Aging Gracefully
“It’s not the years in your life, but the life in your years”
• Accept yourself just the way you
are. Yes, we are older, and have
limitations, but we are not dead. I did
my first triathlon at 47, became a certified
scuba diver at 57 and I can’t wait to
see what I will be doing at 67!
• Let go of the past and forgive
yourself. The best gift we can give
ourselves is the gift of forgiveness. Start
by forgiving yourself and then others.
Get out of any toxic relationships. We all
make mistakes; learn from them, grow-up,
don’t sweat the small stuff and move on.
• Let the child in you come out. One
of the greatest satisfactions about
becoming a grandparent is that you
have an excuse to play. Jump on the
trampoline, play soccer, go swimming,
teach your grandchildren games you
used to play when you were young
and laugh often.
• Find activities that bring more
relaxation and joy into your life. Learn
and practice yoga, meditation, a
new hobby, a new language, and sleep
more. Practice using affirmations and
changing negative thoughts into
positive thoughts.
Incorporating these changes into your
life don’t need to be sweeping life changes,
but they will help you age gracefully
and happily.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle could
substantially prolong your life expectancy
but listening to your heart and mind will
allow you to lead the life you always
wanted in peace, harmony and joy.
Go put more life into your years!
LS
Marisa Rivera is president of Mpowerment
Works, a motivational speaker, executive
coach and leadership and empowerment
consultant. Marisa@MpowermentWorks.com.
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Las Jefas
It’s not easy to grow older, but we
can change our attitude by putting
more life, energy and enthusiasm into
our day to day as we grow older.
I constantly hear from aging individuals;
“I can’t do that because… I am too old,
I have not done it in years, I am too
heavy, or my heart, my legs, my body
are not what they used to be. It is
important to recognize what are truly
our limitations and what are our excuses.
The truth of the matter is that we have
no choice in getting old. Right now, you
are the oldest you have ever been and
the youngest you will ever be.
How we practice self-care, how we
welcome life into our daily living and how
we take care of our physical and emotional
bodies will influence how we age.
According to a study by the American
Heart Association, Journal Circulation
2018, we can prolong life expectancy
by more than a decade by following
these five healthy habits:
1) Never smoke
2) Maintain a healthy body-mass index
3) Keep up with moderate to vigorous
exercise
4) Don’t drink too much alcohol
5) Eat a healthy diet.
These are all physiological strategies
that are necessary to live longer and
healthier. I would also argue that
connecting your mind to your heart, to
your feelings and your pursuit of
happiness is equally as important. Your
positive attitude about life will provide
you with moments of joy and gratification
that can prolong your life expectancy.
One of the beauties about aging is
that you become more comfortable
about who you are in your own skin. I
have learned not to obsess about my
By Marisa Rivera
imperfections but focus on feeling
good about myself. Nothing will make
you more beautiful than the confidence
of embracing YOU just the way you
are. I have also learned a few other
things about aging gracefully:
• Don’t wait for later. Live in the NOW.
We only have today, make each day
count, and live it like it was your last.
Spend more time with the people you
love. Become the person you always
wanted to become.
40 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 24, No. 3, 2018
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