Age Esteem is “Being”

Are you present in the moment, or are you ruled by To Do Lists and self-imposed obligations?

I came across an e-zine that I had written three years ago.  “This is really good stuff”, I thought.  I pulled out another and another.

Did I really write these?  I know that I did, but they seemed to convey an authenticity that has been missing recently.

What has happened?  What am I doing differently today to make them less than they were?  Is it because of my health issues?  I have had several during the past three years.  Have I turned my passion into work?  I still love what I do.  Many questions bombarded me.

The answer came to me a couple days later as I was writing my To Do List. – I have become caught up in “doing” rather than “being”!

This revelation shook me up.  I had always prided myself in being drawn toward my vision rather than building it.  But here I was, several business mentors later, realizing that I was no longer being my genuine self and living the vision.  Instead, I was caught up in doing what must be done to build the vision.

You may say, “Of course you were.  That is how empires are made.”  But it is evident to me that I do not want to build an empire.  My vision is of a world where people of all ages are respected as valued members of society.

It is not an empire.  It is an attitude, a way of life that enhances lives around the globe.

I want to be a catalyst for this vision to positively transform the way we look at age.  It is a vision of dignity, respect and appreciation for the contribution and potential of each age, which is inclusive of all people.  This vision wants to be so strong that people begin to think, act and live the vision.

Yes!  For this I need to go back to “being” the vision.  Being means breathing, thinking, dreaming, feeling and vibrating the vision now.  It means being present in each moment.

I AM and I choose to BE.

Time will tell the difference this will make.  Oh, yes.  I will continue to “do” as well, but only as it relates to “being”.

How about you?

Bonnie Fatio

We were moved by spirit and wisdom.

There are times in your life where you’ll feel forever grateful that you were in the right place at the right time. Tuesday’s event was one of those times.

Those of us who had the fortune of listening to Bonnie Fatio will most likely remember her radiating charisma, words of wisdom and powerful presence. Everyone exclaimed how touched and impacted they were by her. Not only is Bonnie Fatio an incredible story teller who has had fascinating life experiences, she is an inspiring visionary who is so self-motivating – she is the essence of ‘young at heart’ (… and in body, mind, spirit too!).

Bonnie has a dream to be the catalyst for the creation of a world where ‘age’ is not an issue and people can truly appreciate others for ‘who they are’ and not which category they fit into.

To achieve this in today’s society, we face the ‘i’ challenges – not those related to ipads, iphones or other i-tech, but the three unspoken ‘i’s of ‘aging’. Where, if you have an ‘elderly’ appearance you may be treated as though you were invisible / incompetent / insignificant – subconscious attitudes embedded within a society addicted to the image of youth.

So how do we turn this around? We get back in the driving seat and take charge because, as we learned from Bonnie, there is so much more available to us in life.

By becoming aware of how we think, feel and speak; uncovering our attitudes and expectations, can help us identify small positive changes to enhance the quality of our relationships with ourselves and others.

Bonnie encourages us to have a dream and passionately commit to it using these helpful steps along the way;

• Believe in yourself
• Contribute
• Realize “Its never too late..”

Our ETC values are very much aligned with those of AgeEsteem & we hope you get another chance to connect with Bonnie. So, if you find yourself anxious about the next phase of your life’s journey, consider calling Bonnie for an alternative and positive path that can turn your life around.

Sign up for Bonnie Fatio’s newsletter or workshops at www.AgeEsteem.com

Thank you dearest Bonnie for being you, for sharing your energy, wisdom and spirit with us.

Warmly, Anine & Cheryl

Expat Talents Connect is a face-to-face creative exchange network inspiring YOU to CONNECT & share your TALENTS and live your passions.

Bonnie’s Dream

Be Both Brave and Bountiful

Or Outrageous: that’s O.K.!

Never think you’re Naught or Null,

No other is like you, oh Nay!

If you follow Bonnie’s dream

Every day is Age Esteemed.

Written by Alexandra Taylor for Bonnie Fatio & AgeEsteem®

Age Esteem’s Classmate

 If you think “I am”, instead

Of feeling that “I’m NOT”,

You will rise above the dread

Of negative’s sly plot.

