The Three Biggest Mistakes Midlife or Younger Women Make
By Barbara Morris, R. Ph.
The three biggest mistakes midlife and younger make are
these:
1. They don't grasp the reality that they will get old
2. They don't have a plan to keep what they have
3. They don't plan to stay productive, which is the ultimate anti aging magic
Let's look at these three key elements. First, a midlife woman looks at an older
woman who has aged traditionally and it doesn't register with her that she is
seeing an image of herself in the future. What she sees doesn't apply to her.
It's part of the human condition to be in denial about aging.
Knowing denial exists, you can take action to manage your aging process. Then,
and this is the tough part, you have to decide not to become part of the
traditional senior culture lifestyle, which is a culture of decline. But here's
the thing. Unless you are fully aware of what the senior lifestyle is all about;
unless you make a deliberate effort not to become part of it -- you WILL become
part of it. You WILL experience traditional decline. I recognize and respect
that many women look forward to the traditional retired senior lifestyle.
They've worked all their lives and may not be in the best of health. Or for
whatever reason they just decide that traditional retirement is the way they
want to live and they are entitled to do that.
Working in a pharmacy with a large senior population I had an opportunity to
observe the traditional retired lifestyle as most women do not. I wish you could
have seen and experienced what I did. You would have joined me in agreement that
"there but for the grace of God go I." You would have been inspired to take
better care of your mind and body. Above all, hopefully, you would have been
motivated to stay productive.
I was as old or older than most of the retired senior women. When I interacted
with them, I couldn't empathize with how they were living. I felt I was peeking
in on the intimate lives of women who for the most part, were unhappy. Yes, they
enjoyed senior friends and activities, but deep down, they were empty. As much
as they tried to live in the present they had a profound sense of loss of a
healthier, vital past that they longed for. You know that is true when a woman
shows you pictures of herself as a younger woman playing tennis, and telling you
she yearns to play tennis but can't anymore; you know it's true when a woman
younger than you complains, "Don't ever get old -- it's the pits"; you know it's
true when a woman who is physically and mentally competent pinches pennies
because as much as she would like to work, she's been out of the workforce for
years and she doesn't have enough self confidence to try to get a job. When you
experience these feelings and comments, you know it's a lifestyle you don't ever
want to be part of.
If you are not yet "there" -- if you are not close to retirement age, you have a
golden opportunity to keep many of the youthful attributes you have right now.
Youth is a gift you get at birth that you get to keep for a short time.
Fortunately, many of the youthful goodies that go along with youth can be kept
for far longer than you may think. But it takes planning and effort.
The second mistake is that women don't have a plan to keep what they have,
physically and mentally. One of the things old people fear most after not having
enough money is loss of independence. You have to develop a fitness regimen that
you do every day. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it keeps you strong
and supple. Mentally, you have to train your inner pit bull to act in your best
interests.
Finally, most women don't have a plan to stay productive after retirement.
Staying productive doesn't mean you work 40 hours a week for the rest of your
life (unless you want to). It means you do something that has value not just for
yourself but for others. It is the ultimate anti-aging medicine.
So there you have it. Being ageless is easy. Understand the traps and pitfalls.
Know what it takes to avoid them, have a plan to stay ageless, and then do it,
no ifs, ands or buts. If life throws you a curveball along the way, proper
preparation and inner toughness will enable you to weather whatever happens.
Source: December, 2008 Put Old on Hold Newsletter
Barbara Morris — Image F/X Publications
Barbara@PutOldOnHold.com
760-480-2710
© 2008 – Image F/X Publications, All rights reserved
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Put Old on Hold wisdom:
“I'm on a personal exploration
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— Barbara Morris
