I think for many of us we look at aging as a negative thing. The fact is we are all aging every day. You can choose to navigate the changes in a positive way. Some may say “seriously how are mood swings, hot flashes, crepey skin, scars and body changes a positive?” You can render the benefits of getting older and getting better! I decided to get better and not bitter. I have found myself in a slump and have struggled with energy, enthusiasm and finding my normal joyous self. Many of us go through so many changes emotionally, physically, and mentally. Our career paths may change, our children leave the nest, we experience loss of parents, friendships, and don’t forget hormones. Yes, those hormones like to wreck havoc on even the best intentions. I never will forget the time I was in the middle of teaching a spin class and motivating the class to do their best, work hard and inside I was dying. I was thinking I just want to run away, cry for no apparent reason. I was struggling and couldn’t figure out why. I knew on one level this was weird and I wasn’t thinking normal, then I had a checkup and found I was smack in the middle of menopause. Early menopause at that. Age 39, my body started to revolt. I was determined to not let menopause get the best of me.
First of all lets just keep it real. We need to acknowledge what is going on in this stage of life. Second, we can honor our feelings in a productive way. We can take care of ourselves to optimize our health and wellbeing. You can learn to reconnect with your body and focus on what you can control and not on what you can’t control. You can control what goes in your pie hole, lol. You can take charge of your fitness. I think many times we believe its just a stage of life and let it consume us, give up and throw in the towel way too soon. Instead of letting this phase of life bring you down, use this time to set new goals and intentions. Get clear about what you want the next chapter of your life to look like. Redefine your purpose. Many of us go through changes, kids grow up and certain activities no longer seem to work or fulfill us.
Where will you put your energy? What experiences and events fill your cup and make you feel joyous and alive. Finding clarity for this phase of your life will bring you more contentment moving forward. Friendships can be so important. I know for me some of my friendships changed. What brought us together changed. As our kids moved into new directions so did my friendships. It left a void. I had to make the effort to find new connections, friendships and nurture the friendships I kept. Investing in relationships can bring a fresh perspective, support, laughter and encouragement as you move forward. This is one of the reasons I created a healthy living community called Team Live Fit.
Team Live Fit is an amazing community of women that want to live their best life. They want to navigate their health in a positive way. We support each other in fitness, nutrition, and a positive growth mindset. For some its such a positive outlet they inspire others to come along for the journey.
Getting older is a gift, honor your gift by taking care of your body, nourish your soul and remember you are worth taking care of. You get to decide your worth, it isn’t determined by appearance, age, productivity, or your past or your wins. Many times we have measured our worth by external factors like relationships, careers, productivity. I believe you find peace when your self worth comes from within.
We can stand tall, be proud of our journey and wear our scars and experiences with pride. We can banish negative self talk and let things go that don’t serve us well. We are whole and perfect just as we are. To become your best it takes letting go of who you were. We can age with grace and confidence and accept ourselves in a beautiful and loving way. Age doesn’t define you, it allows your true beauty to shine.
