Adult and Senior Development
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Did life just change?
It’s the morning after you’ve been to the doctor’s office, you have high blood pressure. Your “youth” is over. It’s the morning after you played three days of golf in a row; your “take-off” knee is double its size. You know that it’s time to schedule the replacement; you’re not thirty anymore. It’s the morning after you’ve just moved from your big family home to your new condo, in another city, closer to the children. Boxes to unpack; new friends to make. It’s the morning after the Memorial Service and all of your family has gone home. You’re on your own.
You aren't what you think!
A common phrase used in Coaching and therapy is experiencing an “Ah Ha” moment. A thought occurs to you that shifts your universe, you get a different perspective. A basic value that you live by is changed or altered. Everything concerned with your life, relationships, faith or even who you think you are can be effected. It happens in an instant. The roller coaster just reached the top of the ride and then, you just took off! This was mine, yesterday.
Taking care of my loved one is killing me
Home care or dealing with assisted living, is one of the most difficult roles any of us can play. Physically exhausting, mentally confusing and frustrating, the demands of care giving can become overwhelming. Strokes, paralysis, Alzheimer’s or extended illness; these carry long term challenges and tolerations. Are you taking care of a spouse who has a major illness, a sick child or your aging parents? Are you the primary caregiver, even though you have siblings and others who could help? Are you living in another city and dealing with the issues of long distance caregiving?
4 Steps to Finding Courage
We all have had to face very difficult challenges, make life changing decisions or pull our boot straps up and pick a direction. Baby Boomers, those over fifty, are beginning to face the onset of creating their future and dealing with retirement issues. This is new territory for this historically huge group of consumers. They are living longer than the generations before and are known for thinking outside of “the box”. The last stages of their lives will not be typical. They are the “Leaders of the Pack”, willing to look at life in non-traditional ways.
Living Life, but Missing Life
The Adrenaline Lifestyle, Adrenaline Addiction, can be very difficult to acknowledge and to balance. It’s a form of compulsive behavior, sometimes leading to substance abuse and depression. A busy lifestyle can be compelling because society seems to admire and promote this. People who are perceived as popular. People who are the president, chairman, organizer. People who always seem so busy. People who are invited to everything. People who seem to be able to balance many plates in the air at once.
Are you who you look like?
“She can’t possibly be that smart, she’s too pretty.” “He’s too old to think he can do that.” “She wasn’t raised to really work.” “Doesn’t he know that he’s handicapped; there’s no way he’ll be able to get there.” “My years won’t let me try that.” “I’ll stand out too much if I do or say that.”
Not your Same New Year's Resolution
No more New Year’s resolutions!! No more thinking about projects to finish, exercise classes to start or diets to loose that same ten pounds. Baby Boomers, parents, career professionals; we all strive for better health, less stress, being more organized. A great solution for a Great New Year is to clear the air and to forget about you, start thinking about others. To do this, you have to put two things in place.
Peace + Joy = Meaning of Life
So here we are once again celebrating Christmas. How fast this seems to come around, especially the older I get. Peace and Joy, these are the tools for a meaningful life. I wish you PEACE. Peace in your heart, with your families and friends. Peace in your mind, especially looking toward the future. I wish you JOY. Joy to continually fill your heart. Your mind thinking of joyful things to do with those you love and care about, giving you a reason to get up everyday. This is truly one of the secrets to creating the memories that slow down the passing of time.
Got the Holiday Blues
Are your holidays filled with loneliness? Do the days just feel like a lot of work? Is the meaning of the holidays lost? Has this just happened now that your children are out of the house and maybe you have been on your own for awhile? Holidays are definitely one of the most difficult times of the year, especially as we live out the last quarter of our lives.
Caregiving, an emotional roller coaster?
Caregiving is definitely one of the hardest roles any of us can play, especially as Baby Boomers. The constant variety of emotions attached to it and all of the “shoulds”, “why don’t you’s” and “why aren’t you’s” that keep bombarding our decision making can often be overwhelming. Everyone concerned, you, other family members, close friends and the patient, has to deal with their own fear, anxiety, confusion, guilt, helplessness, frustration, depression, loss and powerlessness.
Fun! Where is This and Why Do I Need It? Part # 3
Life balance, emotional health, reducing stress, these are all current topics for everyone, not just Baby Boomers and those over 40. One of the most effective antidotes to these realities of life today is to create memories, especially with those you love and care about. FUN? Always a good thing. Be creative!! Stop following all the rules. Stop thinking about all the things you "should" be doing. Don’t limit yourself with what people say you're too old to do. This really is your life and this really is the only chance you get at it. Re-create yourself - again.
Now That I Know Why I Want More Fun, What Would Be Fun? Part #2
Now that I know why I want more Fun, what would be Fun? How can I have Fun? What do you stand for? What are your values? Some of mine are that I want to cherish each day and have great times with friends and my family. To do this, I have to take the time to make the plans. Who do I want to see or call on the phone, maybe an old friend or a grandchild? Look around at all of the activities that are available – places to see, things to do – not just within a five minute drive. Look at everything that is an hour or so away.