Share your smile
All the while
A gloom-cloud is covering your heart.
Face your fears
With your peers
And let bloom each flowering day’s start.
Written by Alexandra Taylor
for AgeEsteem
Older
When you wake up and find that you’re older,
Put a Big “B” in mind and Be Bolder
With more sage in your age
And more miles to your smiles,
Like the sun, you’ll just feel much more golder!
Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem
Bonnie Fatio spoke to the Paying Forward Club in the Tuscany Falls Ballroom at Pebble Creek, Arizona. People in the Paying Forward Club give of their time and talents in multiple ways. They also provide a list of places in need of volunteers. Bonnie’s talk was on the theme “Aging and the benefits of volunteering”, sharing research, stories, tips and techniques with active audience participation.
“After hearing Bonnie whatever I look at, I’m going to look at it in a positive way. I think at our age we can look at the people in our life and say “I don’t need that person in my life anymore.” That gives us power. It was wonderful to hear Bonnie. She really spoke to me. Ginette, 63
“I’m going through a rough transition. I’ve recently retired and I feel like I have this whole part of life ahead of me. I’m not sure what I want to do with that. Bonnie’s talk was a good motivator and inspiration that has given me a lot to think about.” Grace, 58
“We get such negative thoughts on a daily basis… bombarded with what a “bad time” this is. I really identified with Bonnie, especially where she said to replace the negative thoughts I have with something positive. I think all of us are guilty of being self-critical, but it’s time we divested ourselves of that language and replace it with something else.” Carol, 65
New Beginnings
Let us toast to the New Year’s Beginnings,
Let us boast our new powers of forgiving,
Let us host and become more engaging,
Let us most of all fear NOT old-aging.
Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem
Each day of this new year will bring new opportunities and experiences to be experienced and savored.
Do you look forward to each day?
One of my favorite AgeEsteem mentors and friends was Doris Blunt. Doris was a woman of amazing inner faith and strength. She always seemed to be bubbling over with happiness and interest. Yet she had buried two husbands, both of whom she had accompanied through Alzheimer’s in their last years.
When I asked Doris how she remained so enthusiastic and happy she offered me the following secrets to her happiness.
These are simple yet powerful pointers for each of us to enhance our age esteem and positive attitudes to live happier lives. Let’s look forward to each day!
Bonnie Fatio
Paul Ernest Charles Mastromatteo, 55,born in Toronto, Canada; naturalized US citizen
My first thought when I hear AgeEsteem is esteem, how you feel about yourself. So when I hear Age Esteem I overlap that with age and self. I take it as how you feel about yourself regardless of the age you are. Age is first older, like aging. I think if a person has age esteem they feel good about themselves whether they’re young and lively or older and spry.
With respect to aging there is always the issue of how you maintain your health because things happen at 50 that generally don’t happen when you’re 20. You want to be sure that things are ok. I mean, we all kind of plan on having an average life span, but not all of us get there. It gets a little more complicated when you get to midlife, two thirds life and so on. So that’s a concern, and sometimes you wonder about what would happen if I got arthritis or something and couldn’t swim or run or walk as much as I used to. – Just the simple everyday things. These things become more possible as you get older and you have to be mindful of them.
Paul’s tips: I’ve always been pretty good about trying to stay fit. I can’t say the same for this year; it’s kind of fallen off but I hope to get back to it. I’ve been a runner and a swimmer for most of my life. Whether it’s my metabolism or what, I’ve never really changed weight and that’s not something most people can say. That might be more of a blessing than anything else. I think that staying active is a good thing to do; it has helped me stay in shape. I like to think that I can still do a lot of things that I did when I was younger, I’m just not as fast.
I would say it’s important to be balanced. Keep your mind and your body active. Be open to learning new things. It’s kind of easy to say “I’m a certain age and will never be able to learn a new language”. I heard recently one of the best ways to keep your mind active is to learn a new language. It keeps your brain growing and developing. Just staying close to people you care about. Make sure you stay in touch. It’s easy today with the internet, Skype, and everything. So take advantage of those things. You can be in touch with someone every day who is thousands of miles away. Not like in the old days of pen and pencil. That’s meant a lot to me.
Paul Mastromatteo is presently completing his MBA at Thunderbird University.
Bonnie Fatio
Are you tired of society’s relentless negative talk about age and aging?
Would you like to feel more confident at any age despite a few wrinkles and lack of energy?
Would you like to know some secrets to Age Esteem that you can practice immediately?
Would you like to start the new year with a meaningful promise to yourself, and make 2011 your year of “Aging with Pizzazz?”
Listen when Bonnie Fatio is interviewed by Sandra Haymon of Baby Boomers Sandwich on Tuesday 28 December at 6pm MST.
Listen and/or join the chat room at www.BlogTalkRadio.com/sandra-haymon.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING !
This Thanksgiving Day I am thankful for YOU.
You may be a treasured friend, a precious member of our family, a casual acquaintance, a first time or long time visitor to the AgeEsteem site, or a complete stranger. – Know that I am thankful for YOU.
You are a blessing and a gift to this world as you share your special talents and personality each day. You may think that your contribution is small within the bigger picture, but what would that bigger picture be without all of our little efforts added together?
Thank you for being YOU, just the way you are. This Thanksgiving Day and every day I am truly thankful for YOU.
I pray that I, too, might be a blessing in your life in some small way.
May your Thanksgiving be filled with happiness, fond memories, and age esteem.
Bonnie Fatio
Rejoice!
Let your voice
Be the clue
To the you
Of your Choice.
Written by Alexandra Taylor after the chapter “Rejoice” in the book
AgeEsteem: Growing A Positive Attitude Toward Aging
by Bonnie Lou Fatio
To book call 086 7762601 or go to www.communicare.ie
Feel Good about Yourself – At the Age You Are
If you answered yes to any of the above then this seminar is for you.
Whether you are a healthcare professional, family caregiver, government official, teacher, parent, grandparent or business professional, how you relate to yourself at the age you are today is an essential key to being successful in what you do.
Going beyond exercise and diet, Bonnie take us through a holistic approach to a healthier, happier lifestyle beginning with your basic desire to feel sensuous, successful and significant at every age. And, yes, this is equally applicable to you men!
Bonnie has presented AgeEsteem at the World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland; the World Council of the YWCA in Nairobi, Kenya; Women’s International Networking Global Leadership Forum, Paris; Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations, New York and more.
