7/30/12

Getting Old? Pffft, don't make me laugh...



I've been thinking long and hard as of late about a certain fact of life that is haunting some people I know -- an inescapable but frightening fact of life. I'm talking about getting old.

I am a 52 year-old woman. I have outlived my mother by four years and am approaching the age at which my father passed.

Yet I feel incredible!

I feel more incredible than I have in at least 20 years, and I am shouting that from every mountaintop I climb.

My journey into this new-found confidence and happiness began as I approached my fiftieth birthday. I realized I was not the woman I wanted to be; I was not the woman I knew my parents and children could be proud of, and I was the only one to blame. It was then that I decided I was the one who had to take the steps that would force me in the right direction.

And I did.

It's been a bumpy path, this one to self-respect and happiness, but it's gotten me back on the road I had ignored for so very long. Here are the things I've held close to my heart, and have learned lately.
Remember you are important, beautiful, flawed and perfect at the same time.
  1. Laugh at your mistakes, learn from them and move forward.
  2. Everyone else is walking their own path. You can hold their hand along the way, but we each have our own pace. (Some legs are longer than others.)
  3. Great things happen when you step outside your comfort zone. If you are unhappy with the direction your life has taken, you are the only one who can change it.
  4. Stay busy. Gather your friends around you and try things you have never done before.
  5. I've decided I don't care what other people think. Oh sure, I respect their opinions, their feelings and who they are, but I can't waste a minute worrying about how they feel about me. As long as I love myself, I can respect myself.
  6. In order to shake up your life, and squeeze the life out of every moment, you have to be able to say "yes". Say "yes" to your neighbor, your co-worker, your children and anyone else who invites you to step out of the box.
  7. Rest is NOT for the wicked. A healthy body begins with sleep. (And isn't that grand?)
  8. Your body really is your temple. Fill it with things that feed your soul and your mind.
9. Staying active is the best way to trick your body into finding the shape that it needs to be. A hike in the mountains, a walk with your dog, a stroll through town with your daughter or son can make the biggest difference in your life.

Getting old doesn't scare me one bit. Cause frankly, it's a WHOLE lot better than the alternative.


Pfizer is dedicated to make sure that we can ALL work through the aging process with companionship and tools to live long, healthy, fulfilling lives. Join the conversation at GetOld.com, a site designed to both encourage you to think about your own perceptions of aging and to connect with people and their thoughts about it. You can share your opinions, listen to and read what others have to say and get tips and tools to make the process a little less scary.

How do YOU feel about aging? Leave a comment to be entered for a chance to win one of three $500 SpaFinder gift cards. Please note winners will be selected from a pool of all participating bloggers
For your convenience, here are highlights from the Official Rules for the Sweepstakes. Please note by submitting an entry you are agreeing to the full Official Rules, available here.

No duplicate comments.
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You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
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*Note: if you want to comment but either (i) are not eligible or (ii) do not want to enter the giveaway, please include something similar to the following statement in your comment: ìI do not wish to enter the sweepstakes.î
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Medical professionals who are licensed (or are otherwise authorized) to prescribe medications are not eligible to enter. While BlogHer encourages you to share your thoughts and experiences about getting older, comments discussing medical conditions and/or medical products are not permitted, may be deleted, and are invalid entries. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
This sweepstakes runs from 7/30 to 8/31.
Be sure to check out the BlogHer.com Get Old page to find out more about the Get Old platform and read how other bloggers feel about aging!

26 comments:

Maureen B said...

oooooooh, pick me, pick me!

SanH said...

Aging sometimes scares me but I just take a deep breath and think like you that this is way better than the alternative.

Dawna said...

I agree with you that getting older is better than the alternative. Plus, no birthdays mean no presents. And i love presents. Thank you for giving me a good laugh on a Tuesday morning. The name of your blog is fantastic, I will be a new follower. Dawna

DawnA said...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEAKKKK. That kind of begins to describe how I feel. I just hope to be healthy and happy!
dawniawnieATaolDOTcom

Unknown said...

Aging is what it is; can't do much about it so I just try to keep myself as healthy as possible as I'm an older mom if by older we mean 38 with an almost-3 year old. The only downside is that there's less of an excuse for questionable decision making. So there's that.
Happy Tuesday Vodka!

Rita said...

I'm ... sometimes I forget how old I am :) No really - I'm 56. I'm close to when my dad died at 58. Don't feel old at all - but my parts move a little slower.

Anne said...

Aging is a bit of a battle and reward at the same time. I fight it, but I am also proud of the battles I have overcome along the way. :-)

Joanne said...

I am 61 and I don't feel old a bit. It is a state of mind. I think enjoyment of life comes more easily at this age when there is time to do all the things you ever wanted to do and stop to smell the roses (or cat litter) if you choose.
jednc @ hotmail .com

Tish said...

Aging isn't easy, but you can have fun along the way!

Amy said...

You have some wonderful points. I think I'm at the stage where I need to change myself and focus on my goal for the life that I wanted to live. As far as getting old, I'm not worrying a bit. I'm loving every moment and feel that I'm stronger and wiser than ever. :)

Kate Coveny Hood said...

Love this! I have a lot of fears involved with my body getting older and health - but I also love the freedom to just let those younger concerns about looking "perfect" go. Perfect simply isn't a remote possibility anymore and it's such a relief!

Wonderful seeing you this weekend!
-Kate

viridian said...

I look forward to retirement (which is a long way off) but I do worry about the very end of life.
And I do need to exercise more!

SUEB0B said...

I'm dealing with my elderly mom, so I have many worries about aging. It just does not seem fun.

Melinda said...

I look forward to retirement and traveling in my "old age"

Sean said...

I'm not looking forward to getting old - 31 is already too old

seanm1999 at hotmail dot com

Linda said...

I want to see my kids grow up and get married some day, getting old isn't all bad

artisticbaker @ gmail . com

Liesl said...

I just turned 50 and thought I was getting really old. Now I feel like 50 is the new 40! It's not so bad.

kellyr78 said...

I feel uneasy. However, I hope for the best and realize that I cannot sit around dwelling on growing old... although today is my birthday!

kellywcuATyahooDOTcom

Judy Schwartz Haley | CoffeeJitters.Net said...

I was diagnosed with cancer a few months after my baby was born. I look forward to aging- I long for aging. Aging means I get to watch her grow up and maybe even someday meet my grandkids!

LAMusing said...

I I think more than anything I feel Surprised. Old? What?! In my mind I'm 20 years younger than my birth certificate says. Some days I feel "hopeful" (life can turn on a dime so tough times never last forever), some days "frightened" (no siblings, no kids, no spouse - will I be old and sick and alone?), some days "amused" (hey, when did we start talking about aching joints instead of smoking joints LOL).
Life is an eternal surprise so I just try to take it one day at a time.

Kerry said...

I would say I feel uneasy about getting older.
nuthouse(at)centurytel(dot)net

MCantu1019 said...

I feel just a little freaked out.
MCantu1019 at aol dot com

Howell said...

I'm optimistic at age 60. Health and family make me optimistic.

hlee99 (at) gmail (dot) com

wizardewu said...

I am very optimistic being very healthy. Close family helps too.

Anash said...

i feel optimistic...I live between fear and hope
Thanks for a super giveaway!
My email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com

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