Age Gratefully

We’ve all heard the term, aging gracefully, but I know there are some days when you just don’t feel graceful at all. The back hurts, the knee aches, the autoimmune disease rears its ugly head, etc. So, I encourage you to give yourself a break (speaking to self here!).

I’m here to offer us a new term. Instead of saying we are aging gracefully, let us embrace a gratitude mindset and age oh so gratefully.

Often we are hard on ourselves particularly when the media features photos of older celebs looking amazing. And honestly there are some whom I admire and look up to who ARE aging gracefully. I think of the stunning Helen Mirren when the word grace appears. She embodies beauty, simplicity, honesty and humor. Ok so let’s be real, she has probably had some “work” done on her face, I mean she lives in the world of plastic surgery given her occupation, but she just seems so darn genuine. I bet she has a gratitude practice!

A few other women in the spotlight who appear to be aging gracefully are Meryl Streep, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Michelle Pfeiffer. They all smile, continue to work and contribute to the world with their philanthropic offerings. They are definitely aging gratefully as well.

We all do our best right? I’m not for or against facial or body enhancements, although I have never done anything cosmetically and don’t plan on it. However, I think I look pretty good for my age. And you know what? That’s the first step to aging gratefully. Being positive, finding something to be thankful for and yes, smiling too!

Giving thanks daily for the abundance of what life has given you, will automatically bring a smile to your face. And guess what? No matter what your age, wearing a smile is the one thing that will light you up and erase 10 years (ok maybe 5). It’s not about the number, in fact I embrace every year with gratitude myself. It’s about how you CHOOSE to feel every day.

If you wake up thinking about aches and pains, then guess what’s going to dominate your thoughts throughout the day? Right, your aches and pains. However, if you wake up and the minute you open your eyes you say THANK YOU, then you have set yourself up for a day filled with light and blessings.

We all know how important it is to eat right, get out in nature and move our bodies don’t we? I urge you to give thanks every day for something. If you can’t get outside, look at the world out of your window and give thanks for all that you see. Wiggle your toes, put your hands in the air and shake them all about (yup, doing the hokey pokey works too!). Do something to get the blood flowing even if you can’t exercise like you used to or if you are having a down day. The sure fire way to feel better is to MOVE, BREATHE and BE GRATEFUL.

Cultivating a gratitude practice every single day will definitely bring more of what you are grateful for into your life. Thank your water for hydrating your body. Thank your coffee for bringing you that boost in the morning…..you get it right?

Being grateful every day is not related to age, but as we get older I say we should absolutely strive to age gratefully and if the word graceful fits your attitude, embrace that too.

Cheers to all of you – and I am grateful for the opportunity to share what I have learned in order to Ignite Your Spark and lead you towards a more vibrant you!