Perhaps not a day goes by when we hear a story on TV or see an article in a magazine about aging gracefully. Almost always, it’s a reference to looking good at a particular age and almost always it’s geared toward women.
I particularly love the stories about how good someone looks at (name the age). The story continues to ooh and ah about how so-and-so looks amazing, but you notice she can’t smile because of all the Botox she has had. Are we kidding anyone when we look at someone 75 or 85 who has the skin of a 40 year old? Is that what aging gracefully means?
I am not against anyone having “work done.” Matter of fact, if I had the financial resources, I would have my list ready for “tweaking.” But I believe aging gracefully is much more than skin deep. As we get older, we realize that while we may look great, if things under our hood are not working well, it’s all for nothing.
I have always been a proponent for us to be leaders of our lives—whether it is about being intentional about our career or the time in between. And while much of my business is focused on our careers, I know that the things that really count in life is the time in between.
Helping others be the best they can be is what I am passionate about. I have never been shy in using my own experiences in hope to provide ideas and guidance and to let people know they are not alone. So many times we think we are the only ones who have done this…or experienced that. We keep it a secret feeling different instead, we are just like the person sitting next to you!
And my Resilient Living of my blog and my separate FB page will be devoted to personal leadership—living the best quality of life we possibly can.
Granted, not everything is within our control. My daughters are not quiet about pointing out something they have inherited and will say, “thanks mom, for sharing that.” Ah, genes—the gift that keeps on giving. It’s true we can’t alter our DNA, but we don’t have to fall victim either. We need to identify what we can change and do those things. That’s what personal leadership means.
Sure, I wish I had a different body structure and predispositions, but wasting my time on that “train of thought” will only get me stuck at the station. I’m for making the best of the hand I was dealt. The reality is that there is a lot within our control and it is the things within our control and that I’ve learned through the years is what I want to share with you.
Sadly, how well we fare in the “afternoon tea” of our life is often impacted by how well we take care of ourselves in our early years…those years when we feel “it can’t/won’t happen to us.” While we can’t rewind our past, but we can start now.
What’s one thing you can change today that can help you live more gracefully tomorrow?
