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Stretch Yourself – Good for Your Body and Mind

by amy155, posted in Beauty/Appearance/Style, Health/Wellness, Relationships, Wellness/Self Love

Amy and Lydia 2018

This summer I hurt my shoulder, and couldn’t lift heavy weights.  I had to adjust my fitness routine to a different pace.  One of my BFFs from grade school days, Lydia, came to visit, and she’s a yoga enthusiast at 65.  Looks great.  During her visit, she got on the floor and stretched for 15 minutes every day, then meditated.  I thought “Hmmm.  That’s doable and looks like it feels great!”

So I started that regimen, and let me tell you—it’s powerful and effective.

Stretching Did You Know

As we age, our muscles and joints do also.  They are stiffer than they used to be.  But, with stretching, they can stay lubricated and working well for us.

There’s a new app coming soon called http://www.westretch.ca.  While we wait on this app with daily stretch routines, here’s an article highlighting  “9 Stretching Benefits Women Over 40 Should Know”  https://westretch.ca/9-stretching-benefits-women-over-40-should-know/

They include:  1) reducing stress, 2) opening up the body’s muscles and increasing blood flow, 3) stretched muscles become your new normal, 4) a stretching routine can elevate your exercise performance, 5) it reduces overuse injuries, 6) benefits nearly all parts of your body, 7) fights age-related stiffness, 8)improves your flexibility and 9) when consistent, stretching improves the total way you move.  

I’ve felt ALL of these benefits since stretching daily.  It’s amazing–takes only 10-15 minutes, can be done anywhere and truly is a great way to start the day.

And then, adding 10-15 minutes on meditation–WOW.  By calming my mind, I stretch my mind and my possibilities.  I know, I know.  Many of you say you can’t meditate.  I was there too.  It didn’t work when I had to chant or hum.  That may work for some.  For me, when I read that all you have to do is sit quietly for a set amount of time (I use the timer on my iPhone) and let your thoughts roll by…well, that I could do.

Meditation stretches your mind by clearing out stuff.  It’s like when you have too many windows open on your computer, it slows down.  It’s like trying to see clearly on a foggy day.  You have more clarity when the fog lifts.  When I’ve cleared my mind for the day, all sorts of new ideas have room to pop in, and they do!  It also sets a positive tone for the day, as I’m not focused on negativity.

Stretching your body and your mind is a wonderful way to lubricate your well-being on a daily basis.   Far too often, the alarm goes off, and we hop on our phones, checking email,  responding to it, turning on the news and letting all kinds of stories fill your mind, and…we are off to the races!

By taking a few minutes to tune in to your body, then clearing your mind, you can take your energy and productivity to a whole different level.  Trust me, it feels SIZZLING afterward!

It’s so simple.  Sometimes, the most simple things can be the most powerful.

Hugs, Amy

Amy BW Outfit 9-18

Press On!

by amy155, posted in Finances/Entrepreneurship, Health/Wellness

SA60 11-7-18 post pic Silver vestAs I reflect on the results of the mid-term elections, I felt compelled to share a poem I wrote over twenty years ago.  I wrote it when a friend came over after a devastating break up.  And some of the losses last night were very hard to accept.  But sometimes in life, we have to accept what happened, celebrate the good, look ahead and

PRESS ON!

PRESS ON, ALTHOUGH THE ROAD IS ROCKY

PRESS ON, THROUGH RIVERS OF DOUBT

PRESS ON WHEN “NO” SEEMS TO GREET YOU OFTEN

JUST SMILE AND SIMPLY PRESS ON

PRESS ON WHEN OTHERS TRY TO STOP YOU,

EVEN WHEN THEIR HEARTS ARE TRUE

PRESS ON TO SHARE YOUR GOD-GIVEN GIFTS

BECAUSE GOD MADE ONLY ONE YOU!

 

That’s it for today — PRESS ON!

