When I was little, I thought that when I grew up, I’d no longer be scared of the things that used to freak me out - the dark, zombies, monsters, scary movies, the space underneath my bed, and so on. And in a way, that turned out to be true. But what I didn’t see coming was that growing up would unlock a whole new set of fears.

Birthdays are more than just dates on a calendar. When we’re young, they feel like milestones in a race to grow up. But as the years pass, their meaning shifts - becoming less about age and more about gratitude and reflection.

There are moments in life that come at us like reality bombs - those unexpected shifts that change life as you know it. They're the big transitions you technically knew were coming, but nothing could prepare you for how they felt. Here are a few of those pivotal moments that life has thrown… so far.

Becoming a grandmother was an eye-opening experience for emotional Intelligence lecturer and author Natalie Kenely - it helped her learn how to be present. In this piece she talks about the importance of finding stillness in life’s precious moments.