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Why You Should Commit to the Carry-On and Tips for Making it Easy

Why You Should Commit to the Carry-On and Tips for Making it Easy

The world is divided into two different kinds of people: overpackers and underpackers. If you fall into the first category, don’t turn away yet! Give me a few minutes to try and convince you that there is a better way to travel.

As you might already suspect, I am an underpacker. My measure of a packing fail: Coming home with even one thing in my suitcase that I did not need, use or wear during my trip. I do fail sometimes, but not often anymore.

Here’s how to pack lighter – all lessons I learned the hard way.

Start with an Attitude Change

It helps that I don’t really care how I look. I don’t mean I would travel in ripped or dirty clothes. But I don’t need to be the glammed up center of attention. In fact, when you’re traveling, the more you can blend in, the better. You’re less likely to be targeted by pickpockets and local scammers.

Spend a little time researching what the locals wear and try to pack like that. This is the lesson I learned when I wore my electric blue winter coat to Romania, a former Soviet block country where there were two colors of winter coat: grey and black.

So if you simply must be a fashion plate, try to pare down the clothes to a capsule wardrobe of items you can mix and match and pieces that will do double duty.

Use a Packing List

These printable packing lists will give you a feel for the things you’ll need. If the list includes something you don’t think you’ll need, don’t pack it. If there is something missing, make a note on the printed sheet so you don’t forget it.

Check the Weather Forecast

I make this recommendation because I live in Chicago. We like to say, “If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes.” Here, the calendar might say May, but the thermometer might say March. Or July.

So check the forecast for your destination. It will tell you whether to pack a raincoat, sunhat, shorts, or sweaters.

Start Packing Early

If you have a spare bed, room, couch or some other spot to hold the things you want to pack, start a week early and put everything on the bed that you think you might want on your trip.

Then walk away.

Come back the next day and look it over. Is there anything missing? Is there anything you think you might not need on the trip? Make adjustments accordingly.

Then walk away.

Come back the next day with the intention of making choices. If you have two pairs of pants on the bed, take away one pair. If you have four shirts, take away two. And so on, until you have cut in half the things on the bed.

Then walk away.

The next day, it’s time to pack. Start with the pieces of clothing you absolutely MUST have with you.

If you run out of suitcase before you run out of clothes to pack, you get to make a choice: Leave something else behind or pay $40 or more to check a bag.

Buy Packing Cubes

I resisted buying this travel essential for years. Now I can’t believe I ever traveled without them.

Packing cubes are flexible pouches with a brilliant zipper system. You pack them with the clothes you want to take, and zip them shut. Then – this is the brilliant part – you zip a second zipper to compress the insides flat. (Think of it like your expandable suitcase, when you open that second zipper, it gives you an extra inch or two of suitcase space. When you zip it shut, everything inside is compressed.)

As a bonus, the clothes you lay inside the packing cube are much more likely to stay wrinkle free. I don’t know why. But it’s true.

Stick with One Basic Color

When I head to a Caribbean resort, that color will be white. But most of the time, it’s black – black pants, a black skirt, a black dress. Then I add color in the tops I will wear with the pants and skirt. Finally, I pack a few scarves and funky costume jewelry to dress everything up or down and add more color.

Wear the Heavy Stuff on the Plane

There are plenty of TikTokers and travel hacker influencers who will tell you to wear layers and layers on the plane to save suitcase space. Or to pack a pillowcase with your stuff and pretend it’s a pillow, not a suitcase, so it doesn’t count as a carryon.

While that might be useful info for travelers on uber-budget airlines that charge for anything that doesn’t fit under your seat, you really don’t have to go that crazy. Just use a little common sense.

If, for example, you’re flying from Florida to Colorado, you know you’ll need your winter coat, hat, gloves, hiking boots and heavy jeans. Wear the jeans and hiking boots on the plane, stuff the hat and gloves in the coat pockets and carry the coat on the plane rather than packing it in a suitcase.

