It’s Never Too Late

When I was just starting out as a serious fiction writer, my daughter gave me a bookmark with this George Elliot quote on it:  “It's never too late to become what you might have been.” I had just turned 50 and I had never heard this quotation. It meant the world to me.

What my daughter saw in me was the dreamer who was feeling a little defeated by time. She nurtured that dreamer with a simple gift and I will always be grateful.

So, hold on to your dreams, whether they are new ones or old friends. Continue to pursue them, knowing that they are possible at any age. This is, I believe, one of two secrets to staying young – continuing to learn and continuing to dream.

Here’s a little practical advice for keeping your dreams alive. Write your dreams down. Use sticky notes to post them all around your living space – mirrors are great. Journal about your aspirations. Talk about them to your treasured friends, but limit those conversations to people you know you can trust with your dreams. Don’t expose your dreams to naysayers – or as I like to call them Dreamstealers. Pick at least one small step you can take every day towards your dream.

Good luck, fellow dreamer!

7 Ways to Feel Younger Right Now

Needing a cure for the “I’m getting older” blahs? Can’t wait another minute? Well, here you go – a few quick cures. 

• Take a child to the playground. Actually play with it. Amazing concept, I know. Just try the swings or ride the merry-go-round, too. Don’t stand to one side watching. Participate.

• Find somewhere to sit quietly for a few minutes. Now concentrate. Remember something you did when you were younger that was brave, fearless or just plain outrageous. Did you jump out of an airplane? Did you make a speech and kick booty? Go skinny-dipping? What? You did something that took courage. Find that something and revel in it. Write an email to your children or an old friend and tell them about it. Feel good about it. 

• Think of an older person who makes you cringe when they start complaining. Are you like that? If not – good for you and give yourself brownie points. If you are – then resolve right here and now not to be like that anymore. Pick up the phone, call someone and tell them how much you appreciate them. Maybe it’s your doctor’s assistant or possibly your mother. Whatever and whoever – just do it right now. Pledge to break the habit of complaining.

• Turn on a radio station that plays music you’re not familiar with. Listen for 30 minutes. It can amazing. You might find you actually like some of the “kids’ music”. Or maybe Country isn’t so bad. 

• Buy a magazine that is age-affirming then sit down and read it. Ladies, I recommend MORE magazine and gentlemen, you might give Esquire a new look-see. Both magazines look beyond the young and beautiful. 

• Find one really great thing about yourself and play it up. Is it your eyes? Well, rush right out and get a new makeup to try.  Are you a people person and proud of it? Well, go (yes, right now) to the grocery store and find someone who looks a little down and make them smile. You can do it. Perhaps, you’ve always loved your feet (female or male on this one) – then go get a pedicure and celebrate that fact.  

• Do something silly. That’s right. Step out of your grownup skin and be completely and absolutely silly for a few minutes. I can almost hear you saying “Like what?” Spin around until you get dizzy. Give someone a raspberry. Stick out your tongue. Buy a balloon from a street vendor. Eat a popsicle in public. Sing along to a street musician’s song. Whatever feels fun to you that you haven’t done in a long time, because “grownups don’t do that.” Do it. Do it now.

There now, don’t you feel better?

The Experts Say…

We all know what the experts say, don’t we? It’s all about exercise and eating right. That’s what will keep you young physically.  Still, it doesn’t hurt to have a few reminders.  So, here you go. I really like these two articles because they keep it simple.  I can’t see any reason why the second one is just for women, so guys – have at it. 

12 Secrets to Staying Young 

7 Best Anti-Aging Foods for Women

The thrust of this blog will be as much about attitude as anything else, but these two links are a good start to getting into the mindset to reach for extended youth. That’s what we’re doing here, right? We want to “LIVE YOUNG” and hopefully “DIE OLD”.  There you go!

See you at the gym or at the farmer’s market or maybe, on the walking path at the park.

A Video to Feed Your Soul

Advanced Style - to watch the video click here

This is an Indie film project which got its funding from Kickstarter. If you don’t know what that is, let me tell you it’s great. It’s an online organization that allows small (or large) contributors to help fund mostly artistic projects.

I watched this video and fell in love with the concept. In fact, it was the genesis for this blog. I thought if these ladies can embrace their age and actually make it work for them, so can every one of us.

So, watch, enjoy and comment.

Oh, and here's a link to the film maker's blog - also called Advanced Style.

What Does That Mean?

Welcome to one of my two new blogs – Live Young Die Old! What in God’s name do I mean by that? Very simply put, this is a blog about keeping your young heart, living in the moment and not surrendering to that mangy dog, OLD AGE, until you haven’t any fight left in you.

I turned 60 years old on January 1^st.  I didn’t have any fun that day. I got so wrapped up in the number that I fell into a pit of despair. How was it possible that a babe like me is actually 60 years old?

Okay, so maybe I’m not exactly a babe anymore, but I’m way, way younger than the average 60 year-old in my thinking. You won’t hear me complaining about the younger generation. In fact, most of the time, I’d rather spend time with people under 30 for the same reason my generation used to distrust anyone over that age – back when we were the youngsters.  People over 30 aren’t as much fun, generally speaking.

I have great respect for those who have achieved a great age and don’t let it limit their thinking. Even better if they insist on doing the physical things that much younger people still do.  The main thrust of this blog will be to highlight those people, how they live and how they think.  On top of that, I’ll be finding and delivering tips on how to avoid the trapdoors that are built into age in our society – with subjects like  healthy, beauty, exercise, fun stuff to do, bucket list must dos and much more.

Join me in the revolution! Be young at heart and proud of it. Hold on to your childish ways. Preserve your youth. It’s going to be a wild ride. Are you up for it?