Hugs,

Amy

Reinvention is a Choice. 

by amy155, posted in Beauty/Appearance/Style, Finances/Entrepreneurship, Health/Wellness
dawn sunset beach woman
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

 Are you considering a major change in your life?  It can seem daunting.  Should I start that business?  Move to another city?  Try a different career?

Well, you are reinventing yourself. Like a caterpillar shedding it’s skin in order to emerge as a butterfly, we shed our skins several times at different stages of life. I remember when I became a mother. A totally new life for me. I had to re-invent who Amy was. All of my ambitions, goals and desires had to be re-calibrated because I now was responsible for another life.  But re-calibrated–not eliminated.

What was challenging was not only to re-think who I was, but also not to LOSE who I was in the process.  It wasn’t easy.  I’ve always been ambitious. Sold homemade perfume from petals in my mother’s rose garden at 10. I’ve had paying work since I was 13 years old, so working was in my DNA.

I was not in a position to be a stay-at-home Mom. That didn’t bother me, as my role model, my mother, always worked. I saw her re-invent herself from a nurse, to an entrepreneur, to a college grad, then a math and science teacher who went on to get a graduate degree. And she did all this reinventing AFTER having four children. So, I grew up thinking women could work and be a mother. And that’s what I did. I continued to work, have a corporate career, became an entrepreneur, and still relished motherhood. Wife-hood didn’t work out as well…but that’s another post.  Lessons learned.

Mom and me in NY

What I understand now and didn’t then, is how much COURAGE it took for my mother to re-invent herself. It took tremendous courage for her to pursue her ambitions in the 1950’s and 60’s. She recognized what her spirit was saying she needed to manifest…she didn’t ignore it. How often we IGNORE what our inner spirit is saying to us! We ignore at times due to fear. Yet, if you tell fear to step aside, you can take the time to go within to make some important decisions.

Choosing to re-invent requires introspection and action. During those introspective times, don’t let your thoughts go down a path of regret. “I wish I had tried X.”  Well, it’s not too late! Don’t waste time in What If-Ville. “What if I try X and this happens. What if I don’t try?”  Time will march on either way, so choose to move from thinking about re-invention to taking steps to do it. All of a sudden, your energy to achieve shifts–and your mind becomes freer to create a new reality for yourself.

You start jumping into your day, buoyed by the KNOWING that you are getting into alignment with your gifts. Wow. When this happens to me, it’s like having a mind orgasm. Ha!

We can CHOOSE TO RE-INVENT. It can be an exciting journey, even when you can’t see the end of the trip. Take action on your dreams. Don’t waste moments on things that shift your energy into a negative place. Click on your mind app that says ONWARD AND UPWARD!

It’s never to late to SIZZLE!   Talk to you next week.  Hugs, Amy

sunset beach people sunrise
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

 

Tap Into Your Juice

by amy155, posted in Beauty/Appearance/Style, Finances/Entrepreneurship, Health/Wellness, Relationships
blue clouds color danger
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

It’s interesting.  This process of Sizzling.  To me, it is so much more than how I look.  It’s how I feel about my life, and the many aspects of it.  You see, there’s is so much to live for.  It’s about consistently making the decision to step toward the good.  Step toward God’s gifts inside of you.

I wrote a guidebook, called Tap Into Your Juice – How to Find Your Gifts, Lose Your Fears and Build Your Dreams some 14 years ago.  In it’s 4th printing.  Endorsed by Michelle Obama.  It’s based on ten principles–my 10 P’s–philosophies I live by.  The first is Believing in Possibilities.  I’ve found that if you have a dream, a vision, a goal–even if you’ve never done it, if it is on your heart to do, try or become–well, it was put there for a reason.  Keep walking toward it.  Your belief is your energy source–align to it.  No matter what your age.

I still read TAP myself.  They say the teacher sometimes is the one needing the lessons.  Ha! Well, that would be me.  When life throws a curve, I go back to my 10 P’s.  Feel free to check them out…get it in ebook/Kindle form on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/tap-into-your-juice/id1099926182?mt=11 –or Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Tap-Into-Your-Juice-Dreams-ebook/dp/B01LWRR58J.  Paperback copies are coming back soon!

