It’s nice to know that we’re living in a time where getting cosmetic procedures done like plastic surgery is no longer looked down upon (It shouldn’t be! Do what makes you the most confident! Especially if it’s safe and done by a medical professional!) But for some, going under the knife isn’t in the cards, and finding alternatives that work similarly is like finding a needle in a haystack—nearly impossible to do, but glorious when it occurs.

So, we’re overjoyed to say that one of those needles is on sale. It’s the L’Oreal Paris Collagen Moisturizer, and thanks to Amazon’s huge Holiday Beauty Haul event where so many beloved products have slashed-down prices, it’s discounted for just $13. Now, this nearly 35% discount is no joke, and it’s clear the retailer knows this, because the markdown only lasts for the day.

RELATED: Jennifer Aniston Uses This Tatcha Lip Product To Get Her Plump Pout

Making timely decisions is tough, but we’re here to help you. Here’s a bit more about this beloved moisturizer: The day and night cream was generated to feed your skin “intense hydration” that will, according to the brand, “fill in the appearance of lines and wrinkles and helps restore moisture for smoother, plumper skin.”

Now, we know that marketing lingo can be a bit overstated, but reviewers seem to back up all of the above claims. In fact, more than 4,000 shoppers have given the product a perfect five-star rating.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

L’Oreal Paris Skincare Collagen Face Moisturizer

Courtesy: L’Oreal Paris.

In fact, one reviewer who used to rely on botox to minimize the appearance of their wrinkles, said this moisturizer replaced their need for the procedure entirely.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year, I am deeply aware of my own journey, as this year marks my 20^th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. When diagnosed with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) at the age of 47, I was happily raising three children under the age of 18.

I Had Two Choices

At the time, I was living in Florida. After being given options and seeking numerous opinions, I had the choice of having a partial mastectomy, which would mean that I would have to have chemotherapy and radiation, or have a total mastectomy and reconstruction without any other treatment.

I opted for the latter. I chose the best specialist on the West coast who handles my type of cancer. The surgery itself was uneventful, however it caused an emotional upheaval and occasional panic attacks.

Emotional Impact

Despite the wisdom shared by loved ones, such as telling me that I was beautiful and that it was an early stage of cancer and very treatable, the trauma of losing a breast – a vital maternal female marker – the experience touched me emotionally. I loved and cherished every part of my body and would have to get used to the ‘new me’.

Journaling Helped Me Recover

From the moment I was diagnosed, to recuperating in post-op recovery, my journal became my best friend and confidant. Coincidentally, my plastic surgeon knew I was a writer. He inspired me to chronicle my journey and share it with him.

My surgeon thought it would help him understand a journey about which so few women are able to write. I religiously wrote every morning and sporadically, at other times of the day, when I needed to express myself.

Essentially, my journal helped me navigate my breast cancer journey as I recorded my insights, fears, and dreams. I also wrote poetry. Some months later, one of the poems was published.

Robbed Twice

The day after the doctor

cut off my breast

I got on the phone

to my therapist

who told me to give

myself some time

to figure out who I am

after being slashed by the knife.

On the Journey Once Again

In 2006, at a routine five-year checkup, my oncologist detected large amounts of protein in my blood. He suspected multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer. To confirm this diagnosis, he ordered a bone marrow biopsy.

There are different types of myeloma, and like my breast cancer, my myeloma was picked up early. Since I have no physical symptoms with the exception of abnormal blood cells, my diagnosis for the past 15 years has been called, ‘smoldering myeloma.’

Since I don’t have physical symptoms, I do not need treatment, but must get my bloodwork monitored every three months. There is no cure for this type of cancer, there is only treatment. It’s rarer in women, especially when diagnosed as young as 52. People are often diagnosed later in life.

Writing for Self-Care and Helping Others

While I have been journaling about both cancers, I feel that breast cancer is behind me. Going forward I do all I can to help stay healthy, including writing for self-care.

