Beautiful and Limited: Reflections on Turning 43 in The Netherlands

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"Today you are You, 
that is truer than true. 
There is no one alive who 
is Youer than You."
Dr. Seus
     


     Birthdays are what one wants to make of them. For some, it as an ordinary event. For others, it can be a beginning or an end. Some more might view it as an opportunity to reflect on what has been experienced. And then there are the loud and cheerful who take it as an extraordinary occasion worth sharing. For me, birthdays are unique and unreplicable.

     I must confess I am shedding some tears as I write this. On one hand, I am healthy and have been blessed with family and friends that love me and celebrated with me in the same way I approach life, with laughter, joy, and extra pampering. On the other, I wish I had mastered the art of letting go, of being in control. I wish I could embrace certain feelings in order to later let them go. I wish I could settle and conform. 

     There is a podcast I listen to for my Dutch immersion. It's called 100% INSPIRATIE PODCAST by Thijs Lindhout. This week I found one that was in English instead of in Dutch, "Over Being Limitless" with Ananda Giri. Its message is still lingering in my mind. The main idea is that you have two choices while living. You can choose to live in a beautiful state or in a limited one. Then, when you approach moments, you can only decide between the two. Ananda Giri explains the concepts and gives some tips on how to put them into practice. 

     Turning 43 in The Netherlands has both been beautiful and limited. There is a circle of love and friendship, my sweetheart, achievements, hard work, tears, sadness, and longing. I guess they are all inevitable since we should quit trying to control everything. At least that I must. As for now, I will work on trying to figure out which state I am living in, and then learning how to choose beautiful rather than limited. I have a long way to go, but then again, I am only 43!

Het was mijn verjaardag!

PS
To practice your Dutch, try to listen to the radio or podcasts. Even if you don't understand much, it will help your brain tune the language in. 


Location: Eindhoven, Países Bajos

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