I’ve learned to meet me where I am. Every day when I wake up, I decide my day—or at least the parts I can. But one thing is always true. I meet myself where I am on that day, at that time, in that moment. I no longer expect myself to be who I was yesterday or who someone else thinks I should be today. I simply begin where I am.
I’ve always been known for pushing beyond personal boundaries. That willingness to stretch myself opened doors I never imagined and led me into experiences I never expected. I’m grateful for those opportunities. But somewhere along the way, I realized I had spent so much time pushing forward that I hadn’t spent enough time appreciating the person doing the pushing. I needed to take better care of myself. I needed to stop constantly reaching for the next thing and simply meet myself where I already was.
I also needed to let go of the fear of missing out. Looking back, I can see how much of myself I gave away without realizing it. Little pieces of me quietly fell off—or were stripped away—as I climbed the ladder of social acceptance, accomplishment, and relevance. I kept moving upward, but I rarely stopped to ask whether I was leaving too much of myself behind.
As I’ve aged, it has become more difficult to live up to everyone else’s expectations and much easier to live up to my own. There is freedom in accepting where I am instead of apologizing for it. There is peace in honoring what I need instead of what others expect.
Don’t let anyone tell you where to meet them. Meet yourself where you are. That’s where your life is waiting.
Pat Landaker is a Certified Senior Advisor® and a freelance writer specializing in senior-focused, positive aging topics.