It’s hard to get to retirement age without having been wronged or hurt at some time in our life. No matter the infraction, some individuals can forgive easily and move on with their life. But there are others of us who continue to hold a grudge.

Without forgiveness, resentment and/or anger can take over our thoughts at any time when certain triggers bring up the offensive event. At the later stage of our life, when we’re attempting to get everything ready for our passing, we should consider adding forgiveness to that planning list.

I spend a good deal of my time trying to educate and inform people about being prepared for their death. My focus is usually on making sure financial and personal information is readily available for loved ones.

But preparedness for our passing involves more than just writing down our financial information. Intangibles such as downsizing, reconciliations and forgiveness are just as important.

Why Forgive?

Forgiveness is for our benefit, not the person who wronged us. The person who abused us, cheated on us or betrayed us in some way probably doesn’t care if they are forgiven or not.

If the offense was serious enough in our mind, and we cannot seem to let it go, it will continue to make us feel like we are a victim. We carry around this burden which can foster into resentment, anger and hate.

The act of forgiving allows us to move on with our life. Forgiveness heals our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. If we can embrace forgiveness of others, we allow peace, hope, gratitude and joy to enter our life in place of the anger.

How to Forgive

In order to forgive, we should first recognize that forgiveness does not mean you want reconciliation. Even if reconciliation is a goal of the forgiveness, it is not guaranteed.

To move forward with forgiveness, you must first make the decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge and anger. Think about the event that has consumed your thoughts from the other person’s point of view.

We are all just humans who make mistakes and bad judgements. Could the infraction have been unintentional? Time and a different perspective can help you to grant forgiveness. However, if you believe the hurt caused to you was deliberate, then you may need to rely on empathy and compassion to forgive.

An On-Going Process

Forgiveness is not an easy process. After months or years of carrying around hurt and resentment, just deciding one day to forgive doesn’t make everything disappear overnight. It’s our thoughts that keep the hurt alive. If we allow past events to enter our thoughts, forgiveness will not be complete.

We most likely will need to revisit and forgive numerous times before hurtful memories cease to overtake our lives. If we truly want to forgive and continually go through the process of forgiveness until our anger and resentment have all but disappeared, we will be able to move on to more positive parts of our life and, hopefully, live a more peaceful existence.

Do you find it easy to forgive others? In your preparedness for end of life, have you considered some intangibles like reconciliations and forgiveness? Have you ever thoroughly forgiven someone for a hurtful incident? If so, did you feel more peaceful after you forgave? Do you find it hard or easy to forgive? Please join the conversation below!

After several months trodding and tearing up your feet in sandals, I think we can all agree that our feet need a little bit of extra TLC. From running around in gritty sand to 5-mile-long hikes in the wilderness, our feet take a lot of abuse in the summer — more abuse than a single pedicure can fix. And with the end of the summer weeks away, there’s no time to waste in a salon. For that reason, we have some of the best foot masks on deck to make our self-care sesh a lot more convenient, but equally effective. They’re easy to throw in your carry-on, so you can even take them on vacation with you.

Like hand masks, foot mittens aren’t exactly necessary. You can always slather your skin in Vaseline or some other heavy ointment when flaking and ash become an issue. It’s also way more affordable than investing in a special treatment. But that’s just it: they’re not special. And as far as we’re concerned, you deserve special things…like a nourishing foot mask that forces you to put your feet up and stay hydrated from head-to-toe, literally.

There are peels that take days to kick in, but ultimately shed skin beyond belief. You’ll feel like a snake. The foot peels are so effective that you’re going to want to wear socks for a few days—trust us, it’ll mean less mess and be less gross that way. If you want something a little less intense, there’s heavy-duty lotions that work best with overnight use. Ahead are options for both.

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. Aliver and Target are STYLECASTER sponsors, however, all products in this article were independently selected by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Courtesy of ALIVER.

Lavender Foot Mask

Our feet might be one of the most under-appreciated parts of our bodies. Give your feet their own self-care moment with this lavender foot mask set. You leave the mask on for 50-90 minutes and then wait 5-7 for the magic peeling to happen. You’ll be able to slide across the floor Risky Business-style with your newly smooth feet.

Buy: Foot Peel Mask 3 Pack $9.99

Amazon.

