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Saying Goodbye to A Decade

 

2020 has been a year unlike any other. We have faced enormous change and upheaval and its fair to say to most of us cannot wait for it to be over. 

On a deeper level, we must realize that it’s not only 2020 we are saying goodbye to. We are closing a whole decade.  Have you stopped to reflect on this? Can you spare a moment to reconnect with your 2010 old self? Where were you 10 years ago? What were your dreams? Which kind of issues were pertinent at that point in your life? It’s worthy comparing your there and then with your here and now. Even if you don’t believe just yet, the truth is, you have come far in your path, and I suspect that you may not be exactly where I thought you would be right now.

On my case, in 2010, still fresh from my divorce, I was working full-time as a supported housing worker, studying Counselling during the evenings, doing psychic readings on Saturdays to supplement my income and living in a lovely bedsit in Vauxhall. Here’s me in 2010 at Hestia Housing And Support where I worked: 

My life couldn’t be more different today. If someone had predicted my current life 10 years ago I probably would have been so disappointed.  In 2010, I imagined my 2020 self settled with a nice man, maybe with kids, probably working for the NHS as a counsellor and living a stable life with pre booked holidays twice a year. None of those things happened but other amazing things manifested instead – to the point that today I look at my old aspirations and realize how limited I was in thinking that a relationship would be the core of my happiness. Life gave me so much more but not precisely what I thought I wanted. Looking back, I wholeheartedly understand that the life I desired would have made me miserable. What I have today is not only better but it is better because it suits my personality. I work for myself, I drive, I have a cat, I travel a lot and meet incredible people. I’m not saying that my life is perfect, I have problems and issues like any of us but I am in a much better place, with myself and others. Projections can be a slippery slope. This time I prefer to remain open, I accept that I have no idea of where I will be in 2030 but I am sure I will be exactly where I’m meant to be. I learned that a bird’s trust doesn’t lie in the branch where it sits but in its ability to fly. We deal with life not in our terms but in life’s terms.

A new decade is different than a new year. The world changes, social and political priorities change, the music charts change, fashion changes – and we get older. We must not undermine how social media has influenced us for the past decade. If in one hand the spread of hostile posts and fake news created a lot of division, on the other hand, it is also important to acknowledge the benefits of new friendships, professional opportunities and the freedom to express our opinions and engage in meaningful dialogue with people that we would otherwise never meet. We will always respond to what is aligned with us. The divisive will seek division, the pacifier will seek union. We are all learning… 

Spiritually, we all sense that we are entering a completely different phase in our planet. It is true that we are in a constant process of awakening but it may be fair to add that this process was accelerated a great deal by the major issues we have to deal with, such a covid. The Age of Aquarius I feel, is about to start. Fasten the seatbelts, this will be an incredible journey but for now, it’s time to acknowledge and celebrate that you are not the person you once was. And in 10 years time, another version of yourself will be here. Wiser, better, more evolved, more fulfilled. More You! 

Wishing you all a wonderful end of the year, a great 2021 and an adventurous decade ahead. The best is still to come!

In Friendship,

Michelle Araujo

 

 

Leaves Of Time

While spring has the excitement and joy of the beginnings, autumn brings the anticipation of the gran finales. It’s a majestic season. Dramatic red hues, leaves falling off trees, days getting shorter and a cold and crispy wind starting to permeate the atmosphere. The seasonal shift is felt in no uncertain way. Autumn has always been the best season for me to reflect on my past experiences and the passing of time.  

In my youth, I didn’t care about time, I was only looking ahead and middle age was a distant future. My 20s were exciting but with an underlying anxiety to “make it” before 30 – that meant, in my day, settling down with a husband.  I “made it”, it didn’t last. I ticked boxes through my 30s until I reached breaking point at 38. In my willingness to make things happen I hadn’t realized that on most occasions I was just challenging myself unnecessarily and pursuing things that were incompatible with the life I wanted.  On my 40s, the penny dropped.  

Like puberty, middle age comes with some unsettling adjustments.  Losing my wrinkle free face and going up a few sizes as hard at first, but I made peace with that. It’s to do with attitude as well. Youth demands a lifestyle that I no longer have. The vibe of my 20’s when I could fit all my possessions in a suitcase, used phone boxes, smoked everywhere, social media didn’t exist (Thank God) and Axl Rose was fit, is gone. I’m not there anymore but other, better treasures emerged. 

There is immense power in being an adult in my prime. As adults, we are no longer amateurs in life. We say no with more authority. We can miss people and places without wanting them back. We are sharper, much harder to impress. These are amazing gifts. Our energy field changes as we evolve and there’s more to gain in embracing the new version of ourselves than denying the person we become the right to live an authentic life. 

40 was my turning point. I left the job at 38, graduated as a counsellor at 39 and at 40 my work with the Tarot took a life of its own. Since them I’ve seen amazing places, met super interesting people and had incredible experiences. The timing was perfect; I reached a space where I was ready to enjoy life rather than spoil things out with unnecessary dramas and self sabotage. I’m not alone on this. There are many uplifting stories of ordinary people like me and you deciding to do things they never dared before after reaching 40s. Relocating, embarking on a new profession, adopting a new lifestyle, rediscovering love and letting go of heavier burdens. At this stage we have reached some solid conclusions about who we are and how we want to live. It’s a powerful place to be. 

Autumn brings change and regeneration; by winter, only what’s meaningful will remain so that spring can start afresh on a renewed soil. The seasons are spices that Time sprinkled on to the Wheel Of Life to add different flavours to our existence. The flowers are beautiful but now they have to go so that we can receive the fruits that are indeed ripe. Nature always has new gifts for us.  All we need is an open heart to accept them. 

Season’s Greetings

Michelle 

 

 

 

YOUR MESSAGE IS WELCOME