Life and Work Skills
Maybe you’ve noticed that our behavior toward and with each other has taken a nosedive during the last few years. It’s OK now to publicly call people names, degrade them, make fun of them, and bully them. But we know that’s not really OK, and that we really can be kind, right, women of experience? […]
Ever want to hold on to a moment in time? Of course we do, but we can’t. Time marches on—something two wasp nests taught me. “To everything, there is a season…” That line from the Bible was also a hit song for The Byrds in 1965, if you remember that far back, like I do. […]
What’s old isn’t always new again, especially when it comes to “older drivers’” skills. We over-50s are labeled with that singular designation, along with its own sobering statistics, like these: In 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 5,560 people over the age of 65 died, and 214,000 were injured in motor vehicle […]
We’re all trying to achieve balance. I just read a new book I think you’ll enjoy called, “Achieving Optimal Living 360,” by Sanjay Jain, MD, MBA. I’ve identified a few key points so you, too, can achieve optimal living. First, Dr. Jain names major commonalities and ways we all connect. He calls them Core Assets […]
The sum of $50 billion is a chunk of change in anyone’s book. It’s the amount of money the United States loses to financial fraud schemes every year. As National Crime Prevention Month comes to a close today, financial fraud happens every day. You can prevent financial fraud. In a recent report you should not miss, “Financial […]
So last night I went to sleep and thought, “Yikes. I am NEVER going to catch up.” It’s a feeling that hangs over me like a cloud. It’s a feeling I also experience frequently. Catch up on what, you ask? Everything. I feel I’m submerged in the requirements of a “to-do” list that gets longer […]
Have you ever faced something you thought you were powerless to prevent? Of course you have, and maybe you’re even in that situation right now. It’s true that there are many things we can’t control. Right now, we—that’s you and I—can’t possibly control whether the U. S. bombs Syria, or global warming continues, or whether […]
Most of my life I think I’ve been too timid—about approaching people—especially people who could help me move forward with my career mission as I push past fear. All last week I thought about making Friday my “call them” day. I wanted to reach out to certain important people to whom I’d already sent LOI’s—letters […]
The great crime writer Agatha Christie had it right when she wrote: “I have enjoyed greatly the second blooming…suddenly you find—at the age of 50, say—that a whole new life has opened before you.” Carol April, creator and founder of not done yet® or ndy, couldn’t agree more. What, you may be asking, is this […]
I’ve been trying (!) to get up earlier and earlier in order to make the most of my day. I’ve been rising at 5:15, going to my gym around 5:45, and being at the desk by 7:15 or so. The workout always makes me feel empowered, in control, and ready for the day, and getting […]
Maybe it’s because I’m single again that doing “some” things is just a little harder than it used to be. Like picking the tree at Lowe’s. And bringing it in. And putting it in the stand. At Lowe’s: “So, I think that trunk is too short, cuz’ I need at least eight inches on the […]
My health insurance just went up (again). I received a separate letter today from AARP—the carrier for my United Healthcare policy—that contained a card entitled, “6 simple things you can do every day to improve your health.” The credit is to Dr. Oz, whose short, punchy article was taken from a 2010 edition of AARP […]
When friends ask me how long I intend to work, my answer comes rapid-fire: “Until I don’t want to, which at this point, is never.” Really. I can’t imagine not working: What would I do? (And don’t say “volunteer.” I already do that—when I’m not working. I write as a volunteer for humane causes, with […]
I wrote this story for a tip-top healthcare jobs site, AllHealthcareJobs.com. If you’re thinking of getting back into healthcare—and there are plenty of reasons why—this is THE site to visit first. If your kids are drawn to healthcare, send them to AllHealthcareJobs. Even if you’re not pursuing this path, I believe this story contains tips […]
This uplifting HuffPost story prompted me to stop and ask myself: “If I had a near-death experience, what would I be doing?” That’s exactly what 56-year-old boomer and now contemporary jazz artist Serenity Stewart wondered after she survived a brain aneurysm. She’s just released her first album, proof that fulfilling a dream can happen to […]
“I told you not to do that.” No, it’s not your parent, your spouse or your boss. It’s you. Talking to yourself. Do you always listen? Mind Your Body has been MIA because I didn’t listen to myself, as the pink sparkly cast on my left hand reminds me. So does the fact that I […]
“From the outside” it seems that some people have it all and can do it all. Our insatiable thirst for celebrity news is fueled in part by the fact that celebs are so confident and they make us want to be like them. Of course, if you and I had whenever-we-want-it access to a makeup […]