I do this anyway because I’m always chilly on a plane. I’m always surprised when I see someone boarding a flight in shorts and flip flops. I would be blue by the time I landed!

Think Layers, Not Bulk

Thin layers are always the right answer, no matter where you are. Even a Caribbean vacation requires preparing for chilly evenings or overly air-conditioned restaurants. Layers are the answer to staying warm and packing light.

Make the Best Use of Your Under-Seat Bag

Finally, remember that you get not one, but two things to carry onto the plane – a bag that goes into the overhead and a smaller bag that fits under the seat in front of you.

Don’t waste the space in that second bag!

My go-to is a roomy backpack because I travel with a lot of electronics – laptop, Kindle, phone, ear buds and all of the cords and accessories they require. But those only take up two zippered compartments. That leaves two more compartments for other things – makeup bag, an extra pair of shoes, etc.

The other thing that works for me is a big striped bag that is super flexible. I can cram a lot into it and still stuff it under the seat. The downside of that is it is heavy to carry, unlike my backpack which easily distributes the weight across my shoulders.

Practice, Practice, Practice

I know. This isn’t easy. Especially if you’ve always been an overpacker. But practice will make perfect. Try it on your next quick weekend trip. That will give you a chance to see how it feels to only pack what you’ll need for 2-3 days, how much you like being able to lift that light carry-on bag and how happy you are not worrying about whether your suitcase will show up at the other end of your flight.

Just remember to pack one more thing: a credit card. That way, if you find you truly can’t live without something for a few days, you can head to the store to buy it.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Are you an overpacker or an underpacker? What’s your favorite packing hack? Share with us in the comment section below.

Skin Care

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How to Make Your Own Essential Oil Blend for Mature Skin (Recipe)

A Basic Essential Oil Blend for Everyday Mature Skin Care

With all the wonderful natural facial serums on the market today, it can be a little overwhelming choosing the correct formula with safe, non-toxic ingredients, all at a reasonable price. The good news is that it’s easy and fun to make a quality product on your own using the miracle of nature – essential oils. 

When I started working with skincare formulas in 2003, one of the first products I was excited about making was an essential oil-based facial serum. My skin needs were changing, and a moisturizing oil made perfect sense for dry, maturing skin.

I decided to work with four wonderful healthy aging essential oils I had discovered: Lavender, Frankincense, Rose Geranium, and Carrot Seed.

The natural and highly effective nature of essential oils makes them perfect for skincare. When blended for their various properties and used with a carrier oil that matches your skin type, you can create a serum tailor-made for your skin.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the essence of plants. Hidden away in many parts of the plant, like the flowers, seeds, and roots, they are very potent chemical compounds. They can give the plant its scent, protect it from harsh conditions, and help with pollination.

The benefits of essential oils on humans are diverse and amazing. Lavender flower oil, for example, contains compounds that help soothe skin irritation and redness, while the scent reduces feelings of anxiety and stress.

The beautiful Rose essential oil is hydrating to the skin and sometimes used to treat scarring, while the scent is known to help lift depression. 

There are many essential oils to choose from for specific skincare needs. I have used a myriad of different combinations but keep coming back to the tried and true blend from my very first serum.

The four essential oils used are the workhorses of skincare for mature skin, as well as being wonderfully uplifting for mind, body, and spirit. 

The Base Oil Blend Formula

Here’s what you’ll need:

Bottle

1 oz. amber dropper bottle. You can find those in pharmacies or online.

