If you’re like me, you are constantly seeing marketing campaigns on television, social media, and in print; shared by friends, family and acquaintances; all designed to improve, reduce, emphasize, and sometimes altogether change your appearance. It can be overwhelming for sure! I sometimes have people in my chair pointing out the most seemingly insignificant things on their face or body. My first question is always, “Do you use a 10x magnifier mirror at home? Those things are a curse,” I jest. Many of us need those things just to see how our makeup is going on or what rogue hairs on our face need to be removed. But, while those mirrors serve their purpose of bringing things into focus, they draw our attention to details that no one will ever observe on us in everyday life. So maybe we don’t need to worry about it as much as we think we do. As time goes on and we enter new seasons of life, we need to nurture ourselves and our bodies with positivity, grace and a sense of acceptance, not self-incrimination.
These are some things that I consider as I am aging:
Age with gratitude. Instead of thinking of all the things that you can’t do any longer, acknowledge to yourself the things that you can do! It may be as simple as, “I can squat down and get back up without the help of a piece of furniture to lean on,” or “I have been blessed with so much that I want to share with others—my time, my expertise, my resources.”
Focus on positive things and not negative. “I live in a free country.” “I have people I love and who love me.” “I look forward to tomorrow.” Focusing on positive thoughts energizes you.
Have purpose. Set goals for everyday then set out to make those goals happen. These goals may be as simple as, “I will weed the front berm today,” or “I will smile and look in the eyes of each person I come across today.” Or they may be bigger goals, “I will learn to salsa dance this year.”
Discover and/or learn something new. I am 57 years old and am back in school for my nurse practitioner degree. Many people wonder, “why in the world is she doing that?” I even wonder about it sometimes! But I love to learn and can appreciate that these new skills help me enjoy being worthy of earning a living. In this day of economic and political uncertainty, I am counting on this degree as a backup plan for any contingency. Also, by using my brain in this way, it helps to expand it by creating new neuropathways, which diminishes the risk of dementia.
Beautiful You has many tools and methods to help you feel your best and we are ready to assist you. But, while these physical blights of aging might stop us in our tracks for a moment, it is the inside things—our thoughts, feelings, and perceptions—that really need our focus and attention. Take time to explore and invest in a new frame of mind. The ability to pick the things you want for yourself gives you charge of your decisions, promoting positive aging.
Enjoy the spring, a time of new beginnings!