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How I am becoming #BOLD (and perhaps beautiful) in 2021 – January reflections

Becoming Bold

As I announced back at the start of the year, my Word of the Year (#WOTY) for 2021 is BOLD. My post can be read here if you missed it:

60 years old and feeling BOLD!

At the start of each month I’m going to try to reflect on the previous month and how I’ve dealt with being BOLD. I see it as learning experience and it helps me have a focus for the month/year. I loved doing this last year when my word was Jump.

I’m thinking I’ll break down the word BOLD in different ways during the year ahead. Sometimes I’ll use each letter as a focus, like this month, and other times I’ll just reflect on how life has been.

What did January show me in terms of being bold?

As I stated in my announcement post, I know I’m already bold in some ways, I’m sort of brave and have been known to be imaginative, but I want to be more so, if that makes sense.

I know I can sometimes stand out; I love wearing bright colours and can often appear confident, but I want to be bolder, stronger and braver. But never brash!

I’m not sure what the year ahead will bring (do any of us?) but I’m treating myself as a work in progress.

I love this selfie I took – and believe me I generally hate selfies – but this one shows me as a happy, vibrant 60 year old who is becoming more confident in her own skin as the years pass and says bold to me! I had just been for my first run of the year on January 4 and felt very much alive!

Debbie - 60 years old and feeling Bold
60 years old and feeling Bold

Blogging – January was a fantastic month for my blog – so many new followers, more engagement than usual, more comments and likes and I don’t really know why. But I’ll take it – thanks!

It’s been great to interact with other bloggers and learn more through comments, shares and posts. That’s what blogging is all about isn’t it?

I’ve made a few bold changes – new banners for my regular posts, Wordless Wednesdays, Wordy Wednesdays, Sunday Stills, #ShoutoutSaturday and I’ve started signing off some of my posts with pithy sayings about being bold.

I’ve decided I’m not afraid to put myself out there and isn’t that a sign of becoming bold?? Remembering of course that I make no money from my blog – it’s a creative hobby when all is said and done – but it is a piece of me that I’m sharing every time I write a post.

This notebook arrived for my 60th birthday late last year from a beautiful blogging friend and it is my notebook I am using for all my bold quotes, thoughts, snippets, ideas! How special!

Sixty & Bold notebook
Sixty & Bold notebook – a gift from a lovely blogging friend

Opportunities – I’ve taken the plunge and joined an online bookclub with some friends, which is a commitment I’m willing to give every few weeks. I have decided that I enjoy being involved with others in this way especially now I’m retired, I do miss social contact some days. For example I’m a member of our Rotary Club, I’m an enthusiastic member of our Rail Trail committee and I already belong to an actual face to face bookclub in town where we meet once a month. I always feel I learn so much from being with others, hearing their ideas and thoughts and seeing different perspectives.

I love my online blogging group, we meet once a week for a chat over Zoom and lately I have enjoyed being a part of several photo challenges – Sunday Stills, and Becky’s Squares plus blogging linkups – Denyse’s #lifethisweek and Natalie’s #WeekendCoffeeShare – although I often share posts for these challenges, not always writing new ones – life is busy enough!

It’s comments like this that make my heart sing with gratitude for being involved in a variety of groups and blogging challenges:

Hi, Deb – I so loved following your travel posts for this series. Your photography not only shows your immense creativity, it also reveals the soul of what you were trying to capture – and delightfully displays your joie de vivre (which is completely contagious). Thank you for joining in (and running with it) and for the shoutouts!

Donna (from Retirement Reflections) left this lovely comment on a recent post

Also Sue at Women Living Well After 50 has started her annual Fit Fab Feb, which I inadvertently saw as Fit, FAT, Feb :), so yes I’ve obviously joined that group – it’s helping to keep me, and others, accountable!!

bold quote
bold quote

Life – After a horror few years full of grief (there were good parts but the hard bits stay with me the longest), and starting to talk regularly with a psychologist over Skype, I am starting to exhale! You know that feeling when you don’t know you’ve been holding your breath until suddenly you realise you’re breathing normally again??