Base (Carrier) Oil

As a base, you can use one of the oils below or a combination of several that meet your skin’s needs:

  • Jojoba oil is my base oil of choice. It’s incredible for most skin types: it’s extremely gentle and non-irritating for sensitive skin, moisturizing for dry skin, balancing for oily skin, ideal for combination skin, and offers a barrier of protection from environmental stressors. It also helps skin glow as it delivers deep hydration.
  • Rosehip oil smooths the skin’s texture and calms redness and irritation.
  • Argan oil contains high levels of vitamin E and absorbs thoroughly into the skin leaving little oily residue.
  • Avocado oil is effective at treating age spots and sun damage, as well as helping to soothe inflammatory conditions such as blemishes and eczema.
  • Olive oil is a heavier oil and the perfect choice if your skin needs a mega-dose of hydration. Just be aware that olive oil takes longer to absorb and leaves the skin with an oily feeling. This may be desirable for extremely dry, red, itchy skin.

Essential Oils

  • Lavender essential oil is very versatile and healing. It helps reduce inflammation, kill bacteria, and clear pores. Its scent is also calming and soothing.
  • Frankincense essential oil helps to tone and strengthen mature skin in addition to fighting bacteria and balancing oil production.
  • Rose Geranium essential oil helps tighten the skin by reducing the appearance of fine lines, helps reduce inflammation and fight redness, and offers anti-bacterial benefits to help fight the occasional breakout. The scent is also known to be soothing and balancing.
  • Carrot seed oil is a fantastic essential oil for combination skin. It helps even the skin tone while reducing inflammation and increasing water retention.

The Recipe

Let’s start with a simple recipe:

  • 1 oz. Jojoba oil (or carrier oil of your choice)
  • 10 drops Lavender
  • 10 drops Frankincense
  • 10 drops Rose Geranium
  • 10 drops Carrot seed oil 

Place the essential oil drops in the amber dropper bottle then fill with Jojoba/carrier oil. It’s that simple!

Applying Your Homemade Serum

Use this serum morning and evening as part of your regular skincare routine. Serums work best when applied after cleansing your face. You can cleanse with Coconut Oil or a mixture of oils for enhanced hydration (we will cover this in the next article) or use your regular facial cleanser.

Essential oils will not interfere in any way with your normal skincare products.

Keep in mind that the serum is concentrated. Use only a pea-sized amount, work it into your fingertips, and apply evenly over the face without tugging or pulling.

If your skin feels tacky, reduce the amount on the next application. Your skin should feel soft, not oily. Follow with your regular moisturizer if you like. 

Making your own facial serum is fun and rewarding! I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on essential oils and making personalized serums and skincare.

What facial serum do you use? Have you made one yourself? What is your favorite essential oil for skin care? Please share your thoughts with our community!

Dad’s Spicy La-Z-Boy: A Study in Valulosis

Dad’s Spicy La-Z-Boy A Study in Valulosis

My dad had a La-Z-Boy recliner in green tweed fabric, likely purchased in the late 1960s or early ‘70s. If you’re picturing Archie Bunker’s chair from All in the Family or Martin Crane’s from Frasier, think worse. Much worse. By the time I came along, the seat had shed its tweed, exposing shredded foam that made it look like we owned a particularly destructive cat. Come to think of it, we did.

When the chair’s glory days ended, my dad moved it to the basement, praising its unbeatable reclining mechanism. “They don’t make chairs like this anymore,” he’d say. “It just needs new upholstery.” The rest of us strongly disagreed. It was an eyesore and blocked access to the basement storage.

When Furniture Meets Flavor

The chair’s demise turned aromatic when my mom, who worked in our family’s pizza restaurant, brought home expired bags of spices – oregano, fennel, basil. She couldn’t bear to waste them. Since she couldn’t access storage because of a certain chair, she stacked the oversized bags on its seat. Over time, the bags tore open, embedding their scents into the foam. Walking past it was like encountering a giant scratch-and-sniff sticker from a pizzeria. We dubbed it “the spicy La-Z-Boy.”

Convincing a Pack Rat

For years, I begged my dad to let us toss the chair. He resisted, clinging to its supposed utility. Then a neighbor rented a dumpster. I didn’t ask for permission – I asked for forgiveness. The spicy La-Z-Boy was quietly hauled out and unceremoniously dumped.

