Love

Be Authentic

ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THIS, YOUR LIFE WILL BECOME EXPONENTIALLY BETTER. One of my favorite words is AUTHENTIC. Webster definition: not false or imitation; real, actual; true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.

To be clear, we all need a little polishing. We don’t want to hold on to bad behavior that is unhealthy to us and/or others. I’m talking about who we are at our core. And if you don’t know who that is, after years of adjusting to what you think you “should” be, take the time to figure it out. It’s some of the most important work you’ll ever do in this lifetime.

50 Years of Wisdom

This is a current photo of me at 55 years old and a photo of me at 5 years old starting Kindergarten. Ohhh, the things I would like to tell that sweet, happy girl. I’ve had to learn most things in life the hard way. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that way. Over the past five years, I have worked very hard to reclaim the joy I felt as this young girl. And I move forward continuing to make the second half of my life, the best half of my life.

Happy Days

**Green Bay, Wisconsin** **© LISA S CLARK 2022**

This is my husband Terry dancing up the sidewalk to retrieve our newly delivered beach chairs after returning home from work. We finally have steady warm weather here in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Photo is a still image courtesy of our Ring Video Doorbell.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

This Guy.

Whenever I’m having a difficult day, he goes out of his way to be silly and make me feel better.

I captured one of these moments last fall. On this particular day, I was feeling very scared about an upcoming doctor’s appointment. He threw on his silly hat, dropped to the ground to play with my feet, and started singing the Rocky Theme Song.

And it worked. I felt instantly better.

Humor is so important in a marriage. You never know what life is going to throw at you, and being able to laugh together, even during the serious moments, is a beautiful thing.

Just Be You

Trying to be what you think people want, need, expect, or like is EXHAUSTING.

Pay attention to those people that accept you for you.

They are PRICELESS.

Truth

As difficult as it was being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2016, it also Woke Me Up. It pushed me to take full ownership of my life, and to set long overdue limits and boundaries with everyone in my life. I now only allow genuine, supportive, and kind people in my inner circle. And the freedom I feel is tremendous.

Choose Wisely

Choose people in your life wisely. Your health depends on it.

Young at Heart

This is 55. When you stay young at heart, it shows. My husband has true love, peace, and happiness in his life, and for a man, that is everything. He loves his job, and his health has never been better. Most importantly, he knows how to play and not take life too seriously. I turn 55 myself next month, and try to follow his example as much as possible.

Enjoying Social Media

You don’t need to know someone online to be kind, generous, and responsive.

You will have more joy if you treat everyone in a positive manner.

It’s no different from life offline.

I enjoy my days much more when I interact this way with everyone I encounter – strangers, friends, and colleagues.

My favorite moments in life are when I connect positively with someone and share a genuine human exchange.

And you can decide to do that anywhere – even online.

Note: I originally wrote this pre-pandemic, but it certainly rings true now when many people are missing their family, friends, and colleagues, or just normal human exchange in their communities.