You see, to me, your Juice is the energy of your gifts–the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional vibrancy that gives you the momentum to accomplish anything.  And since our gifts are uniquely individual, your Juice can be too.  Tapping into it is a way of plugging into your smarts, strength, creativity, courage, resolve and resiliency to move forward through fear to build your dreams.

I had fears about starting this blog!  As the posts show, it’s not my first time.  Life happened.  You run hard and and the currents can be rough.  But I’ve found that turning within to align with the intuitive guidance we all have been given is energizing.  It’s like putting your boat in the river in the direction of the currents–your currents.  Learning to believe in and trust what feels right to you is a process.  But guess what?  When you get into the rhythm of it, the possibilities start coming.

Don’t fight the feeling!  Go with your gut.  Have less fight and more right with yourself and see what happens.  You’ll figure out the logical stuff.

And actually, as I’ve gotten older, this is becoming easier to do.  It’s freeing to realize that you can connect right into higher levels of energy.  Click on to it like an app–it’s electric!  It’s a mindset.   Be your OWN lottery ticket.

When negativity pulls, I remember to start tapping and Stand in My Power–my God-given gifts and shift my energy into gear.  I want the possibilities of a vibrant life, so I’m believing they are mine to have.  What about you?

Tap Into Your Juice.  Try it.

Let me know how that works for you, OK?

And as always–SIZZLE ON!

Sending Hugs,

Amy

 

 

 

 

Shift Happens

by amy155, posted in Beauty/Appearance/Style, Finances/Entrepreneurship, Health/Wellness, Relationships, Wellness/Self Love

There comes a time.

At each stage of life, you shift.   Priorities, plans, dreams.  You rearrange the chairs on the deck to fit the motion of the ocean.  Always pressing on, but pressing in a different way.  You sail on while things calibrate, energy moves, and then exciting horizons can appear.  I’m shifting gears now.   Higher!Horizon

When energy moves in a different direction, it’s hard sometimes to catch the rhythm, and may be a shock to your expectations.  But then, as you catch the rhythm, you make different decisions and change the map.  New destinations ahead!   Staying open to possibilities can sizzle!  It keeps momentum in life when you look at the positives of shift happening.

Shift.  What’s shift?  The stuff that can make you mad, delays that can frustrate, new information that changes your perspective and can throw you off your square.  But within the swirl of it, take another look, and find something new.    Another way of getting to success.  Even with situations where you thought you had figured out all the angles.

My friend Norma and I talked about this–that Shift Happens.   It does.   Why fight it?  Norma had a great  party celebrating her Level 7–seven decades of living life—and looks fabulous!  Part looking good is letting things matter that really matter now.  The rest–well, leave it alone.  Letting shift happen and staying focused on the positives is Better than Botox!  Less worry lines.  Keeps the forehead smooth.  Just sayin’.

Making a strategic pivot can really turn out well.  It’s hard to let old frameworks go, but when leveling up, that’s what is required.   When riding the wave, even if a turn takes you on a longer road, keep pedaling.   Let the fresh air hit your face.  The air around you is changing to go with the flow of opportunity.  God’s timing always shifts you in the right direction.

So, don’t get mad when Shift Happens.  Just roll with it.  Then make the choices you need to find the current and RIDE!

Do you feel me?  Let me know!

Hugs,

Amy

 

 

The Benefits of Pruning

by amy155, posted in Beauty/Appearance/Style, Finances/Entrepreneurship, Health/Wellness

Pruning

I’m good at a lot of things, but I don’t have a green thumb.  While I love the looks of plants, most of the ones in my home are of the beautiful silk variety!  The pictures above are of the only plant I’ve been able to grow.  Would you  believe it’s the same plant?  It is.