Dad eventually noticed and grumbled about it, but he forgave me. I’m sure he mourned that chair and its “quality mechanism” until the end.

Valulosis: A Family Affliction

My dad’s attachment to that chair might have stemmed from growing up with little, but it was also a classic case of what I call Valulosis – the illusion that your possessions are far more valuable than they are. (Feel free to use this term, but I’d like credit. Please and thank you.)

That chair wasn’t the only example of Valulosis in our home. Take Mom’s fine china, for instance. She had a full set with delicate gold trim that you couldn’t microwave, dishwash, or even breathe on, lest it break. When I suggested we sell it, she gasped as if I’d proposed tossing the family Bible. “Do you know how expensive this was in 1962?” she insisted. Spoiler alert: not as much as it cost to move it decades later.

Then there were the silver-plated utensils in a velvet-lined box that looked fit for crown jewels. We never used them because they required polishing – an activity that should be outlawed under the Geneva Conventions.

And let’s not forget the figurines. My mom collected porcelain pieces, including one of a whistling girl whose head had been glued back on so many times it looked like she’d suffered a terrible neck injury. “But it’s a Hummel!” she’d say whenever I suggested decluttering.

Small appliances were another offender. Dad insisted that broken toasters and hand mixers “just needed a new part.” Replacement parts were never purchased, of course, so the appliances sat in the basement, awaiting a triumphant return to glory.Top of Form

More Relics of the Overvalued Era

Valulosis isn’t limited to my family. It’s a generational condition, passed down like an heirloom lamp you don’t want but can’t throw away. Here are a few other gems likely gathering dust in basements across America:

  • Milk glass vases: Once charming, now thrift store staples.
  • Old encyclopedias: My parents kept an entire set, arguing, “What if the Wi-Fi goes out?”
  • Vintage Tupperware: The lids are warped, but dark orange and deep olive might trend again.
  • VHS tapes: “Home movies!” Dad said, forgetting we no longer owned a VCR.
  • Holiday decorations: Boxes of tangled tinsel and faded Santas last used when Nixon was in office.Bottom of Form

The Cure for Valulosis? A Dumpster and a Dose of Reality

In hindsight, I’m glad we snuck my dad’s spicy La-Z-Boy into the neighbor’s dumpster. That chair may have been seasoned to perfection, but it wasn’t exactly heirloom material. For years, Dad grumbled, “They don’t make chairs like that anymore.” He was right – no furniture company offers pre-embedded fennel aromatherapy.

As for me, I personally caught a case of Valulosis involving Beanie Babies that really were worth something. That’s a tale for another day. Those stuffed animals were my wake-up call: not everything we own is worth what we think it is – sentiment or sweat equity included.

Now, I embrace the idea that memories don’t take up space, and stuff is just stuff. That doesn’t mean I’m immune to Valulosis, but now I catch myself before turning a spice-dusted recliner into a family treasure.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

  • Do you have a “spicy La-Z-Boy” in your life a piece of furniture or an object you can’t let go of? Or are you a recovering Valulosis sufferer like me? Share your stories about treasures (or junk) you’ve held onto and why.
  • What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever tried to “save”? Or, better yet, what’s the one thing you regret letting go?
  • Retired teachers? Need a laugh about some of our hoarding issues? Here’s a link to our podcast’s episode on the topic: Teachers Are Hoarders.

Let’s share a laugh in the comments after all, one person’s trash is another’s scratch-and-sniff sticker!

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Are You Just Existing? Here Are 5 Simple Tools to Help You Find Your Purpose After 60

Purpose After 60

The media talks a lot about the health benefits of living an active and full life. They say having a purpose in life is the key to positive aging, but are you stuck trying to find your purpose? 

Many of us have worked in full-time careers and raised families, and there wasn’t much time left over each week to do what we wanted for ourselves.