I was not planning on writing publicly about my cancer journey. Many of my friends and colleagues urged me to do so, as a way to help others navigate their own journey. Through my journal entries, I was able to write a self-help memoir.

In 2010, I published Healing with Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey. In addition to chronicling my journey and offering writing prompts, I included poems I’d written referencing my cancer.

Support Is Key

Writing continues to help me and my readers. Reading other people’s stories and memoirs can help us feel supported and less alone. While my multiple myeloma story is not finished, I can safely call myself a breast cancer survivor.

Some other important books written in this vein include: Dangerous Boobies by Caitlin Brodnick, The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs, The Middle Place by Kellie Corrigan, Flat by Catherine Gutherie, and Twisting Fate by Pamela Munster, MD.

There have been numerous celebrities who have come out to discuss their breast cancer journey, including Sheryl Crow, Christina Applegate, Melissa Etheridge, Suzanne Somers, Sandra Lee, Olivia Newton-John, and Betsy Johnson.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with breast cancer and would like to start journaling, here are some writing prompts taken from Healing with Words:

• Write about the moment you were told you have or might have breast cancer. What was flooding through your mind?
• Describe your first meeting with your oncologist.
• What was most healing for you during your breast cancer journey?

Have you had a breast cancer diagnosis? What were your first thoughts? What treatment options were you offered, and what did you choose? Are you happy with your life post-cancer?

It’s nice to know that we’re living in a time where getting cosmetic procedures done like plastic surgery is no longer looked down upon (It shouldn’t be! Do what makes you the most confident! Especially if it’s safe and done by a medical professional!) But for some, going under the knife isn’t in the cards, and finding alternatives that work similarly is like finding a needle in a haystack—nearly impossible to do, but glorious when it occurs.

So, we’re overjoyed to say that one of those needles is on sale. It’s the L’Oreal Paris Collagen Moisturizer, and thanks to Amazon’s huge Holiday Beauty Haul event where so many beloved products have slashed-down prices, it’s discounted for just $13. Now, this nearly 35% discount is no joke, and it’s clear the retailer knows this, because the markdown only lasts for the day.

RELATED: Jennifer Aniston Uses This Tatcha Lip Product To Get Her Plump Pout

Making timely decisions is tough, but we’re here to help you. Here’s a bit more about this beloved moisturizer: The day and night cream was generated to feed your skin “intense hydration” that will, according to the brand, “fill in the appearance of lines and wrinkles and helps restore moisture for smoother, plumper skin.”

Now, we know that marketing lingo can be a bit overstated, but reviewers seem to back up all of the above claims. In fact, more than 4,000 shoppers have given the product a perfect five-star rating.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

L’Oreal Paris Skincare Collagen Face Moisturizer

Courtesy: L’Oreal Paris.

In fact, one reviewer who used to rely on botox to minimize the appearance of their wrinkles, said this moisturizer replaced their need for the procedure entirely.

It’s nice to know that we’re living in a time where getting cosmetic procedures done like plastic surgery is no longer looked down upon (It shouldn’t be! Do what makes you the most confident! Especially if it’s safe and done by a medical professional!) But for some, going under the knife isn’t in the cards, and finding alternatives that work similarly is like finding a needle in a haystack—nearly impossible to do, but glorious when it occurs.

So, we’re overjoyed to say that one of those needles is on sale. It’s the L’Oreal Paris Collagen Moisturizer, and thanks to Amazon’s huge Holiday Beauty Haul event where so many beloved products have slashed-down prices, it’s discounted for just $13. Now, this nearly 35% discount is no joke, and it’s clear the retailer knows this, because the markdown only lasts for the day.

RELATED: Jennifer Aniston Uses This Tatcha Lip Product To Get Her Plump Pout

Making timely decisions is tough, but we’re here to help you. Here’s a bit more about this beloved moisturizer: The day and night cream was generated to feed your skin “intense hydration” that will, according to the brand, “fill in the appearance of lines and wrinkles and helps restore moisture for smoother, plumper skin.”

