When is the last time you spent 12 hours non-stop and still had energy to spare? Yesterday? Ten years ago?
Our age esteem soars when we are full of energy and vitality. We feel good about ourselves when our energy seems boundless. We are happier and healthier.
On my hour drive home from playing with my two little granddaughters ages 2 and 4 for ten hours – after my early morning drive to their home – I was still bubbling with energy. I felt exuberant.
Why would I feel energized after such a long day? One reason is that I did not babysit. Instead, I played! We spent the whole day having fun, doing what we enjoyed. It was a powerful lesson on how to put more energy into your age esteem.
- Build into your day activities that you enjoy. Roll in the grass.
- Find ways to make activities that you must do enjoyable. Sing to your spinach.
- Change activities when your attention span tires and move onto something else. Make cookies and then paint or draw.
- Move and use all parts of your body. Dance with abandon.
- Create a balance between quiet activities and active ones. Read a book and then play tag.
- Take a break in your day to nap or meditate. Go to sleep after lunch.
- Drink often and have a small snack in the morning and again in the afternoon.
- Laugh with abandon.
- Hug others as often as possible. This includes animals and stuffed toys.
If you practice the above you will put more energy into your age esteem and feel happier and healthier. Enjoy!
Bonnie Fatio
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Lessons of Autumn
Autumn is such a beautiful time of year for those of us who live in regions of the world that have four seasons. It is the season when trees change color as their leaves take on new hues and tones, bursting with yellow, red and orange. Even a gray day shimmers with color, reminding us that there is also brightness in dark moments.
When life seems difficult and less than happy, I look to the autumn leaves. They are in their fullest beauty during this third season of their lives. Rather than worry about disappearing with the onslaught of winter, they wave in the wind and share their glorious colors. This is their moment and they live it to the fullest in sunshine or shade. They celebrate today, knowing that Spring will bring a new generation of buds blossoming into leaves that will equally shine and shimmer next Fall.
We too can celebrate each day and shine through our own inner colors. That is where our true beauty comes from at every age.
Bonnie Fatio
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In June of this year Dr. John Beard, Director of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Department on Aging and Life Courses, announced the launch of the Global Network of Age-friendly Cities.
Research from 33 cities, confirmed the importance for older people of access to public transport, outdoor spaces and buildings, as well as the need for appropriate housing, community support and health services and the need to foster the connections that allow older people to be active participants in society, to overcome ageism and to provide greater opportunities for civic participation and employment.
This is aligned with the vision of AgeEsteem of “a society where people of all ages are respected as contributing members of society”. I was privileged to meet with Dr. Beard following my talk on Age Esteem at the WHO headquarters in Geneva last month to discuss our common concerns around issues of aging. Very energizing and encouraging.
Bonnie Fatio
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Planting sunflower seeds with Grandpa
Last year’s sunflowers are already enjoying a new beginning. Their precious seeds are being planted and a whole new cycle will begin. And thus they continue to live on and on.
Bonnie Fatio
Bonnie For the Soul, Life Stages - Ages Bonnie Fatio, live on and on, new beginning, new cycle, precious seeds
“It’s cruel” Maggie said. “No one has a name tag.” But we soon discovered that name tags weren’t necessary. Old friendships are too strong. People we didn’t recognize rapidly were gracious in sharing their names and we were off into discussions about what life has brought them in the past 50 years. There was too much to learn to be concerned about a forgotten name.
Old friends remain old friends. Heaven knows that our paths have branched off into numerous avenues, but the journey that we began together has united us in some small way for life. It is still easy to laugh and tease each other. Only the topics of that laughter and ribbing have changed. It is comforting to know that our common journey continues to bond us.
Renew and keep old friendships alive at every age. Old friends are precious.
Bonnie Fatio
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How we feel inside is what is really important. So why do we give so much weight to outside appearance?
This morning Maggie and I had breakfast at the Grove City Main Street Diner. As we looked around us we wondered if any of the people eating at nearby tables were here for our class reunion. The guy behind us looked rather familiar, though seemed too old to be from our class. Eventually Maggie asked him if he was here for the reunion. “Nope”, he said. When Maggie added that we wondered if he was from our class of 1960, he all but jumped out of his chair insisting, “Certainly not. I graduated in 1969!”
Oops! Will the classmates we meet for drinks this evening seem even older?.
Of course when Maggie and I look in the mirror, we see ourselves as dynamic, fun loving, relatively healthy and even sensuous. Is that why we see others as older? The older people we saw this morning probably think of themselves as dynamic and active too.
And that’s really all that matters! – How we feel on the inside.
Bonnie Fatio
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My best friend Maggie Dull
As we age, best friends continue to hold their special place in our lives. As children our best friend may have changed daily, but best friends from our teen years remain solid. Even though we may have little else in common today, our “best friend” relationship continues to unite us. Maggie, my best friend from High School, and I plan to spend the reunion time together.
Maggie was the Chief of Police’s daughter and I was the Methodist minister’s daughter – so together we could do no wrong. Heaven knows we tried! We wanted to be bad, but when we did do something stupid like knock the head off a snowman our guilt drove us to rebuild it almost before the head hit the ground. Now, 50 years later we still laugh just at the joy of being together.
Contact your old “best friends” today and renew your relationship if you haven’t already done so. Friends are precious at every age!
Bonnie Fatio
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In preparation for the reunion the organizers asked us to send any photos or memorabilia that we might have. To my surprise, I uncovered an old scrap book waiting to be revisited. So I have already taken a short trip back to these old friendships and events. - And I have found it to be an interesting experience to look back on those high school years as one of the building blocks in my life as I realize how far my journey has taken me since then.
High school memories are wonderful to revisit. They are important in our lives. But what is more important is all that we have done following those years to build on them and create the lives that we have today and the dreams we have for tomorrow.
Take a look at your own life. What lessons did you learn as a teenager and what experiences did you have that have influenced the life you live today?
Bonnie Fatio
Bonnie Happiness at Every Age, Life Stages - Ages Bonnie Fatio, dreams we have for tomorrow, High School memories, memorabilia, old friendships, scrap book
Look out, here I come! This next weekend my 50th High School Class Reunion will take place in Grove City, PA (population 8027) and I will return to my teenage roots in small town USA.
Have 50 years really passed since we walked down the aisle to receive our diplomas? So much has happened since then. Will I recognize ‘old’ classmates? Will they remember me? I guess the only way to find out is to attend, so I’m on my way. Chances are that I will even win the prize for coming the furthest, since most have remained closer to the town where we learned together. Geneva, Switzerland will seem very far away to most.
I am convinced that it will be a wonderful experience to reconnect with old friends and to renew precious friendships. And an opportunity to say “Thank you” to those who have left lasting imprints.
Bonnie Fatio
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July is a month of independence. And not just for the United States and France. It is also the month of the independence of Burundi, Rwanda, Algeria, Cape Verde Islands, Argentina, Solomon Islands…
Independence is a key word when it comes to age esteem. It is a major concern as we age. – To lose our independence and become dependent on others. It is a real concern, one that we should take seriously. – Especially since much of our independence is based on our attitude.
You can be visually impaired, deaf, or lacking normal mobility and still be independent. Yes, you will have to accept care and guidance from others for some of your daily needs, maybe even most of them. However, you are the one to decide how you will accept this help and what your relationship with the care givers will be. Will it be one of appreciation and reciprocation? Will you make it agreeable for others to help you, and maybe even make it a highlight of your care giver’s day?
Independence comes through doing what we can. That may be listening actively, smiling, sharing, giving your support and encouragement, being grateful… Independence is manifested through our own positive attitude.
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