life and/or your biz to grow and expand. I am blessed to have a chosen family/AMAZING friends/and an amazing team that does just that for me.
48. We live in a THIS and THAT world. Not a THIS or THAT world. There is a lot that can happen when you don’t hold yourself back with your limiting mind.
49. KNOW that everything you see and experience in life is a reflection of your beliefs. We live in an attractive Universe. If you don’t like what you are seeing or experiencing, it isn’t the world that needs to change, it’s you. It would be nice if the world would change to your ideas, I know … but the reality is if you are going to hold your joy back until that happens, you will live a very angry and sad life.
50. BE more inclusive, supportive, affirmative, positive, gentle, compassionate, helpful, joyful, funny, and spiritual. BE less judgmental, negative, critical, harsh, disconnected, grumpy, stubborn, exclusive, and angry. Life is so much better when you are BEING who you truly are, which is LOVE!!!

And 1 to grow on …

51. Joy is the highest expression of love and we are meant to be in JOY.
    CHOOSE joy and happiness today.