This is a ten-year old Peace Lilly, saved from my Dad’s Homegoing.  His spirit is in there!  I talk to him regularly.  After repotting it twice, I realized the plant was not thriving at all.  I called my good friend  Cj, who has a totally green thumb and got her steps to repot–the right way.  So I did.  And—NOTHING.  Daddy’s plant still wasn’t responding.

I didn’t know what else to do, so I just started pruning it.  Cutting off the old leaves.  I figured the old leaves and stems were holding on to old rotted roots, and weren’t doing any good.  So I watered with Miracle Grow, pruned and asked Daddy to come on back to life.  All summer.

Funny thing–once I started pruning back the old leaves that were not producing, NEW leaves started growing.  It was as if after all this time, my plant was saying to me “Time to start something new.  Time to change your position in the pew.”  And, about this time, I brought back my Sizzling After 60 Blog too and I’m loving it!

We’ve all heard that pruning plants can cause new growth, and I have PROOF!!  But also, how many of us apply that concept in life?  Sometimes, I’m finding as I get older I have to prune back people, projects, food, clothing…choices in order to grow.  Everyone can’t be in your life for the long haul.  Some are there for a reason or a season.

As Susan Taylor once told me, “Everyone can’t have a front row seat in your life”.  I’d add, “Everything can’t either”.  So I’m embracing pruning.

Back to my plant.  The healthy plant on the bottom is all totally new.  It’s Sizzling, right?  I just kept cutting it back and new sprouts kept growing until I may have to repot it again soon!  It’s overflowing with vitality.  It’s thirsty, too.  But, I discovered an important lesson.  I don’t over water it anymore.  I just give it what it needs and it grows from there.  Hmmm.  Just give your life what it needs and let it grow from there.   Sounds like a plan to me.

So, Sizzlers…get out those pruning shears and make room to GROW!

Happy Hump Day.   Have a great rest of the week.

Hugs,

Amy

 

 

 

Give Yourself Some Air

by amy155, posted in Health/Wellness
                                          beach-cliff-cliff-coast-946351
I was in NYC, running late for an important reception.  Got involved with work on my laptop, looked up and my time to get ready was crunched.  As I rushed to take the subway to save time, I missed my train–twice (was on the wrong track!) and became uber-frustrated.  First at the subway clerk who told me where to go.  Then at the train for not opening its doors on my side.  Then for not leaving time to take a real UBER.  In reality, though, I was mad at ME.  For working past my cutoff time.  For spending time with my Mom when I was running late (not really on that one).  For not leaving earlier.  For not going bare-legged instead of jostling with pantyhose.
For not…for not…And then—I. Just. Stopped.
Could I have done better time management?  Yes.  Was beating myself up about it going to change anything?  No.  So instead, I gave myself some air.
I settled down, took a deep breath and reminded myself–it’s not that serious.
Wow!  Immediate stress reduction.  And reducing stress is KEY for better health and a longer life.  For Sizzling.
I decided not to stress over it.  To look forward to the evening instead and resolve to get better with my time.
That felt a LOT better.  And, was a much better use of my thoughts and emotions.
Giving yourself some air around things you could do better is WAAAY more satisfying than beating yourself up over stuff that isn’t going to change.  As a Type A person, I want things right, on my timing, my hands are on the wheel, etc.  But Type A or not, life can get in the way, so I’m giving myself some air and letting life be life.
While similar in concept to one of my favorite books, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson, Give Yourself Some Air is slightly different in approach.  It’s not Just Do It!—Hup, Two, Three, Four!
Give Yourself Some Air is more—just breathe…WooooSaaaa!
Whew.  This revelation is a long time coming for me.  Just breathe.  Letting go of the small frustrations that hamper well-being is affirming.  And doing so makes it easier on those close to you at home, work or play.  
Are you with me, you perfectionists out there!  Take heart! LOL.  It’s just not that serious.
Seek perspective in the situation instead of buying into the frustration of the moment.  Switching your focus is an immediate stress reducer.
And I’m all about living stress-free.
It helps keep my Sizzle.  IJS.
😎
Talk to you next week.
Hugs,
Amy

