What a bummer to be settled into your seat for a trans-Atlantic flight only to learn that due to engine trouble you are headed back to the gate. – And you must remain aboard during two hours of mechanical repairs! That’s what just happened to us on our return flight to Europe.
And yet, what ended up as a four hour delay also turned out to be an enlightening experience.
Not being one to sit quietly, I stood in the aisle and began chatting with people. I even interviewed several on what the term AgeEsteem meant to them as they heard it for the first time. It’s a great icebreaker as well as an interesting source of information.
These spontaneous conversations also highlighted the dedication and concern ordinary people have for others. So much goodness around us. Among the people I spoke with were two women on their way to Uganda for two weeks to work in a project with children who are HIV positive. One was a student in International Studies for whom it would be her first experience in Africa. It was a second trip to the project for the other woman, a banker using her vacation to work at the project. Her first trip working with these children had changed her whole outlook, giving her a new perspective.on life. She was eager to return.
Another very special conversation was with a Sister en route « home » to Tanzania where she heads an orphanage for children with Leprosy. Leprosy is still a very real disease in many parts of the world and the work of this Sister with children and parents who live with Leprosy daily is changing lives and giving hope.
When the announcement came to return to our seats for take-off I was actually disappointed. It was so inspiring to exchange experiences and life philosophies with these people. Especially knowing within me that whether or not we ever see each other again, we have each received a gift. – The gift of sharing dreams of a better world.
Bonnie For the Soul AgeEsteem, dreams, enlightening, HIV, Leprosy, Tanzania, Uganda
The time between 2009 and 2010 is a split second, yet it announces an end to a year and the beginning of a new decade.
Everything is possible in this new decade. It is for us to explore, define and act. It is interesting to recognize that what we wish for today is very different from what we wished for ten, twenty or more years ago. As the world evolves, so do we. As we age and mature, so do our desires and dreams. But it remains up to us to drive our dreams to fruition.
What better time to reflect on your accomplishments of this past year and to dream of what you wish for during this new year and decade.
Write these desires and dreams down on a sheet of paper today. Make them as honest as possible, not worrying about “how” they might evolve. For the moment simply define them and write them down. Save this paper where you can read it every few months. The simple act of writing your desires and dreams helps you to make them happen.
Bonnie For the Soul, Holidays action, desires, dreams, new beginning, new decade, New Year
Home Alone
Are you alone for the holidays? It happens more frequently to us as we get older. Loved ones have died. Family is far away.
There are two ways to look at being home alone for the holidays. First is to feel alone and lonely. If that is your case, then take control. Tune into your AgeEsteem. Shake out of your lonliness by inviting others in.
- Attend holiday programs and services. Many offer a pick-up service. Or invite a friend who drives to accompany you.
- Invite other singles to your home for some holiday cheer. Some may feel as lonely as you.
- Organize an event with neighborhood children. It can be as simple as hot chocolate and a story. Parents will be pleased to have some free time for their own preparations.
- Volunteer in a soup kitchen or shelter.
- Dress up as Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus and visit neighbors to deliver homemade cookies.
The second way to look at being home alone for the holidays is to see it as being with yourself. You are in your own company and able to enjoy the time by yourself. Plan activities that relate to the holidays.
- Watch The Christmas Story.
- Listen to your favorite holiday music.
- Get out your photo albums and renew the joys of past holidays.
- Begin a journal of happy memories of holidays past.
- Make yourself a special meal and savor it.
Being home alone can be peaceful, joyous and loving. Let your AgeEsteem attitude shine through and enjoy!
Bonnie For the Soul, Holidays AgeEsteem, attitude, home alone, lonely, own company, with yourself
Abundance Is An Attitude
Each of us has potential that can be freed by looking at the abundance and goodness around us. When we lighten our lives by seeing the fortune that we have we are not only happier and more confident, we also become a magnet for others. There is a goodness in abundance which creates more goodness and more abundance. Look around you. The abundance is there.
AgeEsteem is acknowledging our abundance.
1. Interview people around you who are of different generations.
- What are they most thankful for?
- Do they have a habit of giving thanks daily? How?
- If so, when did they begin this habit?
- How do they benefit from their daily thanksgiving?
2. Do you see a difference between the attitude of those who give thanks regularly and those who do not?
3. Now, interview yourself using the same questions.
4. Taking all your interviews into consideration, do you see a correlation between people giving thanks, and feeling good about themselves at the age they are today?
5. Share your experience by leaving a comment or mailing Bonnie.Fatio@AgeEsteem.com.
Bonnie Across-generations, For the Soul abundance, AgeEsteem, attitude, goodness, potential, Thanksgiving
Recognize your blessings, however small.
Dr. Maya Angelou, who was asked by President Bill Clinton to write and recite an original poem for his Inauguration as President of the United States in 1993, had not always been articulate and confident. As a young girl she felt she was worthless and was dangerously depressed. Fortunately a teacher took interest in her and insisted that she make of list of everything she had to be thankful for. When she could find nothing to write, the teacher said, « Then begin with the fact that you are able to hold a pencil. » Little by little she began her list which has grown with the years. Today, Dr. Maya Angelou is herself a blessing in the lives of multitudes through her words, lyrics and legendary wisdom. At age 80 she continues her attitude of gratitude as she inspires audiences throughout the world.
