CHEERS TO ANOTHER YEAR! FIERCE & FABULOUS SINCE 1971!

Fierce since 1971!  Embracing half a century for 365 days to come.  Strap in my people!

I turn 50 today and feeling gorgeous.  Mostly fierce but gorgeous too.  Truth be told, I’ve always been that way, the fierce part.  The gorgeous part came later in life.  You know, I had to start feeling it on the inside to believe it and live it.  Here I am.

Stepping into another decade and still learning and growing.  This constant evolution has me in awe of how we change as humans.  How we adapt along way while working towards a goal.  I’m talking about the journey vs the destination because that is the meat for me.  I wouldn’t “skip to the good part” for anything.  Getting to a destination without working to get there is not for me.  I’m genuinely proud of myself and my growth over the years ESPECIALLY the last decade.  It’s certainly a different feeling at 50 than it was at 40 for me!  I didn’t want to talk about turning 40 and this year, I embrace it.  Bring it ON.

Physically and mentally/emotionally I’m in a good place.  To be able to say that feels good because I put the work in.  There’s still a lot of work and pieces of my life I need to unpack but this moment feels great.  I mean, minus the shortage of sleep some days due to perimenopause a.k.a. life, I love where I took my passions over the last 18 months and I’m patting myself on the back for always coming out stronger on the other side of whatever life threw in my lane over the years.  I’ve embraced my screw face and loudmouth and stopped trying change what I was born with because it made some people uncomfortable.  Realizing that I don’t need to take care of everyone or referee every family feud is a relief and liberating.  Being able to say “it ain’t my business” and move on takes big balls.

Watching my daughter grow over the last 8 years has really inspired and ignited me to do better and always be better, no matter what.  She is always watching and so, how I talk to her and to myself, about myself is very important.  All the choices I’ve made since she joined my husband and I, was for our family and I couldn’t be prouder.  I chose us.

Sharing on this platform as well as others has been quite a journey too.  Initially I wondered what people would think and I’d compare myself to others as I’m sure many do but once I got over myself and out of my way, it became part of the brand.  The why for me is always to inspire and remind everyone that they can do anything they put their mind to and that it’s never too late to start.

It still begs the question for me on a personal level – and I’ve been asking myself this often lately: “what do I know at 50” but as I tried to put it into words, nothing was coming.  I realized I should be asking a different question: “what have I learnt in the half century I’ve been on this earth”?

Here goes a few that are biggies for me:

Age is but a number:  Cliché?  Yes indeed, but I believe that.  Stepping into any decade is not about how people may or may not perceive you, it’s about how YOU perceive YOU!  In the words of the one and only RuPaul Charles: “if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you going to love anyone else?  So whether 30, 40, 50 or 100, it’s a damn privilege to age and THAT is on periodt!

It’s impossible until it’s not: I will continue to be living proof that YOU CAN!  It doesn’t matter what it is but if there is a desire, a will, sprinkled with a little motivation, mixed with a little passion and a high dose of consistency, you will get there.  And remember to block out the haters, you wouldn’t want to take advice from them anyway.

Self-love is NOT selfish:  The first time I experienced this feeling was around 11 or 12 years ago.  I decided to start getting in shape and set a goal to lose about 30lbs.  What started as just a weight loss journey became more about holding myself accountable to getting my butt to the gym which meant leaving the office on time, meal prepping, staying on course and making sure I implemented and maintained balance in my life.  I lost the weight but gained a new sense of self-love and admiration through the process!

It’s almost always NEVER about me:  Had to learn this one by trial and error and over and over but people can be less than kind, less than honest, less than straight forward and simply just “less than”.  Whether they disappoint, verbally abuse, bully, are narcissists, are jealous or tell you that you can’t just remember, it’s about them.  Their insecurities and shortcomings are being projected on to you in those moments and hell yes it hurts in those moments.  Feel the feelings and let that shit go.  It’s not worth it, I know.

What people think of me is none of my business:  Another hard one.  We all want to please and always do the right thing(s), but it doesn’t matter how far you bend over backwards to please people, they will always have something to say, think and feel.  And let them.  You do you regardless of the supporters or the haters.  I recently got asked if I’ll still be boxing/competing when I turn 50 because you know: “you’re getting up there now Shireen” – pardon me?? I didn’t feel the need to answer but invited said person to join me for a run followed by a workout.  No boxing, just strength & conditioning and THEN they got to ask the question again – if they didn’t get it by then.

I’m a boxer:  Also, an athlete, a boxing coach and personal trainer.  I will always be.  Add mom, wife and entrepreneur to that and the list keeps growing because why box myself in?  Pun intended.  Boxing has changed me and has helped shaped me into the best version I’ve ever been.  Entering to my first sanctioned fight was the first thing that was 100% about me.  I did not know it at the time but while it was a fundraiser for the annual Fight to End Cancer, it was the six-month training journey both in and outside of that ring that was most profound for me.  That first bout was at age 41 against an opponent 10 years my junior.  We got a standing ovation and pronounced fight of the night.  This was my first realization EVER that age is but a number.  When I started coaching, I realized that what I get out of boxing from the other side just adds to my toolbox.  So yes, you’ll still me in the ring as boxer and coach for a while to come.

Keep going:  Even if you’re going slow, you’re still going faster than the person on the couch, or the person always complaining.  New business, new product, hobby, sport – you name it – once you start seeing progress or once you start feeling stronger, that’s the fuel and that feeds consistency and that in turn feeds growth.  And remember, once you open yourself up to continual learning, you’ll never stop and THAT is the money!

With our current restrictions for this 2021 holiday season there is no party, but I will celebrate with family and maybe a friend or two who want to join me for cake and some bubbly.  I was also reminded a few days ago that I’ll be 50 for a full 365 days so we can continue celebrations till well, whenever.  I’ll also share some tidbits with you all over the course of the year.  One fierce moment at a time!

Happy birthday to me – the number is the number and imma be fierce for another 50 to come.