Live It Up

A sunny, breezy Florida "hello" to you! I expected to be here for a few days, however, I thought I'd be rolling into town in my car. Instead, I took three flights to get from S Oregon to SE Florida. What happened?!? (you might be asking) ... My sweet, 2018 KIA Soul is getting a new engine! Contact me directly if you want more deets ... basically, I had car issues. However, I did not want to miss my family's annual gathering for my Dad's (93rd!) birthday. It was a little long (about 13+ hours), but my flights and connections were smooth and the celebration was worth it!

People often joke about the number of older people in the "sunshine state" and it is a popular place to retire. I'm fascinated with observing people as they get older. I include myself in that observation. Sometimes I'm amazed at how spry a person is with 70 or more years under their belt. Other times, I'm simply sad to see someone looking and acting much older than they are. No matter which way they lean, I've noticed that it begins with their thought process.

I think that y'all know by now that my least favorite phrase starter is, "Well, at my age ..." because it usually finishes with something like, "I can't or shouldn't ... [fill in the blank]". Just as problematic is someone saying, "I won't be able to do this much longer." (based on age). My response to that is, "If you're doing it now, keep doing it. Don't lose the momentum."

This is what happens: once we set our minds on becoming more and more limited with age, we make it a self-fulfilling prophecy. Without even realizing it, we stop taking good care of ourselves. We develop more and more negative chatter -- both what we say to others as well as ourselves. The mind and body are connected and the brain doesn't differentiate between what's true or not. It believes whatever we tell it and passes the message along to the body and we cement it with action or inaction. We take our cues from what we see around us, often without questioning its validity.

If we've had friends or family who "thought" that reaching a certain age automatically meant the beginning of decline (you know, that "hill" we're supposed to be over?!?), we're probably going to buy into that belief, too. It's not their fault (or yours) or a bad thing that they think that way and it's not necessarily true. They probably watched it happening around them and never questioned it.

I agree with Robert Ringer:

"Question everything, even if it represents generations of conventional wisdom."

Also, James Patterson: "Assume nothing. Question Everything." What about Albert Einstein: "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." My own quote and query for The Seed this

week was: "We begin to age the moment we are conceived, as soon as we're born. Why should it suddenly become a thing, a problem, at age 50 (or so)?"

Society "teaches" us what aging is supposed to look like. We don't need to agree or take its word for it. Change your mind and you might change your life. Start thinking differently and you might have different behaviours. Shake up your mindset and beliefs around aging and make it more to your liking. This is what I wish for you. Did you know that I've been "working" on feeling more joy, stressing less, knocking down my anxiety level, and boosting my energy for about 40 years?? If you're a healthcare provider or just having a tough time the last couple of years, contact me for a brief assessment or just to chat. I'd be honored to help you feel better!

Sparkles and Love,