Well I’m at that point, starting to have many family health issues resolved, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and with a grandson turning one later this month and another grandson arriving into the world a few weeks ago and my two granddaughters growing and flourishing, I’m feeling much better about things. I just wish Covid would go away so I can travel to see my granddaughter in the UK, but don’t we all wish that it would simply disappear?

Delightfully Bold – I made a few bold purchases during January which I’m very proud of. My orange converse sneakers were a purchase from a friend on a buy, swap and sell site. They were probably meant for a teenager to buy but I jumped in and got a great bargain. I love wearing them and despite being 60, I feel young and carefree in them.

orange converse sneakers
orange converse sneakers

My other bold buy was as a result from an email I sent to a company asking for some suggestions as the sunglasses I’d purchased in recent months had started to fall apart. They kindly offered to replace them for me and asked for my choices – I immediately chose these yellow ones, they’re actually called Pineapple Pain Killers and I love using them when out on my bike or walking/running. They are lightweight, fun and comfortable to wear. I had fun playing around with the photo too, in case you hadn’t noticed 🙂

I felt bold in approaching the company but didn’t expect the offer of a replacement pair so feel very pleased with the result.

So what’s next?

I’ll be reviewing my WOTY each month – what I’ve managed to achieve, change or maybe new things to add to my list. Feel free to make any suggestions on how I can embrace being bold (and beautiful) 🙂

One last thing

Today as I hurtled at almost 40km down a hill on my bike, I felt exhilarated, alive and bold, happy to be doing what I was doing and grateful for the opportunities I have in my life. But also happy that I’m bold enough to accept the challenges and move on.

This quote sums it very nicely:

Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.

Brene Brown

We may not all be as bold as Amanda Gorman but we can embrace her words and be ‘Benevolent but bold’ in our actions.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my first edition of Becoming Bold, let me know your thoughts and how you are feeling bold or how you’d like to become bold.

Deb xx

Joining Natalie for this week’s Weekend Coffee Share

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Debbie - mother of a 40 year old

Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. You can read more of Deb’s story here

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51 Replies to “How I am becoming #BOLD (and perhaps beautiful) in 2021 – January reflections”

  1. Pingback: June Story Chat: “The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree” by Debbie Harris – Marsha Ingrao – Always Write

  2. Hi Deb, I’m featuring some of these great Bold posts as links on Story Chat. You are one impressive woman! I love that you are celebrating your WOTY status. When I was WOTY in Woodlake, I was so pleased, but I downplayed it somewhat and did not celebrate it as you have. I’m proud of you for doing that. It honors those who gave you that award.

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  3. Wow, sounds like you have taken 2021 by the horns!! Good for you, girl. I am interested that you are speaking with a counselor via Skype. Might be something I should look into. Glad to know it is working for you.

    Congrats on the increased engagement on your blog. Wonderful to know that you are making new friends with your wisdom and insight and creativity.

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    1. Many thanks Leslie, I love hearing from you. Yes talking with someone has been a great help. I am unsure where my new followers are coming from or how they are finding me but I’m happy to welcome new friends!

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  6. I enjoyed your 1st edition of being bold. Good choice for a selfie. It did turn out good & the glasses rock….LOL!!! I remember those converse shoes in high school. We all wore those on the basketball team. Red ones & white ones. Seems those shoes are getting popular again.

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    1. Thanks for the comment Karen. I remember the basketball type of shoes too, back in the day and yes they’re making a comeback even for little old ladies over 60 🙂

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  7. I love your “Bold” approach for this year. I’m also 60, and something about hitting a milestone birthday makes you want to shake things up a bit, doesn’t it? I have some exciting plans for the year once Covid is out of the way, I want to do a few things I’ve never done before – paddle boarding, white water rafting for two, and for my sabbatical hopefully a trip to Peru. Love your orange sneakers!