TikTok-Famous Foot Peel

This Amazon top-seller has long held cult-favorite status for its ability to literally strip the foot of every and any flake. The magic sauce is a mix of 17 botanicals—all naturally-derived—that work over a period of days to shed the skin.

Buy: Baby Foot – Original Foot Peel Exfoliator $25

Tony Moly.

K-Beauty Pick

Like the Baby Foot Peel, this K-beauty, liquid-based mask uses vegetable ingredients to remove keratin, flakes and dryness after 7 days of use.

Patchology.

Chemical Peel Option

Proof that chemical acids aren’t just for the face, this next-level foot mask includes a mix of AHAs and BHAs that work together to exfoliate both top and deep layers of the skin.

Karuna.

2-in-1 Foot Mask

A face mask and serum, but for your feet. This option also includes an AHA blend for gentle exfoliation—aka getting rid of flakes—and floral extracts for smoothing.

Buy: Karuna Exfoliating+ Foot Mask $38

Courtesy of Sephora.

Budget-Friendly Foot Mask

Affordable and effective? We can’t think of a better combo. The coconut in this footie will soothe dryness and nourish your skin.

LUSH Cosmetics.

Clay Foot Mask

If like us, you’re obsessed with the purifying properties of kaolin clay, this all-natural, part-pumice foot mask is definitely for you. It also contains a gang of other nourishing food-grade ingredients, including papaya, lemon juice and tomato.

Kocostar.

 Botanical-Packed Mask

Besides the super-sized mix of 33 botanical extracts that’ll go to work on your poor, tired feet, the mint scent makes for an ideal pick-me-up too.

Buy: Kocostar Foot Therapy $10

Sol de Janiero.

Coolest Foot Mask

Complete with a smoothing board for minimizing stubborn calluses, this cream is infused with coconut oil, acai and cupuaçu butter, a water-soluble Brazilian super fruit, that makes application non-slippery.

ThisWorks.

Soothing Rescue Balm

In addition to lemon and lavender for light exfoliation and treating irritation, the cotton thistle—another deeply-penetrating moisturizer—also disguises odor.

Buy: thisworks perfect heels rescue balm $26

Sally Hansen.

Super Moisturizing Mask

Want relief for your dry feet? Reach for this single-use mask. Infused with nut butters and Vitamin E, this mask will chase away dry skin.

This story was originally published in 2019.

As the daylight begins to shorten and the evenings have a crisper feel to the air, I realize I have some symptoms of PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Winter is coming, and Covid-19 variants are now looming to threaten our ability to get out and about in the coming season.

News is scary, hospitals are filling up, and people are refusing vaccinations. It’s time to think over how to take care of myself as the days on the calendar march forward. I’m making these preparations and encourage you to consider making them too.

Shut Off Media

First, the news and outlook are so overwhelming that I’m aware it makes me feel down and out. I’m the type who needs to limit the news and its forecast of winter 2021. It may well be happening as they say, but then again, media has been known to exaggerate. I’m once again limiting my media intake.

Make a List

What helped me through last winter of being newly retired and shut in due to the Pandemic? I’m thinking this one through and will come up with a list. I know I started putting together puzzles, read tons of books, began regular Zoom chats with my brothers and sisters and concentrated on building my business of CourageDaily.com. I will do all that again and add to the list. What else?

What’s Your Hobby?

I’ve decided to go in the direction of my hobby of writing. I can invest in helpful courses and dedicate myself to a regular writing schedule.

What is your hobby? Can you perfect it by joining an online class or group? How about setting a regular time each day to devote to it? I suggest putting this time on your calendar and keeping it a priority.

When other things come up, you must turn them down during those times, as you have an appointment! That appointment is with yourself investing the time into something you love and want to perfect. It’s like having office hours. You are working during that specific time and are unavailable.

Invest Time in Friends

Now, as the days are still warm and the sun is out, I plan on continuing to build my friendships by meeting up for coffee on outdoor patios or walking around one of our beautiful Minnesota lakes. I won’t allow catastrophizing. That’s the doom and gloom I’m trying to avoid from media.

First, I need to be aware when that thinking is seeping into my day. When I catch that my emotions feel down, it’s one indicator that I’ve let stinking thinking dominate for a time. A stop sign needs to go up visually in my mind, as I stomp on the brakes of that type of thinking.