When retirement arrives – or as I like to call it, the Lifestyle Change – many of us can struggle with what our purpose is in life. It is easy to say we need a purpose, but that can mean different things to different people.

Finding your purpose is more obvious to some than others. Some of us feel we have nothing to offer or that having a purpose is something more than what it really needs to be. It doesn’t have to be earth-shattering, it just needs to be something that has meaning to you and enriches your life.

Retirement is a huge adjustment, and like many, I struggled with finding something that would replace my career and give me fulfilment.

During the first year of retirement, I felt lost and was just going through the motions each day to fill in time – just existing. I kept asking myself how I could give my life more meaning and definition when my career and family had defined me for so long.

I wanted to spend more time with my husband and family, but I also needed something that would keep my individuality.

I started a blog with no idea of where it would go or what I really wanted to say. However, as time went by, I realised that I could encourage other women over 50 to be a better version of themselves through a fit and healthy lifestyle.

To me, keeping fit and healthy is a holistic approach and means being well physically, mentally and spiritually. There are many ways we can find purpose in our life, you to just need to discover yours.

Here are 5 simple ways to find your purpose in life.

Create a Reason for Welcoming Each Day

We all need a reason to welcome each day, especially if we have made the Lifestyle Change and retired from work. We can easily become less motivated and fall into the trap of letting days run into each other with nothing achieved and no purpose. This can lead to boredom and even depression.

Setting a morning ritual helps to motivate you to make the most of each day. For me, that means starting my day with some gentle stretches or yoga and taking a moment to focus on gratitude and the good things in my life.

Create a Legacy for Your Children and Grandchildren

Living your life with meaning and by example is a great way to leave a legacy for your children and grandchildren. They will learn from you, and isn’t that the greatest gift you can give them?

Create Your Passion

We all have ‘dreams’ of what we would love to do if only ‘we had the time.’ Some of us love gardening, painting, travelling, craft. Find what you enjoy doing and make the time to really enjoy your hobby or passion.

Give Back to the Community

There are so many ways we can give of our time, and volunteering can be such a rewarding experience. Giving back to others can be a win/win situation.

You not only give to others and have a positive impact on their lives, but you also receive satisfaction and a sense of purpose. You experience the warmth and fulfillment of helping others and enrich your life at the same time.

Be a Mentor

Life experience is a great teacher, and when we reach 60 we certainly have a wealth of knowledge. Being a mentor and helping others to reach their potential can be a rewarding experience. Don’t feel that you have nothing to offer – we all do.

If you feel you are lacking purpose in your life and not sure how to find it, ask yourself these 3 questions:

  • What do I love to do?
  • What am I good at that I could teach others?
  • What is something I want to achieve or try?

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you found your purpose or passion in life? What do you think you could teach others? Join the conversation and share your story.

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10 Steps to Manage The Great Wealth Transfer

10 Steps to Manage The Great Wealth Transfer

“With great power, there must also come great responsibility.”

This quote from Spider-Man speaks to the consequences of our actions and the beliefs that frame our behaviors, especially when they affect many people.

What does a line from Spider-Man have to do with women over 60?

More than you may think.

My previous article and video examined The Great Wealth Transfer, which involves passing $68 trillion to immediate heirs between 2020 and 2060.

Our generation makes up over $50 trillion of this exchange. A great responsibility could be squandered if you are unprepared to be a good steward of such an exchange.

In the final part of our 10-part series, “The Invisible Customer with All the Money®”, we will explore how you and your heirs can benefit from The Great Wealth Transfer.

If you missed the previous articles, you can find them here:

#1: 7 Steps to Reclaim Your Power from the Media

#2: Aging Stereotypes: Can You Be More Feeble?

#3: 10 Steps to Influence Yourself from Within

#4: What Makes Your World Go Round After 60?