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    1. Yes turning 60 has certainly made me want to shake things up a bit so I’m happy to be approaching the next year with a bold step! Your post covid plans sounds great, I hope they can happen sooner rather than later. The orange sneakers have really made me smile 🙂

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  8. Bold AND Beautiful, no doubt about that. Thank you for sharing your journey of becoming more Bold and Beautiful. Putting yourself out there, I think expresses the vulnerability of blogging. No matter the writing style or the topic, sharing struggles and joys is a risk, but perhaps not as great a risk as keeping our thoughts to ourselves. I have some flower bulbs that may never bloom, because they are still in the bag and not in the ground. Also, I like the example you set of a monthly update on your WOTY. I may follow suit. I hadn’t given a lot of thought to what I would do after my original WOTY post. Thanks for the inspiration. Blessings, Michele

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    1. Many thanks for the compliment Michele! I enjoy the process of blogging and often wonder who will find and read and enjoy my posts, so getting comments like yours helps a lot! I like your bulb analogy! Feel free to join me in a monthly warp up, it works well and helps keep me on track. Always happy to be an inspiration 🙂

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  9. Hi Deb. I like your focus on “BOLD”. We guy types are often found on the bold side of the personality spectrum, so perhaps it’s not as out of the norm, but when I started my story blog, I felt I needed to find a bolder attitude if I wanted anyone to read my work and I’m one of those who will feel like I failed if few or no one reads a story I worked hard to produce. I mean, what is the point of creating any art if it’s not to be shared somehow. Anyway, I had no real concerns about sharing my stories with friends and family, but strangers, why would anyone want to read my work?
    Well, I just finally just stepped forward with a few installed into my first blog site and stood near to see what happened. In short, I was welcomed to the community you know so much better than I do. I felt my out of character boldness paid off.
    I wondered if any of my stories spoke to being bold and could inspire you but from a man’s perspective. I think this unusual story will both entertain and inspire as I reasoned that I had to act very contrary to what I wanted to do in this instance and it produced a much better result than I could have ever imagined.
    Most of us fret over the whole high school prom thing. I didn’t have a girl friend and had already been turned down by a gal I hoped would go with me, when I was offered, yes offered to have all my expenses covered if I took a man’s daughter to her prom. This was rare even for my life but I think you’ll appreciate it from a adult’s perspective.

    The Prom Date Adventure

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    1. Thanks Gary for sharing your thoughts on being bold and from a different perspective (as in male) from mine. It’s great to read the thoughts on others and blogging is a safe community to do so. I loved your story and appreciate your boldness in sharing. You are a wise man indeed 🙂

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  11. I like how you see yourself as a work in progress, that is so true about life! And I think boldness particularly comes with age, although you need to work on it to a certain extent – and watch out so that you develop the positive type of boldness. With age and hard times, I’ve come to a “I don’t give a ****” mode, but in a good way, that I do my thing without worrying so much about what people think, and it makes me creative.
    What you said about the feeling of holding your breath and not realising it until you can breathe again is very accurate. That’s exactly how I felt this week, after a horrendous month with illness in my family, and then a sick cat, and more.

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    1. Hi Susanne, firstly thanks for your comment, I love getting thoughtful comments on my posts! I agree getting to a certain age helps with the feeling of boldness but there is a negative way of looking at bold which I am trying to avoid – the brash, brazen type that isn’t terribly attractive, regardless of our age! I think we open ourselves up a lot more as we age in terms of creativity and trying new things and that’s why I consider myself still to be a work in progress. I do hope you are feeling better this week and can exhale a little, take care!

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      1. Yes, I see what you mean and maybe it depends on what we associate with the word bold. The first thing it makes me think of is a strong person who dares to go her/his own way, has strong values and self confidence but still humility – it’s more to do with maturity and growth as a person.. but here in Ireland it can also mean to be nasty, mean (mostly about kids), which is something completely different, of course!
        This week is nice and quiet, finally!

