I'm nervous about sharing this, but...

Hi everyone, and hello new people. I’m Catherine from Small Steps Are Perfect (new book!) and today I’m nervously sharing a little something with you.

It’s important.

BUT…please know I’m not sharing this because of our bodies or how much we do. This ISN’T about our bodies or our achievements.

It’s about TIME. And it applies to EVERYTHING.

Okay?

Here’s the idea.

I’m ageing. So are you. But it doesn’t matter because TIME can be a FRIEND.

It’s not an enemy.

It can be GOOD that things take a while.

It can be SMART to start when you’re old. Take a look at Joan and what she’s done with 13 years. Read the caption, please :) This image isn’t really about Joan’s health…it’s about her attitude to time.

It’s about doing things SLOWLY. It’s about believing that ageing is a good thing, and the best really can be in front of us, not behind us.

Time is our friend. We’re so lucky to have it. We’re also lucky to have this beautiful Canadian woman, @trainwithjoan, out there as an inspiration — NOT because of her body transformation, but because she reminds us that in all things…

  • FAMILY relationships

  • MAKING something new

  • STARTING over

  • Beginning LATER

  • Feeling LEFT BEHIND

…that time can be our FRIEND.

Just take a look at me (above). I’m 55 now, grey, wrinkled, losing hormones faster than a toddler can chuck a tantrum in the grocery store and still I believe this is true:

Time is my friend, not my enemy.

I have a bit of a similar story — starting with something new in the middle of my life. I had a dream to be a published author. Six years later, here I am…but there’s a lot of effort and trying and worry and failure that you can’t see in this photo. It took three years to celebrate my first published book. I’ve written two full manuscripts you don’t see here (yet) and I don’t know what will ever happen to those :) I’m halfway through another one. Fingers crossed!

Has it been like landing with my bum in the butter? Nope. No. Not at all. Has it been a roller coaster, with a lot of hard work, trying to keep faith with myself and convincing myself to keep going? Yes.

Has it been worth it to walk and shuffle forward toward MY dreams? Absolutely.

Has it been fast? No.

Have I had help or connections or fabulous luck? No.

Am I here, building slowly, believing TIME can be my FRIEND? Yes.

You also have time.

Time to do the things you want to do, the things your heart is aching for you to do. It might be

  • travel

  • writing your books (write your books…we need more books!)

  • building your tiny business

  • getting healthier

  • or even keeping the faith (that all your kids will get along and love each other properly one day, that the wound inside you will heal, that you can feel a little better than you do now)

Give it time. See TIME as your friend, please. It’s not too late. It’s good to take your time.

You can walk ever so slowly towards your dreams, like I try to do. I’m still becoming the woman I was born to be: a writer who connects with people’s hearts. I’m taking my time.

You can, too. Whatever your thing is, YOU CAN, TOO.

There’s room for all of us, and time is our friend.

Happy Sunday. I’m cheering for us all.

Love Catherine x

ps.