Change and challenge
-
Every age you’ve ever been
One of the perks of my monthly “Aging with Grace” workshop is the sense of validation I get from the other women in the group. Through our discussions over the past couple of years, I’ve discovered that I’m not alone with my age-related fears, dreams, or aspirations. In a recent conversation, one of the women admitted that she still feels like the same person she was in her youth — which reminded me of today’s quote from author Madeleine L’Engle. Everyone quickly agreed that we each carry all the ages we’ve ever been inside us — even though our appearance has changed. Imagine what you’d say if you had an…
-
When disappointment knocks
“Disappointment is a stepping stone to resilience. It toughens you up and prepares you for the challenges that lie ahead.” ~Michelle Obama I like to think of myself as an optimist — yet there are times when I’m deeply disappointed in how things turn out. Sometimes I’m terrified. I want to see the best in my fellow humans, and I try to cling to the hope that we’re all striving for the truth and reaching toward the brightest light. But when things happen to corrupt this point of view, I can’t sugarcoat it or pretend otherwise. And I refuse to keep lowering my expectations. So, yes, my rose-colored glasses are…
-
Making the most of our days
“The realization that I may have only a few good years remaining has hit me with real force, and I have done a lot of thinking as a result… I try to figure out what I really want to do every day. I try to say to myself, ‘If this is one of the last days of my life, am I doing exactly what I want to be doing?’” ~Nora Ephron Today’s quote underscores an important conversation we started last night in my “Aging with Grace & Courage” group. We all agreed that we’re hyper-aware of the time we have left in our senior years — and we want to…
-
Small changes
“Few of us will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” ~John F. Kennedy Sometimes I’m completely stalled by the notion that I’d have to make a huge effort in order to make a change in this troubled world of ours. It’s so much easier to sit in front of the TV or my computer monitor while I criticize the current state of politics or complain about everything else that’s gone very wrong. But as today’s quote reminds us, each of…
-
Traveling light
“If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears.” ~Cesare Pavese Most of us have acquired a lot of stuff that weighs us down. Instead of making a list of resolutions this year, I’m taking inventory of the metaphorical baggage I need to dump at the curb, including unproductive worry and old routines. That’s the topic of my newest column in this month’s Vitality, a magazine supplement to The Oakland Press. Read it online here, or, if you live in metro Detroit, pick up a free print edition at your local library or community center.*