 

Two Meals can give your Body the Feels!

by amy155, posted in Beauty/Appearance/Style, Health/Wellness

As we age, research suggests reducing our caloric intake is a good idea.  How to do that without feeling HANGRY?  Well, I’m trying the Two Meal a Day Plan that Active Agers in some Blue Zones use.  Instead of eating breakfast first thing when I get up and moving (I’m an early riser–5:30 AM–where are my early birds at?) I now eat breakfast no sooner than 10 AM, and try to stretch to not eat until Noon.  Then, a nice hearty meal between 5-8 PM.  This is also called Intermittent Fasting.  Check out this link, https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/a-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting.  It’s fairly long, but also informative.

Here’s what’s been working for me–when those first hunger pangs, signals to eat because I’m used to first thing coming knocking, I say “Hi there.  I see you.  But not going to feed you now.  Bye”.  And then they pass.  Another tip that I got from Nerd Fitness, I walk a mile or workout before eating.  Also helps keeps the hunger pangs at bay.

Then, when I eat, that’s ALL I do.  Eat.  No TV, reading, texting.  Just enjoying the food and the moment, perhaps with friends.  Savor the Flavor.  Chewing slowly.  Thinking about why the food is good for me.  Did I tell you I’m now a pescartarian?  Not a Vegan–yet.  No more red meat, pork or chicken.  Only fish.  Totally a good move.  But that’s another blog post.

If a sweet urge hits, watermelon does the trick.  Or, let’s be real.  I did found The  ComfortCake Company–“poundcake so good it feels like a hug”.   We don’t manufacture them wholesale anymore, but I still make a mean one and enjoy a slice now and then (but give away most of it)!

And to ease into a good sleep at night, Sleepy Time Extra Herbal Tea by Celestial Seasonings does the trick!  A good night’s rest is part of the Intermittent Fasting regimen.  And, it takes up a lot of the fasting hours–Ha!

I’ve been working on these last 10 pounds for a while now–REINVENTING my body.  As Joyce Meyer says, Reinvention requires identifying and understanding the repetitive strongholds in your life that are pulling you down or holding you back.  Those of you who follow me on Facebook and Instagram know I like to work out, but I needed to reinvent my eating habits.  I could no longer ignore what wasn’t working–what didn’t feel right.  Feelings don’t lie.  They are the intuitive shorthand that safeguards you, and can point you in powerful and positive new directions.

But it does take Courage to act on the awareness of the behaviors that are holding you back.  I know.  It’s easier to rationalize those feelings away.  “Well, I really need this pair of shoes.  This purse is Totally Me!  This bread is calling my name, and so is this BBQ!!” LOL.

All I can share is that I have felt Courageous as I’ve changed my eating habits to Reinvent my body.  It’s so much more than looks or getting into the dress I haven’t worn in years.  It’s about how my body feels.  How my mind is more clear.  How I’m working to not get diseases that can affect the quality of my life going forward.  Breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, dementia, high blood pressure and more can all be affected by what we eat and how much we eat.

Yes, Two Meals is giving my Body the Feels.  And I love the Feeling.

Why not give it a try, Sizzlers?  Let me know how it feels to YOU.

Hugs,

Amy

 

The Resilient Power of Friendship

by amy155, posted in Health/Wellness, Relationships

Last week, I lost a dear friend.  Ken Smikle, the husband of one of my closest friends, Renee Ferguson.  A remarkable man, marketing industry pioneer and part of a great couple.  Our children grew up together, and we have spent many years sharing our lives, loves, business ideas, successes, losses, joys, tears–and much, much laughter.

Renee and I are like sisters.  We are there for each other.  When Ken had a major heart attack on August 20, I stopped everything to be at her side.  Her son called me distraught as I was headed to the airport to be with my 94-year-old Mom.  Jason said, “Amy, my Dad just had a heart attack!!  I can’t get there yet from NY and my Mom is alone–can you PLEASE come to the hospital right away?”  I knew I could–and had to–delay my flight to be with my friend.  To hold her hand.  To help her breathe.  To pray with her.

