Welcome to Lesson 22! Today we are covering p.67-68 plus a couple bonus Thanksgiving songs! If you are following me on my timeline, it’s November, the month to think about, and to express, gratitude.

Since starting a gratitude practice about four years ago, I have noticed that I am generally happier, calmer and more trusting. Many health organizations such as the CDC report that “Practicing gratitude every day can improve your physical and emotional well-being” and can “reduce stress.” NBC news reports that a daily gratitude practice can “train your brain to be happier.”

I started by buying a gratitude journal, but now write a few sentences in my daily planner. Each morning I write a positive affirmation, starting with “Today I…” and following it with something like “…am calm and content, walk with self-assurance, feel love all around me…” etc.

Next, I complete a sentence starting with the words “Today I look forward to….” my walk, playing the piano for 10 minutes, reading my book, cooking breakfast… etc.

Finally, I write about something I am grateful for. It might be something about my life such as my job, or my family. Or it might be something simple or impermanent such as, “I am grateful for…” the beautiful sunrise, a conversation I had with my friend, my good health, my love of music, the rain, a rabbit I saw on my hike, a full night’s sleep….

Then, in the evening, health experts suggest, we write down one to three good things that happened in the day; I usually write my three things in my planner before bed. It’s amazing to see how many nice things happen during the course of our day, when we take the time to notice them.

As we have discussed before in Lessons 16 and 18, when we really want to get good at something, we must make it a habit. By writing about gratitude every day, I have gotten into the habit of seeing beauty all around me, and noticing when good things are happening. This practice has helped me to lighten up, and to feel more content with my life.

Cultivating internal gratitude also helps to prevent us from feeling overwhelmed by the pain and sadness in the world. OK let’s begin Lesson 22!

22.1 Gratitude!

Please watch my introduction to Lesson 22 for some thoughts about expressing gratitude through some new songs:

22.2 For He’s/She’s a Jolly Good Fellow! p.67

I love this song that we sing all over the western world at birthdays, retirement parties, anniversaries, and other occasions when we want to celebrate and appreciate someone. It’s one of the most prominent songs sung in film and we love to raise a glass in tribute as we croon!

A great way to evoke gratitude is through playing music. To express my gratitude, I am giving you some free American Thanksgiving sheet music!

22.3 An American Classic: Over the River and Through the Woods

If you are American, you might enjoy playing the Thanksgiving song we sang in childhood, Over the River and Through the Woods. I have posted this quintessential Thanksgiving favon my Sixty and Me “Free Lessons” page. Click here to print: Over the River and Through the Woods (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

A couple of the left-hand chords will be unfamiliar, so feel free to write in the letters on the left side of (not below) each note. Writing the letters next to the notes helps the brain to associate the note names with the locations of those notes.

22.4 Simple Gifts (‘Tis A Gift to be Simple) p.85

Whatever your nationality, you might enjoy playing Simple Gifts, a simply beautiful Shaker hymn on p.85 of your Upper Hands Piano, BOOK 1. Even though Simple Gifts is far ahead in your book, you can play it now, as it is a lovely song about appreciating the simple things in life and adapting to life’s challenges.

If you are a little more advanced, you can also print and play my intermediate arrangement of Simple Gifts from my recent BLOG POST.

Passion Practice

1. Exercise #4 – Play in E and B with each hand. Try playing it using a metronome set to 3/4 time, at whatever tempo (speed) you can play it without pausing.
2. For He’s/She’s a Jolly Good Fellow p.67 – Watch my demonstration video 22.2 above then practice the song slowly.
3. Chord Calisthenics #4, Appendix viii – Play the minor triads from Cm to Bm as whole notes, with each hand. After you learn Em and Bm, use a metronome and hold each chord (Cm-Bm) for 4 beats at around 70 bpm. Record yourself to make sure you are staying on the beat!
4. Simple Gifts, p.85 – If you have time, start practicing Simple Gifts on p.85 to play for Thanksgiving. If it is past Thanksgiving for you now, or if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in your region, you can play this song whenever you would like. I posted a demonstration video above.
5. Do the Musical Mind Games on p.68. You can find the answers to the word scramble here. Play the random notes in the middle forward and backward. Then try the memory boosting game in the box.
6. Over the River and Through the Woods – Most Americans will know this childhood fav, but if you’re not American you might still enjoy playing it! You can find the sheet music at the bottom of this page.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in your part of the world? What are you thankful for? For me, listening to and playing music is uplifting, and it makes me feel deeply grateful for all the good in my life. Which songs or pieces evoke feelings of gratitude for you?

