I turn 40 on 5/27/18. Here's the journey I started as 40 weeks to 40 but shortened the timeline because... Kanye... I mean, procrastination. Join me as I tackle new fears, get healthy, get real and get outta my 30's.
Day 17: Running With It
My buddy Ryan Young is an ultra-marathoner, which basically means he runs long distances many times a week to train for even longer races many times a year. Like, 100 mile races. Whoa.
So who better to help me get on track to help achieve my holistically healthy goal than Ryan. Watch Day 17's video to get a glimpse of how he got started, where I got my shows, and how day 1 of my commitment to running 3 miles 2-3 times a week went.
Here's a pic of Ryan running in Mo'orea, French Polynesia. I can't be certain, but there's a possibility he ran TO the island, not just on it.
Slip Sliding Away on Day 21
The nearer I get to the finish line of this destination, I recommit to not slip-sliding away. Here's how.
Day 23: A Challenge Within the Challenge
Join me in my 40 Days to $4k Facebook Fundraising Challenge, where I'm raising money for STORIES: The AIDS Monument
Whether you read the blog, donate, or just click through to learn more about STORIES: The AIDS Monument, I am grateful for your support in this 40 days to $4k challenge.
For Today's Lesson... Day 24
Day 24 is a check-in on my piano lessons, and the big lesson is... practice.
Photo by Ryan Holloway on Unsplash
Days 25 & 26 - Distractions
I've got so much to do, so much I get to do by the way. On days 25 & 26 of my #40Daysto40 challenge, I decided to move into my head for a bit and analyze many of the things on both my vision and task lists. And paint a room in the house. And stay up late to get it perfect. And not get any of the real work done. Guess how that worked out for me?
Read the Post while listening to the inspiration from Zero 7 & Sia.
Day 27 - 2 Questions
Today is the first of several short videos where I get other people's perspective on turning 40. Some are funny, some super profound, others NSFW.
Would love to know, from those of you who are 40+:
- what you know now and wish you knew when you were 40
- what you know now and are glad you didn't know when you were 40
Weekend 2/Days 30 & 29 - The Roses
We know about stopping to smell the roses. But what about the flowers we mean to pick but don't. The things we mean to come back to, and almost do, but not quite. I have shared a few times about the awards I've won in my head for ideas that never saw the light of day. Weekend 2's post is a check-in of sorts, and encapsulates the joy of spending many of this weekends' moments in the moment, capped off by a smack-me-upside-the-head metaphor for procrastination.
Day 31 - Chewing the Fat (Starting Location for Body Fitness)
I talk with Lisa Kara of Zinc Nutrition and GoodNightSnack about how clean eating has helped, about health & happiness & happiness (twice) and how to get to the "where I wanna go" from the "where I am" - which turns out may be more inside journey.
DISCOUNT CODE:
Lisa is graciously offering viewers of The Daley Kennedy a 50% discount on her amazing e-book called "The Foundations", which has worked wonders for me. Visit ZincNutrition.com/e-books and enter code GoodnightZinc.
Day 33... Er, 32 - The Fate of Being Late
My starting location for Mindfulness?
Hold on, I'm running about 10 minutes behind.
HOW I plan to stop being late and start being more authentically mindful of mine and others time in this #40Daysto40 post.
Day 33...
See Day 32. Ahem.
Day 34 - Music to Motivate and Mobilize
Music is a key part of my motivation. Actually, audio in general is. When I meditate, I love starting by listening to the sounds around me before listening to the music from one of the meditation music playlists I follow or created. When driving, I always have one of several things in the background: Podcasts, Audible or iBooks, or a Spotify Playlist. All of these motivate and mobilize me, and music in particular spurs reflection, inspiration, and helps drive the perspiration that comes from getting holistically healthy. For today, I centered on creating #40Daysto40 Spotify Playlist on The Daley Kennedy Spotify Page. Check it out. Follow it. Like me, it's a bit random but all of the songs motivate, mobilize, or spur memories for me, and I hope they do the same for you. Want to add a song? Hit me up on Facebook page and I'll see if it fits!