As the next three weeks went on, we spent many hours at the hospital hoping for a miracle.  Several of us circled the wagons of friendship, so that she could be strong for the fight ahead.  Bringing stories to laugh about, books and newspapers to read, hugs to give energy, pizza to eat.  More than once the nurses had to remind us that there were too many in Ken’s ICU room!  But we had to be there to support our friends.

In my research for Sizzling After 60, I have read about the Blue Zones, regions of the world known for the longevity of their inhabitants.   Dan Buettner has written three best selling books about the Blue Zones, and they are on his website http://www.bluezones.com.  According to a special National Geographic Report, there is no one secret as to why people in the Blue Zones live longer, happier lives.  Dan has noted that residents of the Blue Zones practice nine healthy lifestyle habits that help them have healthier, longer lives including what they eat, daily rituals, social networks, physical environments and sense of purpose.  I will go into all of them in later blog posts but here, I will note a key one that I have seen in action through this recent challenging time with Ken and Renee:  Having The Right Tribe.  Social circles that support healthy behaviors.

For example, on the Japanese island of Okinawa, long cited for having the longest-living women, the women create moais, groups of five friends who are committed to each other for life.

I am part of my Renee’s moai, and she is part of mine.  Proudly.  She has more than five friends who are in her moai for sure–but all are long term, close and THERE.  I have witnessed the transfer of energy in the darkest moments when her resiliency was weak–we stepped in to give her our power so she could continue.

When Ken took his last breath, Renee’s loving family surrounded her.  And so did her moai.  And as the next several days have unfolded, with the inevitable and painful tasks ahead, her moai has been there with food, ideas, stories, simple company, communications to others, whatever was needed.  Often, laughter was the medicine needed to bring resilience.  Spontaneous prayers, too.

Life will happen.  To all of us.  To me, knowing that you have a moai there to hold you up when those moments knock you down can power up your resilience, and help you to press on.  When that job gets to be too much.  When your children work your nerves.  When your parents are sick.  That divorce.  The lost account.  That last breath.

Sometimes I used to get real busy going for that brass ring…taking care of family…my relationship…paying bills…running here and there…and not taking enough time for friends.  Yes, real friends understand when you are overwhelmed, busy and can’t talk every day.  But as more and more people I know and care about have left this earth, I am making SURE that I make time for the true friends, my moai, in life.  They have to feel me, and I them.  Research notes that taking friends for granted can shorten your life, and keeping positive friends close can enhance it!

I’m blessed to have friends going back to nursery school, elementary school in my moai.  And friends that have joined my moai on life’s journey during later years.  They are precious jewels.  Strong as diamonds.  With the right word, a hug, a recommended strategy, they can drill through the strongest of life’s walls of tribulation with the power of their friendship and give me the resiliency I need.

Who is in your moai?  Let them know you love them.  That you are there for them.   You will need each other and when you do, there’s nothing better than knowing the power of their resilience is right there.  Unconditionally.

I hope you can see that for me, there are a lot of layers to sizzling in life.  In a nutshell though, sizzling is about keeping all the things that positively fuel my life burning bright.  What about you?  I’d love to hear from you right here.

So friends, take care.  Cherish each other, and always–Sizzle On!  

Talk to you next week.

 

 

 

 

Keep Growing and Glowing

by amy155, posted in Beauty/Appearance/Style, Health/Wellness

Lessons from the Tao on Growth:

A moving door hinge never corrodes. Flowing water is never stagnant.

Even in the autumn of Life, you cannot give up on growth. If you do, you only decline. All aspects of a person: body, mind and spirit have one curious quality…once they stop growing, they begin to atrophy.

That’s why no matter what you have accomplished and no matter how old you are, you must keep exercising all parts of yourself!

And, we only grow when we are challenged.

Muscles do not strengthen without resistence!!

Keep flowing and challenging yourself–a great way to Sizzle After 60!