Shashti Poorti is a Sanskrit word meaning completion of sixty. In Hinduism, it marks the completion of half the years of one’s lifetime, as 120 years is considered the life span of a human being.
The sixtieth year in one’s life is therefore a significant milestone, where one stands looking back at the rich life and experiences lived to date and looks forward to the warm, mellowed life ahead.
The milestone marks celebration and gratitude for life given by the Almighty.
By the time we reach 60 we have experienced many wonderful things in life like finding your life partner, having a child, taping into knowledge and expertise, making lasting friendships, having a rewarding career. We also experienced the long-lasting impacts of loss, bereavement, retirement and so much more. We can become unsettled by these changes and the meaning of our lives is sometimes lost along with loved ones and things.
Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.”
– Meister Eckhart
I have always viewed disruption as an opportunity to reinvent one’s self, and explore a new path. I can’t resist an opportunity to be different, and I am not sure why that is. I look forward to milestones because they represent a fresh start. Milestones are like a new chapter in a great book. I always looked forward to a new school year, and love (Love!!) starting January with a fresh set of goals for the new year. I mean, get me a blank spreadsheet!
Many of my goals in life changed as I achieved them. Some stayed with me for a lifetime like wanting to lose weight, be healthy and spending meaningful time with family and friends. Turning 60 gives me a chance to set new goals, try new things, find new meaning.
I like the idea of transitioning into a period of greater gratitude. As I look back at the path travelled so far, I am in awe with all that I have been blessed, and what my efforts brought me, despite my shortcomings. I long to be one of those serene women, wise and with an elegant demeanour, but intuitively, I know that’s not who I am meant to be. I can’t help be inspired by new ideas, and my endless creativity, imagination and intuition propels me constantly to seek new experiences.
It’s not about having time. It’s about making time.
The theme of my next decade is: My Grateful and Inspired Sixties …grateful for all I have experienced, the lessons I have learned, and the beauty around me. I am grateful for recognizing who I am and accepting my uniqueness. As I look ahead, my heart beats with excitement at all that I wish to explore in the next chapters.
I embrace …no, I celebrate the joy I have within me that is sparkling, for the realisation not only that I am enough, but how awesome I am..just as I am
I so enjoy reading your blogs. They truly inspire me ❤️