On a recent trip to South Africa to present AgeEsteem at a global conference of Women’s Rights and Development it was once again reinforced for me just how privileged I am to live where I do. Learning from such a diverse group of women was enriching. Learning filters both ways. Often the people who have suffered the most through war, drought, hunger or standing up for what they believe to be just and right are the ones who show the greatest gratitude. They have managed to live through these experiences and survive. - And an important ingredient to this survival has been to see the little blessings along the way that others would have overlooked.
Recognizing our blessings, both great and small, and being thankful are powerful ingredients to reaching our potential at every age.
- Every night before you fall asleep ask yourself this question. « What am I most thankful for today? »
- Seek the little blessings that you normally overlook.
- Nourish your gratitude and feel truly thankful.
Bonnie For the Soul, Happiness at Every Age AgeEsteem, Bill Clinton, blessings, Dr. Maya Angelou, gratitude, potential
Do you feel abundance surrounding you? Do you think that it all belongs to someone else? Or, are you sometimes overwhelmed with wonder at how fortunate you are?
Abundance is having all that you need and want. Different people have varying perspectives. Much depends on how we define what abundance includes. Do you measure it by the number of things that you have acquired? Do you feel blessed because you are healthy and have enough to eat? Do you relish the abundance of beauty that surrounds you?
My Dad used to say that we were rich because we were healthy and happy. We kept healthy habits, ate balanced meals and took dental hygiene seriously. Our extra perks were picnics on the beach to watch a stunning sunset, or on a summer evening catching fire flies and giggling with friends as we pointed our elbow to a star and wished on it out loud. We were giddy with abundance. No one needed a second pair of shoes or a designer shirt to feel rich. The coolest of the cool was to have pop bottle tops stuck onto your shirt, the more the better.
What is your abundance made up of? Is it money, jewelry and designer clothes? Do you count it as your friends and family? Is it waking up in the morning knowing you have the gift of a new day to open and discover? Do you consider the fragrance of the flowers and sounds of a bird chirping or water running in a stream as part of your treasures? Is the simple fact that you have a job with a regular income or the skills to find such a job part of your fortune?
Bonnie For the Soul, Happiness at Every Age abundance, beauty, happy, healthy
Giving Thanks For Your Abundance
Do a multitude of blessings come into mind when you see this title or do you have to go on a hunting trip to find the abundance in your life?
An attitude of gratitude is a key to AgeEsteem. And what better time of year to emphasize this than this month when Thanksgiving is celebrated in several countries? Why not truly give thanks this year?
When our granddaughter was born, I spent hours holding her in my arms thinking how fortunate she was to simply be born where she was born and in a family who wanted her, with parents, grandparents and extended family who love her. She was born into an environment of peace and prosperity where as a young girl she can strive to become anything she desires. Education is taken for granted. She has a roof over her head, clothes to wear, her own shoes, and healthy food to eat. Healthcare is readily available, including vacinations from diseases that continue to kill elsewhere in the world. She can wish on stars in the clear night and watch in awe as the sun sets or rises with its colorful hues. Probably her greatest pain will be from scraped knees and minor bruises. She is free from the threat of land mines and snipers. She lives where she can make her own choices, aspire to become what she wishes and to dream without fear. Laughter, learning and freedom of speech are hers to enjoy. And, I add once again that she is surrounded by family who will protect, support and encourage her.
Those of us who have some or all of these same fortunes truly have reason to give thanks for our abundance.
- Write down 10 reasons you have to be thankful.
- Now write 10 more reasons you have to be thankful.
- Write 10 more reasons.
Bonnie For the Soul, Happiness at Every Age abundance, AgeEsteem, attitude, blessings, gratitude, Thanksgiving
WorldYWCA Board and Guests
What an amazing, competent, dedicated and inspiring organization the YWCA is! Did you know that
- The YWCA is active in 127 countries.
- Their programs touch over 25 million women and girls.
- When women are empowered to become leaders whole communities are enriched.
We were privileged to receive the WorldYWCA Board in our home. This Board is a wonderful example of an inter-generational and inter-cultural body, and one that functions effectively. Members come from 22 countries, each bringing unique talents and experience. A number of them are still in their twenties bringing new views to complement those of other ages.
It is important for our personal age-esteem to keep such inter-generational contact active in our own lives and to reach out and work with others of diverse ages toward a common goal. My commitment to the WorldYWCA not only expands my knowledge and enhances my understanding of other cultures while helping to improve lives, it also boosts my age-esteem! I love being an ambassador for the WorldYWCA.
Bonnie For the Soul age-esteem, Board, inter-cultural, inter-generational, WorldYWCA, YWCA
I love the message of the Blueberry Star in the previous post. We don’t have to travel to foreign places or meet celebrities to discover life’s messages. The star on a blueberry reminds us that miracles surround us. We need only to be tuned into them and relish in their beauty to find courage and joy in each day.
This is one of Dorothy Oliveau’s picture poetry messages. She wrote them for her friends throughout her later years. She was a very talented woman who managed to find the beauty in each day no matter what was happening in her life. – A wonderful role model of AgeEsteem.
- The next time you eat a blueberry, take a moment to discover its beauty.
- Enjoy its aroma and savor the taste.
- Remember that blueberries are one of the healthiest foods for keeping your mind alert.
Bonnie For the Soul, Nourishing Factors AgeEsteem, blueberry, Dorothy Oliveau, picture poetry, role model
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