Til Day 33
Mohmmad metri for unsplash
Day 35 - Fear and Learning in Los Angeles
So it's not as bad as the title says. Hell, its not even bad. But the fact is fear - expressed in many different ways (see Meditation for Assholes ACRONYM definition) is definitely one of the things I am learning more about, including how to overcome it's paralyzing side effects. Today's post dives into my starting location for the personal and professional development pillar of the challenge. I get honest about money and about fear, and set up some where I want to go and where I am now details for you. I also share a bit of learning as to what this journey of #40Daysto40 is all about...
Til day 34
Day 36 - 2 Questions
Day 36 was a play day for me, one where my husband and I spent some real quality time together that included vision work, beach time, hanging out wth friends, laughing more, worrying less. It was awesome.
Today's play day was enjoyed more fully by starting out the day after a night of great rest, then straight into the routine I do every day (START Your Day - more at Meditation for Assholes), eating a super healthy breakfast (plus a donut because... play day), and getting some financial clarity with my husband, part of a weekly practice we've implemented this year and - get this - started sticking to for the past month - whoa!
I'm fulfilled by the play day and committed to the #40Daysto40 challenge I've been sharing thus far.
Writing this little blip for day 36 is later than I wanted, following a bit of an editing challenge of the video I planned to post tonight. That video, which I will soon share, is one that consists of me asking friends and family members 2 questions about turning 40. For now, I will keep those two questions a surprise, but the insights I garnered from my three willing-ish interview subjects from day 36 can be summed up in two ways:
1. When we stop knowing we start growing.
Hamilton the Musical/GIPHY.com
In perhaps one of the most relevant lines from Hamilton, when Aaron Burr gives Alexander Hamilton 2 simple - but powerful - rules to live by:
Talk Less. Smile More.
2. Don't worry cause it don't help.
This quote from the poet Hafez, which I heard on Jack Kornfield's discussion with Oprah on Super Soul Sunday, is the 2nd way to sum up the answers to my two questions about turning 40: don't miss out on the big beautiful life by sitting in the dark, scary part of life.
The one thing all of the answers had in common was live fully, don't be afraid to look foolish, know less, worry even less than that.
'Til Day 35...
Day 37 - Getting By With A Little Help From My Friends
Day 37 has been filled with healthy eating, a great workout, planning for charitable endeavors, a lot of financial planning, a little bit of frustration, and a lot of listening to podcasts and books on tape. I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite tools I've found thus far in getting out of my head and into my present so I can, in turn, have a great foundation for my 40's and beyond.
Day 38 - What's the Plan, Stan?
For today's share, I took a chance and wrote a blog post, work I've been ferociously avoiding doing while simultaneously accepting imaginary awards for in my head. :) Today's post is both an exercise in getting over a fear and sharing with you the plan for my 40 days to 40.
DAY 39 - The Keys
Day 39: With the help of Silver Lake Conservatory of Music I take on something new - piano lessons. They start on Day 35. Follow my Instagram Stories to see some of the other ways I worked towards achieving the holistically healthy version of myself by 40.
Check out all that Silver Lake Conservatory has to offer by visiting their amazing new building in Hollywood or at this link.
DAY 40 - Fear We Go
So I started out doing 40 weeks to 40 - you can even see the intro video below. But then I got busy, er, distracted, er... AFRAID. I guess. So - tackling this video is my first tackling of fear as I hit 40. Watch, and if you relate, hit me up on Facebook or IG with your story of tackling fear as you flee your 30's.
The Original 40 Weeks to 40 Post.... OOPS.
What can I say, I like crunch time? I started out doing this as 40 weeks to 40, and while i didi accomplish some of the goals outlined in this original intro video, I didn't share all of them. Watch how-not-to-do a challenge on video and share it with the world.
TOOLS FROM MY FORAY INTO MY 40'S
Below are links to the books, tools, products and podcasts that have helped me on the path to a better version of myself.