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Originally posted at: Kyle Richards’ Black Mesh Layered Workout Tank

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Click Here for Her Dress in Black

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Originally posted at: Garcelle Beauvais’ Pink Shirt Dress and Purse

I am sure you have heard someone comment: “Let her be, at her age she can do whatever she wants!” We usually hear these comments when we spend more time watching television than exercising, or indulge in lifestyle choices that may not necessarily support our health.

The rationale behind these comments is that after 60 and more years of life, it may be too late to develop new healthy habits. Moreover, if we have been taking care of ourselves all along, then at this point being “bad” really won’t make a difference. And truth be told, people use this as an excuse to justify their own unhealthy behaviors. Perhaps you have as well?

Never Too Late to Develop Healthier Habits

The good news is that it is never “too late” to be proactive and develop healthier habits. Developing healthy habits is increasingly important as we age and lifestyle choices that were not all that risky when we were in our 30s may be very much so in our 60s and beyond.

Poor Nutrition Can Be Undone

This “never too late” philosophy is especially true when it comes to our nutrition, which is the foundation of our health. We need to remember that no matter how old we are, or how unhealthy our diets may have been, developing healthier eating habits can undo much of the health damage a poor diet may have done.

While developing healthier eating habits earlier is, of course, the best course, improving our diets can still add years to our lives. In fact, switching to a Mediterranean-type diet could extend life expectancy by up to nine years!

Starting with Exercise at 60

Another “it’s too late” myth that we need to toss out the window is the idea that we cannot improve our physical fitness. We can get more fit at any age! Of course, starting physical activity in our 60s will not give us back the bodies that we had in our 20s or 30s (let’s be realistic here). But we can increase our muscle strength if we make the effort.

At the very least we can improve our endurance and get stronger. This will help everything from our balance to managing our blood pressure and weight.

If you consider that less than half of us get the recommended 150 minutes of aerobic exercise and that less than 20 percent of us do the recommended two times a week strength training, this is clearly an opportunity for us to develop a new healthy habit! Of course, set reasonable expectations here – we want to set ourselves up for success – and always talk with your doctor before putting on your sneakers.

The Benefits Are Many

In addition to helping manage your blood pressure, heart health and weight, developing healthier habits brings a wealth of benefits. For example, in one study by the renowned Johns Hopkins University, participants aged 44 to 84 who made good-for-you changes decreased their risk of death in the study’s time period by 80 percent.

Another study suggested boomers who develop healthier habits, even in later years, are more likely to live well into the 90s. And, of course, we can’t overlook the boost to our self-confidence and general sense of wellbeing that developing healthier habits can give us.

The 21-Day Myth

Before giving you some suggestions on how to develop new health habits, I want to dispel the popular myth that it takes 21 days of doing something before it becomes a habit. The reality is that it can take up to three months to fully break an unwanted habit or develop a new one.

The key word here is “can,” since some habits are relatively easy and quick to change while others may take longer. Some things that can affect this time include how the habit may meet emotional needs, how long we’ve had the habit, whether we have support in breaking or developing a new habit (for example, quitting smoking or drinking is more successful when we do it as part of a group), and whether there is any “reward” from engaging in the habit (for example, stress reduction, euphoria or a sense of wellbeing).

5 Tips to Replacing a Habit

Here are 5 suggestions that may help you ditch an unhealthy habit and replace it with a new, healthier one.

Have a Clear Reason to Get Started

Be clear why you want to change the bad habit over the longer term. For example, “I want to lose ten pounds before my anniversary” can be self-defeating since once the anniversary passes, so does the reason.

Set Specific, Achievable Goals

Set specific tangible goals that are challenging but that you can achieve. An example of a nonspecific goal is “I want to do yoga” while a specific goal is “I am going to do morning yoga three times a week.”

Know Your Current Habits

Get to know your routines and habits as well as what triggers them. For example, if television watching at night “triggers” binge eating or reading the news in the morning “triggers” delaying your walk, then you can rearrange your schedule and activities to reduce the triggers.

Start Small and Then Build from There

If you haven’t walked in years, don’t start out by doing a 5K marathon. This will not only be discouraging, but you can also hurt yourself!

Be Ready for Setbacks

Remember that developing new, healthier habits is not an “all or nothing” proposition. We are all humans and we all stumble. So, we need to be ready for when we do. Rather than throwing in the proverbial towel, try to learn from the setback so you can avoid it in the future.

Try New Ways to Be Proactive with Your Health

It’s also important to introduce new things to keep healthy and improve your sense of wellbeing as you develop healthier habits. I have added some innovative, alternative practices to my health regime. Such changes should only be made after consulting with your personal healthcare practitioner.

