You are getting close to being 70 and you no longer love what you do as much. The house that you worked so hard to renovate and make it your sanctuary ain’t cutting it anymore, although the kitchen is still your favorite spot. Family and friends are moving on to new careers, ventures and places while you are thinking about what’s next for you. You long for change that is both purposeful and fun. …….. How does one begin?…..
Having seen the trailer on Tom Hanks’ recent movie “A Man Called Otto”, it frankly did not pique my interest. I love Tom Hanks as an actor and a humanitarian, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to see a movie that reminded me of an older, grumpier Forrest Gump character. After 10 minutes of scrolling through movies to watch on Netflix and not finding anything that sparked my curiosity, I settled on what was familiar to me. Surprise, surprise, this movie is a gem and so inspiring as it touches on the complexity of human emotions and how it affects our humanity……
Surfing thorough the many options available on Netflix, not knowing what to see, I came across a documentary of the life of an octopus and her relationship with a human, actually a man. The film is a gem to watch as you experience a real-life interaction with nature. I, for one (with a bit of shame) love – love to eat grilled octopus as it is one of my favorite dishes. Watching this film about these amazing creatures makes one think twice about eating them. Here, why….
As I reach the important milestone of turning 70 years old, I can’t help thinking how shorter the path is in front of me as I pause and reflect on what will truly make me happy and purposeful. How do I celebrate a healthy 70 of which I’m most grateful, even though I don’t move as quickly as I used to? A year ago, I wrote an article about the relevance of celebrating birthdays, and anniversaries of which I am re-posting with some minor edits on the third anniversary of my blog. Upon reading it, I immediately made plans to celebrate in a big way on what is already a busy transition year for me. Why repost? —-to inspire others to celebrate life to the fullest.
Owning is owing, having is hoarding”. This quote by Úrsula Guin has been on my mind lately. Over the last six months, I’ve been thinking hard on how to downsize what is 30+ years of collecting, storing and holding onto things. It is a bit overwhelming to come up with a system of how best to do this while managing a business and the rest of my life. Guess what? I have less than 6 months to make this happen…
Since the pandemic, my stress levels have made me rethink how I want to live the rest of my life and how best can I manage aging in the healthiest way possible. This of course requires making significant behavior changes as well as being more informed about your body and emotional state of mind. I recently caught the BA4 COVID strain and even though I am fully vaccinated and boosted, it was indeed a bad flu experience that I would not wish on anyone. Over the last 6 months, I read several books, magazines and articles on self-care intending to build a wellness plan for me in this post pandemic era. Here is what I have learned …
As I become a year older this March, now my 69th birthday, I am a bit perplexed at how fast time moves and changes who we are. None of us are quite the same person we were a year, 5 years, 10 years ago. We keep changing and adapting our minds and bodies without realizing it. Frankly, I don’t feel 69 and I kind of don’t enjoy being called a senior unless there is a good discount for it. I remember not making a big to do about birthdays. In fact, many birthdays I would just go about my workday, not paying much attention to this yearly ritual. But……
I have over 100 apps on my iPhone of which I probably use less than 25 of them in any one year. Why so many? Well, most are free. Somehow my brain tells me I just may need that app one day and, in some cases, that is actually true. Every year there are thousands of mobile apps being developed by companies, inventors and even teenagers that address just about anything you can think of. From video games to health care, travel, retail, leisure, banking we have become addicted to using our mobile devices in better managing our lives.
Every year, most of us ponder about what will be different beginning January 1st. Is this the year where you will finally experience a breakthrough in what is holding you back? Have you given much thought to what the next 10 years of your life may look like? If not, I want to challenge you (at any age) to reflect on what will make this year that different and on a pathway to self-discovery. As we age, the pathway in front of us will become shorter than the pathway behind us. There is so much we all want to do, yet time is not as abundant as one hopes.
If you are planning to travel domestically or internationally, there are a number of essential items that will make your trips stress-free, worry- free and enjoyable. Whether you are on a two or eight-hour plane ride, endlessly waiting at the airport, relaxing at the hotel and finally hanging out at the beach, pool or the bar we all need special travel gear to get through the days and the week. Here is my list of travel essentials in time for planning your next trip…….