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  12. Hi Debbie, A confident person with a sincere smile always looks beautiful to me. You’re bold and beautiful. Keep enjoying life with your boldness and keep smiling! Thank you for linking up with #weekendcoffeeshare.

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  14. You are an inspiration Deb. I’m glad you are starting to exhale and have been bold enough to seek out help to do so. I too turn 60 this year. In lots of ways I think our age allows us to embrace boldness. We have the confidence to try new things and the knowledge that now is the time.

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    1. That’s so kind of you to say Sue, thank you! I agree with you, turning 60 does allow us to embrace boldness, I couldn’t have put it better myself! There’s no time like the present is there?

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  15. Hi Deb, seriously impressed with the 40km speed and I’ve not got anywhere near that! Pleased you slowed down. Though I fully understand the alive feeling you get when pushing out those boundaries and being bold.
    Watching someone go through an illness and especially with no cure is a living grief. Great that the online psychologist worked for you. Some days are harder than others.

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    1. Thanks Suz, the speed gives me a thrill but I’m old enough to realise what happens if I was to fall, don’t worry! Yes indeed, living grief is a good way to describe it and some days are harder than others. I’ve managed to have a string of good days lately and feel much better as a result. hang in there!

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  16. Now I’ve read how you are embracing being bold, I’m wondering how I can ‘up my game’! You’re doing brilliantly and your post is so uplifting – what a lot you crammed into your January!

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    1. Thanks Deb! Yes I’m living life to the fullest at the moment and enjoying living a bold life. It’s a different way for me but I’m getting used to it and you don’t have to ‘up your game’ at all – you are perfect just as you are!

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    1. Thank you Frank, your comment made me smile and I must say, a warm welcome to my world! When I told someone my word this year was bold, they mentioned brash and brazen in the same breath, so I’m keen to emphasises these aren’t my aims at all! I like to think I’m a good person 🙂

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  19. Hi Deb – I’m loving all those bold choices you’re making – lots of little things that are bringing you joy – and lots of other issues getting resolves so you can appreciate life and make bold moves. 40km on a bike is pretty fast my friend – I can only get up to about 50km on my scooter – so you’re definitely being bold there!

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    1. Hi Leanne, bold choices are fun! I did consider for a minute that if I fell off my bike at that speed it wouldn’t be pretty but enjoyed the moment before sensibly slowing down. Becoming Bold has been good to me so far in 2021. I think you’re right, the issues that have been resolved have made me feel lighter and more optimistic. Thanks for joining in.

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        2. Exactly, Debbie, I used to see more weathered faces for the 60+ years old folks. Our new president is 79 years old!! Talk about the look, the mind, and energy! For that matter, he is my model.

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  21. Hi Deb I absolutely LOVE this first edition of your Becoming Bold in 2021. You are bold and beautiful and like Donna, I’ve definitely seen a lift in your spirits after some harrowing moments over the last couple of years. Thank you for the shoutout and I laughed when I read FitFatFeb – can you imagine the political correctness people. I love that you join in and enjoy being part of something which is more than you. Have a great February, can’t wait to read what you have done. xx

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    1. Thank you Sue, it seemed to be a mammoth effort to get it written so I’m glad to hear you’ve enjoyed it. I enjoy being with others and learning so much from people along the way, like you and Donna! I am feeling much more positive these days and I’m enjoying that lift, so maybe it’s coming out in my writing at the moment, I hope so! Thanks for the Fit Fab Feb encouragement, you are an inspiration. xx

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  23. Hi, Deb – I LOVE this post. So reflective, thoughtful, joyous (and yes, bold)! You are already beautiful (and that’s the truth). I have noticed you taking boldness to a new, very positive level — and I like it!
    Thank you for the shoutout. That was very kind of you!

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    1. Oh Donna, I’m so glad you enjoyed my first edition of Becoming Bold, it was hard work writing it but I finally managed to get it done. Your comments and encouragement mean a lot to me as I value your expertise and friendship. I’m trying to be bold and I’m liking it so far!

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