Strategies to Support Women in Midlife
whose light is shining within them, and is looking to shine more brightly each day.
Focus on your assets and abilities rather than what you consider to be your flaws.
The principle that “What we focus on increases” applies particularly to our emphasis on what’s not up to our standards in our own person or character, in other words ‘our perception’ of ourselves. Remember that praising good behaviour yields more good behaviour. It’s true with children. It’s even more true with ourselves. What nice thing have you said TO and ABOUT yourself today?
Look back when you want to see what you have accomplished, instead of ahead.
It’s difficult to measure progress when you are always looking at how far you still have to go. Adapt the spiritual truth that ‘there is no where to get to and you’ll never get it done.’ This has been incredibly helpful for me - since one of my mantras has been - “I’m not doing enough!”
Find an older mentor that you admire & mentor a younger person.
Isn’t it true that even some of the popular magazines are now pointing to midlife role models who are women over 40. Our time has come. And with it comes the call to give back. We didn’t have a lot of role models when we were young. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Find your own voice and spiritual center.
No one else can be You as well as you can. All your experience is worth sharing. Spend time discovering your essence and go ahead and be yourself. This is KEY to helping make the ageing process a happy one. Being ’selfish’ requires finding your true SELF - and nothing is more important.
Do at least one new thing for each birthday that stretches you beyond what you thought possible.
The spiritual life is about celebrating ever-expanding Good. One of my friends shared this tip with me many years ago. A fairly serious man, he took a class and actually performed in a stand-up comedy club. Another older woman friend went up in a air-balloon for her 80th birthday celebration. Another friend just bought a red convertible - what about you?
Make a scrapbook of your life - and write what you appreciate about each year that has passed.
Put at least one picture for each year, and where you don’t have real pictures, put something from a magazine that represented who you were at that time. Then, list the people who had been part of your lives and all the events that took place that you now consider significant.
Creating your scrapbook using stickers and stencils and beautifully colored papers. You may have never considered yourself as an artist, but this book can be something you will treasure as much as any work of art.
SMILE more.
Stop worrying about wrinkles. It’s amazing how many endorphins are released just by smiling. You cannot feel down when your lips are turned up.
.
