~ Matt Haig
Hello, Gorgeous!
February 2024
Transitions can be so uncomfortable, can't they?
Are you struggling with the invisible woman syndrome? Do you find yourself overlooked in social situations, the workplace, and in the media? Well, your days of fading into the background are over. Read on.
Covid brought the Gray Wave. Freedom and Being Real, at last. A big step forward for greater authenticity, yea YOU! (Not me. I am a redhead til my last breath!) Experts say that if you haven't changed your hairstyle since Prom Night, you are way overdue. They, The Experts, say that if you still have a long mane of possibly stringy, hair sprayed and over-colored, let these weary wisps go free. Better to keep those locks just below your shoulders. Short hair is more edgy and young, Experts say.
Don't wear jerseys, they cling to places we want hidden. Pastels age you, better to combine with brighter pieces to make our skin more radiant....and forget about fake tans. It adds years, Experts say.
Keeping up with the trends does not always serve you. In fact, it makes you look like you're trying too hard to look young. Authenticity makes life so much more comfortable.
I suggest you take your Self out on a date. Gather up a whole bunch of magazines, different ones than you usually thumb through. Take time to reflect on who you are.
Talk to your Self:
- What colors do you like?
- What styles have you never tried on: classic, edgy, bohemian, minimalist or a blend?
- What do you want to convey through your appearance?
- Consider your personality, your interests, and values.
- Be a statement of non-compliance.
- Know we have a choice about how we age.
Start out with a serious and intentional Closet Audit.
This will probably be the most difficult project ever. I get it. You are attached to the memory, the way you were. You've changed. Your body has morphed. Take those clothes that are prehistoric and donate them to new people who will love them like you did. Choose to keep and wear the clothes that make you feel authentic and gorgeous!
Keep only the clothes that fit and make you feel beautiful and confident!
Experiment.
Play.
Look around you.
What catches your eye?
Invest in yourself....in experiences that matter and help you grow. You've worked hard. You deserve your time in the light.
Choose your new identity with confidence!
― Osho
Talk to me. Susan Brooks
Featured Modern Elder*
Eileen Landau
Age 82
Eileen, who holds a Master's degree in English, believes wholeheartedly that as an 82 year old bad-ass wise woman, with a wicked sense of humor, she has earned the right to share her wisdom about anything, really...
"The first person you should love is yourself! I like to look nice for myself. I like to look good for myself. And I like to treat myself to weekly massages; facials; and monthly pedicures."
Eileen gives make-up tips and "hacks" to her 500 followers on Facebook (www.facebook.com/a.wise.woman.eileen.bell), and Instagram (eileen.bell.landau). Her stories always have an embedded message. And, she is obviously, also very tech savvy: "I was trained on the IBM 1973 when I worked for United Press International, which had one of the first IBM company systems in place. I'm a big Star Trek fan...ya gotta know the technology to navigate your own space ship!"
Eileen is 'Changing the Face of Aging' literally! Read these comments from her FB fans:
- You are a national treasure!
- Your posts always make me happy!
- You are such a light in this dismal world...
- I hope I'm as cute as you at 82!
- You are a Party Animal!
"I don't want to look younger! I only want to look my best! When I look good, I feel good! My belief is that make-up serves to make us feel beautiful and confident. And this is how it should be. It is as a confident woman that we will mold the world. Everyone loves pretty women!"
Women of all ages, spend billions of dollars doing their best to look good. "My readers told me why they love to wear make-up:
...armor
... warrior
...to look better
...feel better"
Eileen has been a colorful addition to my "REWIRED!" class. How many SENIOR INFLUENCERS can you name? She's even brave enough to come to our 10am class naked (that means with no make up on!!) to do a Self Portrait, while sharing her process and stories.
"Believe it or not, I can go without makeup without any qualms. Doesn't affect who I am!"
She even had a hand-out for us that included the products she used, the estimated cost, and where we could buy our own. I can hardly wait to hit Sephora!
If retirement or the next chapter is calling your name, if I can help you realize your vision in business and lifestyle, email me. Let's make it happen now! Susan@SusanLBrooks.com.
*Chip Conley, best-selling author and speaker, hospitality entrepreneur and leading thought leader, created The Modern Elder Academy's mission "to inspire the ability to reframe a lifetime of experience and recognize one's mastery, relevance, and value in the modern workplace." The Modern Elder* is Conley's term and effort that "liberates and inspires us to embrace wisdom as a path of growing whole, not old...The Modern Elder marries wisdom and curiosity."
Every month this newsletter will Feature the stories and wisdom of Modern Elders.
Share your Modern Elders with us...maybe it's you!! Please send in your Modern Elder Story along with a one-line Wisdom statement plus photo to be featured. CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT.
Today, I am 77 years old, and proud of it! Paul Simon, who is now in his 80's said it best years ago: us boomers were BORN AT THE RIGHT TIME!
Yes, I was born at the right time! I'm still a hippie from the 60's, I marched for civil rights for all humans, equal rights for women, waving my bra with the best. I am proud to be living and growing in a robust marriage of 57 years. I survived motherhood, and so did my now-adult children. I was an award-winning woman business owner when there were but a few of us. I've learned a whole bunch of lessons, and more importantly, I've earned my fair share of Wisdom, too. I am Pro-Age!
According to Chip Conley, one of today's leading thought leaders: "Experience is making a comeback. Wisdom never grows old." Chip created the hallmarks of the Modern Elder*: "learning to marry wisdom and experience with curiosity, cultivating a beginner's mind so that learning never ends, exemplifying a willingness to evolve both as a student and sage." Research shows that shifting our mindset about Aging can add 7.4 happy years to a person's life.
Proud to say I am a graduate of the Modern Elder Academy as well as an active participant in Wise Aging: Living with Joy, Resilience, and Spirit programs. As one of the creators and hosts of the Thrive@55 event, we celebrated our female community leaders who were 55+.
As long as I'm able to see the sunrise every morning and keep a curious mind, there's more living to do, so much more to learn, and so many new ways to serve. Trailblazer that I am, and always will be, I recognize my next mission: by example and demonstration I am committed to Changing the Face of Aging: One Modern Elder* at a time!
I welcome both local and national speaking engagements as well as one-on-one coaching opportunities to delve more deeply into navigating life transitions. Email me Here.
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