#5: 10 Steps to Unleash Your Inspired Voice After 60

#6: 5 Steps for Taking Back Control of Our Choices from the Media

#7: 10 Steps to Re-Engage with Life After 60

#8: 10 Steps to Bridging the Generational Divide

#9: Are You Ready for the Great Wealth Transfer?

Inheritance Is a Mindset

For centuries, wealthy families have passed down their estates to heirs. The Great Wealth Transfer, however, represents an unprecedented opportunity unlike anything the world has seen.

Over the last decade, large amounts of financial inheritance have expanded far beyond the luxurious confines of the ultra-rich to now include the average person.

Therefore, what makes The Great Wealth Transfer so unique is more than just the astronomical amount of money being transferred. It also goes beyond the sheer number of people around the world receiving it.

As jaw-dropping a number as $68 trillion is, ultimately, an inheritance is less about money and more about mindset. But what kind of mindset?

Three Important Factors

Consider the kinds of beliefs and stories you have about love, money, aging, and life itself. Are they wrapped up in a fixed mindset or a growth mindset?

Your answer will determine how prepared you and your heirs are to make the most of any type of inheritance, especially one that involves a lot of money.

Whatever your involvement in The Great Wealth Transfer will end up being, to properly take advantage of it you will want to adopt a growth mindset.

Here are three important factors that make The Great Wealth Transfer unique and the new growth mindset needed to maximize its benefits:

1. People and families with little to no lineage of financial wealth will benefit.

This requires a new story about money, which produces a new mindset.

2. The world your heirs are inheriting is vastly different than the one you grew up in.

Let go of fixed beliefs about scarcity and relinquish any controlling, manipulative mechanisms for how heirs receive and spend money.

3. It’s not just money that is being transferred it’s a mindset you’re transferring.

A mindset is a set of beliefs. Inheritances are determined by beliefs about money, love, and life. If your beliefs are limiting, your gift is tainted.

10 Steps to Make the Most of It

To ensure your inheritance is transferred efficiently, with love, and is in alignment with your heirs’ wishes, here are 10 steps to make the most of The Great Wealth Transfer:

Education

Understanding the basics of financial planning, tax implications, and estate laws is essential for you and your heirs.

Consult Financial Professionals

Interview three or more professional financial advisors before choosing one. Make sure they are ideally suited for your assets and aligned with your intentions to create a comprehensive wealth transfer plan.

Consult Estate Attorney

The same interview process applies to choosing an estate attorney. Seek professional guidance on drafting a will, setting up trusts, and other legal mechanisms for wealth transfer.

Open Family Conversations

Discuss your beliefs about money, aging, and inheritance plans with family members to set clear expectations and a smooth transition of assets.

Comprehensive Will

To avoid future disputes, clearly identify and define who inherits what.Regularly review and update your will, especially after major life events.

Consider Trusts

Trusts can offer a way to pass on wealth while potentially reducing estate taxes. Trusts can also ensure family members with special needs are properly cared for.

Gifting Assets

Strategies like funding education accounts or giving annual tax-free gifts are beneficial to heirs. However, it is important to understand the potential tax risks and tax benefits of gifting assets before death.

Review Beneficiaries

Update information to ensure the beneficiaries listed on insurance policies, retirement accounts, and other assets are current.

Address Debts and Taxes

Prepare and understand your debt strategy. You don’t want heirs to inherit your debts or be hit with excessively large taxes.

Digital Assets

Be sure to list any digital assets. This means documenting all online accounts, digital assets, and their respective passwords.

One Size Does Not Fit All

This article and the accompanying video are not intended to serve as financial advice. Nor are these 10 steps a one-size-fits-all approach to The Great Wealth Transfer.

Decisions concerning inheritances, whether they are given or received, require proper planning and oversight of a licensed professional.

Whether you are gifting money and assets to family, friends, or a charity, keep in mind this is a legacy exchange. Make sure your choices align with your values and intentions.