 Planted in your mind will be

The flowering tree of age,

Growing years productively

“Rosemerry”, “TiAMe” and sage.

Say: “I am the burgeoning bloom:

One of a kind and just great!

I am the one to banish gloom;

I am Age Esteem’s classmate!”

Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem®

You Are Special At Every Age

 You look in the mirror – the mirror looks back.

It is your reflection, but there’s something it lacks.

Your face is the place where the person is you.

But your innermost self needs to really shine through.

Smiling begins the whole transformation

And then cheer and real joy and elation.

Ignore all the manifestations of Age

You’re special and startling at every stage.

Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem®

An Age Esteem Beauty Tip – Authenticity

Sitting in a N.Y. diner in Manhattan I am fascinated by the life around me.  A people-watcher by nature, I actually look forward to these rare outings alone where I can enjoy watching life unfold.

People communicate so very much through their expressions and gestures.  Even their manner as they lift their folk indicates their frame of mind, especially when the gesture in not congruent with their facial expression.  The young woman who has a sweet smile of complaisance but is jabbing her food as though to kill it as she listens to the older man across from her, is not congruent.

A businessman seems to be sharing a story with the woman across from him.  His eyes are dancing and his crow’s feet are deepening with his smile and laughter as he leans towards her.  At the next table there are three women, two are animated and involved in conversation.  The third woman has a static smile, slumped shoulders and eyes that say, “I feel left out”.

How often do we say one thing, yet communicate something else with our body?  When we do this, we send conflicting messages.  We are not authentic. – And people feel this.  They know that we are not being genuine.

Our authenticity, being true to ourselves, not only enhances our beauty, it is an essential ingredient to true beauty.  It is the ingredient that creates that inner glow that attracts others to us. This is one of the secrets of people with age esteem. Being true to yourself enhances your beauty at every age.

You too can benefit from this Age Esteem beauty tip. Become conscious of your own gestures and expressions.  Are they congruent with the words that you are voicing, or do they contradict your words?

Bonnie Fatio

Savor Your Uniqueness

Why do we care about hair?

It’s ours and it’s us and it’s there!

We fuss if it’s straight, if it’s curly, we hate

To look furly, but it’s

Our “atmosphair”!

We often just wish we could change:

Our old clothes?  A new nose?

It’s so strange.

It is best to just be our own selves,

Where our soul and uniqueness both delve;

There are no two “us” in the world –

Let’s keep floating free and unfurled!

Written for AgeEsteem® by Alexandra Taylor

Choices

Choices are so hard for me:

What to do? And what to see?

What to drink? And what to eat?

How to think and who to meet;

When to speak and what to say?

When to work and when to play?

I do know that it’s, as they say,

Better to let come what may!

And, besides, those questions seem

To solve themselves, with Age Esteem!

Written for AgeEsteem® by Alexandra Taylor

Time Is Running By

Time is running by so fast

Now it’s Now, and then it’s past!

Soon it’s going to be tomorrow,

Time is something you can’t borrow –

It is a gift: a daily “present”!

Open it and become resplendent.

Day by day you are a beam:

Light and bright with Age Esteem.

Written for AgeEsteem© by Alexandra Taylor

GO! 

Yesterday you learned to use your internal STOP sign to eliminate negative thoughts and expressions in order to grow our age esteem.

Let’s take it a step further.  It isn’t enough to simply stop our negative thoughts.  We need to also replace them with something positive.  A positive thought or expression is uplifting and moves us forward.  Negatives are like weights that hold us down.

Now that you have used your STOP sign to eliminate negatives that creep into your language, it is time to replace those negative words and expressions with positive thoughts and words.  Just as the streetlights turn from stop to go, so will your thoughts.

• Each time you catch yourself using a negative expression such as “I can’t”, STOP!
• Now GO! Transform your words to make them positive.  “I could never learn to use these new fangled phones” becomes “I will learn to use my new phone’s multiple possibilities”.
• GO! with your new positive vocabulary until it becomes second nature.

You will soon find that you have a whole new attitude that enhances your age esteem and your life will become happier.

Bonnie Fatio