I am a big fan of red-light therapy – also known as RLT. This therapy does not just involve a light that is tinted red. ​​Red-light therapy is a form of low-level laser therapy. During a session, the light delivers wavelengths of natural red and near infrared light. It’s like the wavelengths you get from sunlight without the harmful UV rays. There is some evidence that red light therapy helps with sleep. I know I have slept better since starting this form of therapy.

I am also a proponent of making sure we are giving our bodies the nutrients they need and in the right amounts (which is also why I always recommend getting regular nutrient tests). Once I am aware of my deficiencies, I identify the foods from which I can obtain the nutrients as well as quality supplements with the help of my doctor.

Make the decision to be the healthiest you can be and get started by developing some new, healthier habits!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you ever tried to break any unhealthy habits and develop new ones? If so, what where they? Were you successful? If so, how did you do it? Did you work with your doctor or others to change the habit? If you weren’t successful, what did you learn and will you try again? Please join the conversation.

If you are experiencing some kind of life transition, you may be eager to get settled into your new phase. It might be leaving full-time work, or living alone for the first time in years, or having to adapt to new physical conditions. No matter the reason, life changes may be a time to reassess your sense of self and approach to life.

I had a recent conversation with a woman about how to create a revised life that is more fulfilling and satisfying. She asked me how she can know what she really wants out of all the possibilities and her perceived limits. That’s a very good question that requires a thorough response. Here we go!

“Thinking” That You Know

Knowing is more than what you ‘think’, literally. For example, when I left full-time teaching, I planned to teach courses part-time and enjoy more personal time freedom. I was doing what seemed “logical.” That lasted for about three months. I had entered a new phase of life, and I was dragging around remnants of my old life. The result? I was disengaged and bored. Of course, those feelings carried over into my freedom. I knew I needed a different approach.

I learned that I needed to draw on my inner self, not just my thinking about what seemed logical at the moment. Earlier this year, a newly retired, professionally successful client sent me a bullet point list of the activities she had in mind for herself upon retirement. This list was created by thinking about what to do next.

After several months together, she created a life full of personal meaning based on expanded relationships and creativity, with some of the bulleted items serving as support. The bullet points missed the mark. She needed time to listen to herself deeply.

I’ve called this deeper knowing “listening to your inner wisdom.” But how do you do that?

Not Knowing Is Perfect

The first step is to allow yourself to live without knowing. If you have recently entered a new phase of life, of course you don’t know yet what you truly want. Our first reaction is to fill that void and try to get clarity as quickly as possible. I invite you to do the opposite!

Be an explorer. Be curious. How can you create a map of a territory you have not yet explored? As you explore, give yourself time for daydreaming and self-care. Notice what you notice in your reading and in the people and events that enter your life. If you hear a fleeting, “I’d love to try this,” why not try it? Notice what feels like guidance. Give yourself spaciousness, rather than limits. It is seldom in life we take such significant time for ourselves.

Exploration is not floating through life aimlessly. Your aim is to hear yourself and feel what you feel. You know you want fulfillment; you are allowing yourself to know what supports that for you. It is not copying what others are doing; it is not taking counsel from “experts.” You are your own expert.

Stand at Your Portal

As you allow yourself the opening to explore, at some point you will realize that you do have a sense of what you truly desire. Some women have called this standing at their portal. It is like you are at an opening looking out on the life you choose to create from where you are. Some women can describe their portal in detail, even how it smells. For some, it is like looking at an extensive, beautiful landscape. Simply notice that you are standing at the opening.

This is an exciting time because you can feel what is ahead for you, even if it isn’t completely clear yet. Sometimes it helps to write or draw what comes to you. Perhaps you may describe a partner, or a home, or a lifestyle, or something you are creating. Once I knew I did desire to be married, I drew the great room and view that we have from our home… a year before I ever met him!

One Step, Then Another

So, now, at last, it is time to take action in the direction you choose. After all, a portal is for walking through, right?

Once again, this is not yet a project plan. It is asking yourself every day what you can do to move toward what you are creating. Notice if you feel fear or try to tell yourself there is some reason you should not go forward. If thoughts begin to stop you, go back and stand at your portal. You deserve to live the life you want.

Small steps might be exploring dating services, or visiting an area where you may want to live. It might be joining a group to meet others who share your interests. It might be going to a bank to explore financial options or finding a source for volunteer or part-time work opportunities. Think of this as finding support along the way.

Each step will lead to the next step if you keep asking yourself what is next each day. As you move forward, you will find that support for your journey will present itself. Open yourself to being aware of the support around you.

Trust

Finally, trust yourself. Trust life to offer what you need. Trust that you will live with fulfillment.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

I’d love to hear about how you have approached life transitions. What has worked for you? Have you ever noticed how what you need next appears at the right time? Are you going through a transition now?