I invite you to join me in the video where I will share additional insights along with six journal prompts to help you integrate what you’re learning.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How do you prepare for and approach inheritances, such as those referenced in The Great Wealth Transfer? Have you set up all proper documentation? What else might you need to do

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Realizations I Need to Share on My 65th Birthday

Realizations I Need to Share on My 65th Birthday

Hello, I’m Nancy Lang Gibbs, and I just turned 65. And I’m wondering if the more I say it, and write it, the more it will begin to feel real?!

The day I saw “Nancy’s 65th birthday” on my computer calendar I honestly took a double take, and if there had been a speech bubble over my tilted head it would have said, “Whose 65th birthday?!” Seeing the visual of my name next to that number did not compute.

And I’m sure I’m not alone! This is why I’m passionate about rallying together all of us women in later life to discover how to love this time of life regardless of societal messages, and to become more aware of our internal ones as well.

Is Getting Older Easy?

Nope! And you could say that about any age!

We are all getting older. My baby grandsons are trying to sit up without falling over. Young kids beginning school are figuring out how to make new friends, college grads are faced with making a life for themselves. No matter our age, we all face challenges, fears, new stages… and new opportunities!

I will say, however, that society doesn’t make it easy. I get very frustrated with each commercial espousing how to fight aging and look younger as though getting older is a disease! Especially for women.

The Messages Are All Around Us

If we don’t use this cream and wear that make-up to hide all our “imperfections” then we won’t look beautiful. And it’s not just societal messages, it often comes from our friend and familial circles as well.

I’ll never forget one time when my grandma was visiting, and I didn’t wear any makeup that day. That night we got dressed to go out, so I put make-up on and when she saw me, she said, “Is this the same girl?” To be fair, she wasn’t intentionally trying to insult me, we’re all just so conditioned as to what ‘pretty’ is, that we pass these messages on from generation to generation.

And what begins as generational messages, can end up being believed as the truth.

Keeping Hold of Who We Are

As we enter our 50s, 60s and older, we get to a stage of life when many of us begin to feel invisible. We often don’t get the compliments we once did which can lead to feeling less attractive. Also, we can begin to feel less valued because our wisdom doesn’t seem to be as important as the influencers on social media.

We can lose sight of our beauty and importance because, perhaps, we unknowingly rely on external sources to fuel our fire, versus trusting our knowing to emanate from the fire in our belly.

This quote from Maria Shriver really resonates with me: “The truth is, we all want someone to see the jewel that is inside of us. We all long to be seen as valuable, no matter how old we are. And we work hard trying to get others to recognize our value, our worth, so often giving them the power to decide if we are, in fact, jewels to be cherished. But that power is actually our own. It’s yours. Don’t give it away.”

Yes!!

Here’s the thing: feeling appreciated, and hearing that we are valued and loved is a beautiful thing, and we’ve got to, got to, got to recognize and acknowledge it within ourselves first. We’ve got to love ourselves and know our worth without needing to hear it from anyone else; because if we don’t, we are giving our power away. And we cannot give others that power.

Prior to turning 65 last month, I had a sudden impetus to write, and what came out of me was completely unexpected. I have never been prouder of anything I’ve ever written. I have never, ever written anything like it, and it became the 95th episode that is now the most listened to episode of my podcast Loving Later Life. It is called, “Spoken Word Poetry of Birthday Thoughts & Wishes Gone Wild as I Officially Become a Senior.”

If you click on that link you can listen to it from the play bar on the website page. You can also find it on whatever podcast platform you prefer.

I hope that you listen (not because I’m looking for external praise!), but because from all reports, it encompasses parts of all of us, and I want to share it with as many people as possible. So please feel free to share and to follow the podcast if you’d like.

No one else can provide the level of pride and love that we can give to ourselves. And it’s never too late. We have the power. Anything is possible. At any age.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you turned 65 yet? How does it feel to be a senior? What does it mean to you? How does it affect your life?

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