I wanted to write this around the time I turned 40 earlier this year, but then…world disruption ensued, and it didn’t seem quite right.
But here it is, and it’s very simple – I’ve cultivated a quiet life, and it’s absolutely everything I wanted it to be.
There are those who have tried to convince me that mere contentment can’t possibly be enough, that I’m in denial, that I’m scared. That really, deep down I want passion and excitement and adventure and drama.
And I really, really don’t. I like those things in literature, but eschew them in life. And watching other people covet and chase and flaunt those things makes me realize how much I value a calmer demeanor. For me, the absence of those things does not leave a void, but rather a space I’ve filled up with other things that I value more.
So that’s 40 – no longer questioning if other people are right and I am in denial, because I know myself. I’m confident in that. Now it’s about balancing the simplicity and quiet I value against striving for change and rising to meet challenges.
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