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?…..
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…….
Before I knew the world was going to shut down, I had already planned to launch my blog on my birthday in March and with some consternation there really was no turning back. A year later, I celebrate my blog’s first anniversary with a great deal of optimism. Not fully understanding what I was committing to, one unexpected benefit has been the sharpening of my discipline skills to stay on course. The pandemic clearly played a role in derailing many of the topics that I was hoping to cover through my travels. Nonetheless, I feel a sense of accomplishment as I share with you the ups and downs of committing to a blog, lessons learned, and next steps into the future.
March 2020-2021 will always be remembered as the beginning of a lost year for most of all. As I reflect on this past year committing to self-care and dressing up went out the back door. No spa, no pedicure, haircuts, even wearing jewelry made no sense. Shopping online and zooming became our connection to the rest of the world and will most likely be with us post COVID. Frankly, the convenience is mind-blowing. (I hate driving to Home Depot to buy a light bulb or some silly contraption that you have to hunt down). Also, as much as I yearn to have face-to-face meetings, I have a growing appreciation for Zoom’s efficiency. But these minor inconveniences are not what defines this past year.
