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?

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.

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.

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.

By Dorothy Oliveau

Reach out. AgeEsteemers know the importance of meaningful contact with people of all generations.

• Build relationships with men and women of all ages. Join a chorus or book discussion group, speak regularly with different people at your health club, meet your neighbors…
• Commit yourself to one small action to help others: serve once a month at the soup kitchen, mentor an underprivileged youth. Use your special talents and interests.

None of these is difficult. Nor do they have to cost money. All they take is time, thought, and the commitment to begin building your own AgeEsteem for the soul one step at a time. Enjoy!

Life is too short to loose time complaining. It gets us nowhere. And usually our complaints act as scapegoats for another problem: lack of a personal image of confidence and age-esteem. It’s not too late to change this image.

Reinforce your confidence and age-esteem!

Focus on your qualities. Often it’s easier to see qualities in others than in ourselves. Recognize yours! You have many.

• List your talents, skills and qualities. Don’t be bashful. Pretend you’re writing a recommendation for this person who is you. Keep the list where it’s visible. Read it often and add to it.
• Keep a journal of praise. Write down the praise you receive. No matter how minor it may seem, when someone praises you write their words in your journal. Copy praise received electronically or via the post into your journal. Refer to it as a confidence booster.
• Flash yourself a smile when you pass a mirror and remind yourself of one of these qualities as though saying it to your best friend: “You organize great events!”…

Soon this will become second nature to you as you accentuate the positive and build your own AgeEsteem for the soul.

Abundance is a mental state. It’s not because we have less that we are poor. While visiting rural areas in several countries I’ve been struck by the generosity among those who have the least. They share their meager “abundance” with pride.

Express gratitude. Be thankful. Expressing gratitude for your blessings, however great or small, has a multiplying effect. The more we identify what we have to be thankful for the more abundance we attract.

• Before you go to sleep at night, identify three things you are thankful for: meeting someone new, talking to your grandchild, attending your first opera, having enough to food and water to see you through the day…
• On waking in the morning revel in the present of today. It is yours to unwrap and to live as you wish. That’s why it’s called the “present”. How will you make the most of it?
• Before beginning your day, remind yourself of three new blessings: feeling thankful for a bed to sleep in, hearing birds sing, friends, family, being alive… Make this a habit!

No matter what you are thankful for, the simple act of expressing gratitude is powerful. As we express gratitude, we discover how much more we have to be thankful for – and our abundance actually increases!

You control your life. Only you can decide how you will think and act in any situation. Even the decision to breath is yours!

Acknowledge it’s your choice.

• Remind yourself often « It’s my choice how I think and act. I am in control.» Repeat this to yourself when you step into a new situation, lack confidence or feel threatened.
• Flash back to positive experiences where you were confident and in control. Relive those experiences in the present. Focus on what you can repeat from each positive experience.
• Stretch yourself to try something new each day. Try wearing that new color. Speak to a stranger. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, it’s a good sign. You are opening your blinders and stretching your boundaries.

With these three easy steps you will already move beyond your self-limiting thoughts. There is no limit.

Would you like to wear a particular color or style but think you’re too old or too young? Do you worry about wrinkles and question whether you should invest in surgery or injections? Are you concerned about losing your job and being too inexperienced or over qualified to find a new one in today’s market?

Whenever we self-limit ourselves due to age we put on blinders to the opportunities surrounding us, opportunities that wait for us to open our eyes to them.

Too often people think that when a door closes, it’s the end. They’re again wearing blinders to opportunities, and to their own potential. AgeEsteemers know that although doors may be closed, they are never locked. It’s up to us to push them open.

Begin to grow your own AgeEsteem for the soul now, at the age you are today