One of the blessings of being middle-aged is perspective. You’ve lived long enough to graciously realise that, at times in the past, you’ve been wrong, and you can now happily change your mind. With the self-awareness and wisdom gained through living and trying and failing and learning, you can hold the opposite view to Past You.

Past Me once declared leggings aren’t pants. Patently wrong. Past Me hated birds. How? Had I never seen a spectacular flock of rainbow lorikeets? Or spotted a sweet little blue wren while on a walking trail? Past Me desperately wanted dreadlocks – thank god my hairdresser saved me from that horrendous idea!

When life gets too chaotic, I find peace in the most unlikely place in my home.Credit: Shutterstock

But possibly the biggest lie I told myself – and, shamefully, I think I even spread this untruth in this very column – was that to manage the overwhelm, overwork and overload of life, all you had to do is learn to say no.

Bahaha! What a joke! Excuse me as I recover from that comically ridiculous notion. If you’re looking for me, I’ll be hiding in my pantry, which is where I do my best questioning of my life........

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