I choose to give the green light to being in the present, enjoying my friends, letting jokes and smiles be part of my day, and enjoying watching the hummingbirds come to the feeder on my deck! Plus, I’ll enjoy writing. My outlet and fun.

Explore a New Interest

Is there something you’ve wanted to explore, but just haven’t started yet? I think I’d like to watercolor paint. There are online classes I can take, and it seems like the right time to check into those. What is that something for you? The time to think of this is now, before the days turn darker and there’s a definite chill outside every day.

Do We Have to Talk About Exercise?

Exercise is like a shot of happiness. I can almost hear the groaning at that sentence! I know, I groan at this too! I’ve found that being guided through an online class works well for me. If you haven’t discovered the free exercise classes at Silver Sneakers, I urge you to check them out. They are so professional!

You will find classes that are live by Zoom (don’t worry, they can’t see you, but you can see the instructor). They also have on-demand classes where you can pull up any type of class, from Zumba to dance to weightlifting, and go through them whenever you decide it fits into your day. When I motivate myself to a 20-minute class, I feel better in my body, which helps my mental outlook.

Dreaming Helps

Dream. Covid-19 disrupted all our dreams! Vacations, exploring, visiting, hugging, were all put on hold last winter. But if we stop dreaming about what we might want to do someday, then a spark goes out in our life and we feel depressed.

Brush off those dreams that you put on hold and allow yourself to dream them again. I encourage the use of a vision board. To make one, you scroll through magazine pictures and pick out sayings or pictures that envision what you would like to take place.

Just the process of doing this is helpful. Putting pictures or sayings on a tagboard, then displaying them where you see them often enough to keep the dream alive, is healthy! Many of my vision board dreams have become reality over the years. I encourage you to try this.

Talk It Out

Talk to someone about how you feel. If this is helpful to you, please seek out a listening ear. Everybody in our whole world understands what we are going through. Find a friend, a counselor, or a coach good at listening. As you talk these feelings out, visualize that they are leaving you, and you have lightened your load.

If you can’t talk with someone, then write these feeling down. After writing them, tear up the paper into small pieces and throw it away. As you throw the shreds of paper, tell yourself (or say it out loud), “I’m letting these feelings go for today.” This can be magical and effective!

Repeat After Me

Have you ever heard the expression, garbage in garbage out? What you listen to, allow yourself to think over, and ruminate about, will come out and affect your well-being. If we believed this, we would change what we allow to roll over and over in our head. A great way of affecting what we think about is to find quotes, sayings, or affirmations to repeat.

I learned this as I went through a totally disruptive time in my life. When I read books, it seemed that some phrases popped off the pages and infused courage and strength. I copied those down and repeated them throughout my day. This practice gave me an incredible shot of strength and courage to get through those times.

If your source of strength is scriptures, self-help books, affirmations, or quotes, find the ones that speak to you. If you haven’t tried this, I challenge you today to find a few quotes or sayings that make you immediately feel stronger, then repeat them out loud throughout the day. Notice the change! Make it a healthy mental practice in your life.

You Should or You Could

Lower unreasonable expectations of yourself. I have lofty expectations, do you? Now that I’m retired, thoughts come to me that I should be doing something, almost anything different from what occupies my days.

I’ve decided to change the “should” to “could.” I could (write a book, remodel my house, become a weightlifter or some equally ridiculous thought), not I should. Let some of these expectations go and along with that let go of the guilt of something you can’t put your finger on.

The guilt is coming from the “shoulds.” Those dog-gone shoulds keep you feeling bad! To heck with them. You could and if you want to, you will.

The time is now to think ahead to our winter months and prepare. Be smart by being ready to create a healthy mental outlook no matter what we face this winter. Let’s all strengthen those healthy thinking muscles today before we need them, by practicing the ideas above.

Are you feeling PTSD about the coming winter? Are you preparing already or waiting until it’s here? Please share what has worked for you to give us more ideas to try.

After several months trodding and tearing up your feet in sandals, I think we can all agree that our feet need a little bit of extra TLC. From running around in gritty sand to 5-mile-long hikes in the wilderness, our feet take a lot of abuse in the summer — more abuse than a single pedicure can fix. And with the end of the summer weeks away, there’s no time to waste in a salon. For that reason, we have some of the best foot masks on deck to make our self-care sesh a lot more convenient, but equally effective. They’re easy to throw in your carry-on, so you can even take them on vacation with you.

