Life is What You Make It

Life is what you make it; it has been said a thousand times. We think of it as a cliché or a slogan when in truth, it is a fact. The energy that you put into anything affects its outcome, and life, in general, is no different. We can make a difficult situation easier or an easy situation difficult depending on what kind of energy we put into it. One of the biggest benefits of aging is our accumulated knowledge and experience, which allows us to more easily understand and control our thinking.

Energy is everything. We are energy; every cell in our bodies is made up of energy. This energy is constantly changing. You are literally not the same person now as you were one minute ago. You are not just a physical body; your energy is constantly flowing and affecting how you handle situations and how you interact with others.

At our older ages, we now know that when we go through difficult times in life, we have the ability to direct our energy in positive ways, creating more positive outcomes. We may not be able to control what happens to us as we age, but we have been through so many experiences that we know our thoughts and attitudes can influence how we handle our situations. I would like to leave you with this thought as we end 2023: We all have the choice of what kind of energy we want to put into our lives. One of my favorite poems, "The Guest House" by Jalaluddin Rumi, describes it better than I ever could.

“The Guest House”

by Jalaluddin Rumi

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Wishing all of you health and happiness in 2024.