If you’re a baby boomer who’s retired and thinking of starting your own new small business, have I got (FREE) help for you! It’s from the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and its nonprofit partner, SCORE, founded in 1964. Don’t know this SCORE? You should and here’s why. First, count 13,000 volunteers in 364 […]
I’ve been away from Mind Your Body due to “a moving experience.” And it doesn’t get any easier, or any more fun. (Who said moving was “fun”, anyway? Where is that person?) Here I am, doing it again. How many times have you moved? I remember moving from the town of Spruce Pine, N. C. to […]
Things aren’t always what they seem, especially in the world of banking. In water cooler or cocktail hour conversation, the word “bank” is likely to inspire different reactions. Some may champion Occupy Wall Street’s stand against financial greed and corruption, while others collectively blame banks for the current housing crisis. Still others decry the lack […]
If you don’t know Peter Shankman and what he’s done—and does—you really should. He’s a self-described author, entrepreneur, speaker, and worldwide connector. And he helps me. As a journalist, I frequently need sources for my stories and I post my need—or query—on HARO, a.k.a., Help a Reporter (in this case, me) Out. It’s magic and […]
Because Sunday is Earth Day, let’s look at simple ways we baby boomers can help our Mother Earth extend her longevity—just like we try to do for ourselves. It’s too easy to say: “Let everyone else do this.” I try to own up and I figure I’m not doing too badly, but can surely do […]
If you’ve seen super-successful entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran on ABC’s “The Shark Tank” or as the real estate guru on NBC’s “Today,” it’s obvious she doesn’t swim with the minnows. In a video interview in Fast Company, she lets us all off the hook, admitting that for her, there is no work-life balance. So take a […]
Volunteering “completes” my life. I work (a lot), I play, and I donate my writing skills to an organization that does the work that I alone can’t do, but wish I could for Stray Cat Alliance (SCA). This Los Angeles-area humane nonprofit helps these kinds of cats: homeless, stray, feral and “community.” My pro bono […]
Are you organized? It’s great if your sock or underwear drawer is in impeccable order, and the books on your shelf, and the cans in your pantry, but what about your thoughts? I am always trying to be more productive. And I am perennially trying to be more organized. Maybe it’s because I have two full-time […]
He’s back here on Mind Your Body: Ken Dychtwald, guru of the marketing group Age Wave, with new baby boomer facts and stats that add substantially to our increasing knowledge about this powerful demographic. Advertising legend J. Walter Thompson (JWT) says one of its own 2012 trend projections is a more positive view of aging. […]
Can’t we do it all, look good, and be nice regardless of our age? A white paper called “Today’s Women: Newfound Power, Persistent Expectations” was published last week from the brand company Anthem Worldwide. It evaluated women’s externally-driven motivations—those others put upon us—along with our own, internally-driven motivations and what this means to marketers eager […]
“This job is going to kill me.” If you’ve ever uttered those words, then you won’t be thrilled with the results of a recent poll from the Associated Press and LifeGoesStrong. com. It appears that 73 percent of us boomers are preparing to work past age 65, an increase from 67 percent this spring. I […]
We boomers often pause to reflect about what was, is and might be. Rumination prompts many boomers to ultimately decide “It’s just not working.” No time like the present, they feel, for change. After all, being with someone who makes you miserable is not only a waste of precious time, but the chronic stress can seriously […]
Pre-Halloween survey results from the National Marketing Institute gave credit where credit was due, saying that our baby boomer demographic isn’t only redefining aging, but revolutionizing it. It also distinguishes between “healthy aging” and “anti-aging”: The latter reminds me of buying a miracle in a bottle. About our demographic, “survey said”: “Providing them with the […]
If you ask Brent Green who he is, he knows the answer. “I’m an impassioned individual committed to the development of a more egalitarian society that extends to treatment of the generations.” Amen. He’s also a recognized baby boomer marketing expert, a speaker and author, and host of a superbly researched and produced online radio […]
Boomers are about to increase dramatically in size in the next ten years. No, not our bodies individually, but the body of boomers, the powerful overall demographic: Ages 50+ (That’s us!) will grow by 22 percent, according to U. S. Census Bureau data. Matt Thornhill, founder of the marketing research and consulting firm, the […]
My mother, Mary Louise, taught school for 35 years and she loved (almost) every day of it. “The children,” she would say often, “are such a joy.” Of course, not every child was always a joy, but in spite of her grumbling about having to get up early five days a week, she counted her […]