Like hand masks, foot mittens aren’t exactly necessary. You can always slather your skin in Vaseline or some other heavy ointment when flaking and ash become an issue. It’s also way more affordable than investing in a special treatment. But that’s just it: they’re not special. And as far as we’re concerned, you deserve special things…like a nourishing foot mask that forces you to put your feet up and stay hydrated from head-to-toe, literally.

There are peels that take days to kick in, but ultimately shed skin beyond belief. You’ll feel like a snake. The foot peels are so effective that you’re going to want to wear socks for a few days—trust us, it’ll mean less mess and be less gross that way. If you want something a little less intense, there’s heavy-duty lotions that work best with overnight use. Ahead are options for both.

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. Aliver and Target are STYLECASTER sponsors, however, all products in this article were independently selected by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Courtesy of ALIVER.

Lavender Foot Mask

Our feet might be one of the most under-appreciated parts of our bodies. Give your feet their own self-care moment with this lavender foot mask set. You leave the mask on for 50-90 minutes and then wait 5-7 for the magic peeling to happen. You’ll be able to slide across the floor Risky Business-style with your newly smooth feet.

Buy: Foot Peel Mask 3 Pack $9.99

Amazon.

TikTok-Famous Foot Peel

This Amazon top-seller has long held cult-favorite status for its ability to literally strip the foot of every and any flake. The magic sauce is a mix of 17 botanicals—all naturally-derived—that work over a period of days to shed the skin.

Buy: Baby Foot – Original Foot Peel Exfoliator $25

Tony Moly.

K-Beauty Pick

Like the Baby Foot Peel, this K-beauty, liquid-based mask uses vegetable ingredients to remove keratin, flakes and dryness after 7 days of use.

Patchology.

Chemical Peel Option

Proof that chemical acids aren’t just for the face, this next-level foot mask includes a mix of AHAs and BHAs that work together to exfoliate both top and deep layers of the skin.

Karuna.

2-in-1 Foot Mask

A face mask and serum, but for your feet. This option also includes an AHA blend for gentle exfoliation—aka getting rid of flakes—and floral extracts for smoothing.

Buy: Karuna Exfoliating+ Foot Mask $38

Courtesy of Sephora.

Budget-Friendly Foot Mask

Affordable and effective? We can’t think of a better combo. The coconut in this footie will soothe dryness and nourish your skin.

LUSH Cosmetics.

Clay Foot Mask

If like us, you’re obsessed with the purifying properties of kaolin clay, this all-natural, part-pumice foot mask is definitely for you. It also contains a gang of other nourishing food-grade ingredients, including papaya, lemon juice and tomato.

Kocostar.

 Botanical-Packed Mask

Besides the super-sized mix of 33 botanical extracts that’ll go to work on your poor, tired feet, the mint scent makes for an ideal pick-me-up too.

Buy: Kocostar Foot Therapy $10

Sol de Janiero.

Coolest Foot Mask

Complete with a smoothing board for minimizing stubborn calluses, this cream is infused with coconut oil, acai and cupuaçu butter, a water-soluble Brazilian super fruit, that makes application non-slippery.

ThisWorks.

Soothing Rescue Balm

In addition to lemon and lavender for light exfoliation and treating irritation, the cotton thistle—another deeply-penetrating moisturizer—also disguises odor.

Buy: thisworks perfect heels rescue balm $26

Sally Hansen.

Super Moisturizing Mask

Want relief for your dry feet? Reach for this single-use mask. Infused with nut butters and Vitamin E, this mask will chase away dry skin.

This story was originally published in 2019.

Madison LeCroy’s Neon Green Polka Dot Bikini on Instagram

Southern Charm Instagram Fashion 2021

Lime LaCroix LeCroy! Madison LeCroy looks scorching hot in her itsy bitsy teenie weenie neon green polka dot bikini on Instagram. Which we’ve linked down below so that before summer ends you too can wear it to post the ultimate thirst trap. 

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her Beach Riot Bikini Top

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Click Here to Shop the Matching Bottoms

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Click Here to Shop a Similar Pair of Sunglasses

Photo & Info: @Madison.LeCroy

Originally posted at: Madison LeCroy’s Neon Green Polka Dot Bikini