Now, we know that marketing lingo can be a bit overstated, but reviewers seem to back up all of the above claims. In fact, more than 4,000 shoppers have given the product a perfect five-star rating.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

L’Oreal Paris Skincare Collagen Face Moisturizer

Courtesy: L’Oreal Paris.

In fact, one reviewer who used to rely on botox to minimize the appearance of their wrinkles, said this moisturizer replaced their need for the procedure entirely.

When it comes to the power of your imagination, consider Albert Einstein’s famous quote, when he said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”

What if you gave yourself the encouragement and the permission to imagine a new way of living right now? What if you tapped into the power of your childhood imagination by feeling into the freedom that comes from venturing down a new path at this stage of your life?

Perhaps you have thought of doing so recently but fearing what others say you can be or do at your age has stifled your enthusiasm.

If the path you have been on no longer feels aligned to who you are in this now of nows, I am here to say you have the right to improvise and make timely adjustments when and where it matters most to you.

It all starts by restoring and reconnecting with the power of your childhood imagination. But what if it has been so long since you did this you have forgotten how to access that part of yourself?

Undo a Fixed Mindset

Given how most Baby Boomers were raised to see ourselves in the mirror of life, the most unseen person in our world is often the inner child, who is still hiding inside of us. That person is ready to shine brightly now.

If you are ready to reconnect with your inner child’s imagination, you will want to release yourself from any lingering shame or limiting beliefs that may still be dimming your inner light as a result of a fixed mindset.

A fixed mindset is established through rules that are often harsh, aimed at controlling behaviors that come naturally to children, such as curiosity and imagination. This often produces inner turmoil, self-doubt, and even emotional trauma that most children are ill equipped to understand and process.

In whatever ways this may have shown up for you, it is likely where your inner child lost his/her connection to the power of imagination.

Why Is This Important for Those of Us Over 60 to Be Aware of?

Fighting change is what limits the power of your imagination. When you are aware of this, you can swiftly and gracefully ease out of a fixed mindset by restoring your connection with the power of your childhood imagination.

Here, then, are five essential steps to help you do just that.

5 Steps to Restore the Power of Your Childhood Imagination

IMAGINE Taking the Path of Least Resistance to Whatever It Is You Desire

For generations people have been educated, trained, and motivated to work really hard to get what they desire.

To break free from fixed beliefs about how things should be, you will want to create easy and fulfilling experiences that do not require struggle. This starts with accessing your childhood imagination more regularly because it naturally operates without limits.

IMAGINE Your Satisfaction as You Joyously Engage in What You Desire

Make this priority #1 in your life. If this sounds selfish, it is because of how most of our generation was raised as people pleasers.

While there is great fulfillment in being a positive light in other people’s lives, if we do not focus on our satisfaction and well-being first, not only does our inner light dim, but our inner child remains neglected. Your childhood imagination, therefore, illuminates the path that yields a sustainable level of satisfaction.

IMAGINE You Are Your Own Authority on What Is Possible

Unlike your early years, you don’t need some great authority figure to grant you permission to change your life. You also do not need a special degree or certification to prove you are worthy of unlocking the power of your imagination.

As you naturally did as a child, fearlessly embrace the full authenticity of who you are at this point in your life. Give yourself permission to dream and imagine a new path without limits.

IMAGINE How Your Life Will Improve

What if you gave yourself the encouragement and permission to improvise, and even to fail without feeling shame? How would that change your life?

Imagine the feeling of freedom that comes from venturing down a new path at this stage of your life and then journal about the experience. If this is a challenge at first, be sure to ask your inner child what she wants to do and indulge her deepest desires.

IMAGINE What You Could Accomplish

Give yourself permission to consider what your life and experiences in the world would be like if you allowed yourself to follow your heart (without limits). To help with this, quiet the inner critic, detach from limiting beliefs of a fixed mindset and allow your childhood imagination to show you the way.

Have you struggled in your quest to fulfill your dreams after 60? Do you think limiting beliefs and a fixed mindset caused your struggles? How have you reconnected with the power of your childhood imagination. Please share the results with the community!