"God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well."
- Voltaire -

First of all, thank you to all On Fire readers. It has been encouraging to receive the feedback you have provided and suggestions for blog posts. I have met some incredible people through this blog. People like me, who are navigating this next chapter in our lives. Without readers, there is no blog only a diary. I hope that in the coming year, I can provide posts that you want to read and that help enrich your life in some way.

This first year has been a learning year for me. I have never written a blog before and had no experience, only an idea.  I have learned a lot through the writing - finding topics and then researching those topics. Making the graphics has been fun and a learning experience, as well. Learning new skills and programs made this year a busy one. I hope to continue to improve and provide good content.

"Let us never know what old age is. 
Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years." 
- Ausonius -

When I started this blog, I had just retired from working. When I thought of this blog was about ten years earlier when I had just turned 50 years old. Getting older doesn't have to be the negative that the world wants us to believe. Yes, we will have illness and setbacks, but with the right attitude we can still find happiness and fulfillment. That is what I wanted to provide with this blog - a place to come for encouragement and help in growing older.

"It takes a long time to become young." 
- Pablo Picasso -

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US! THE ON FIRE AND OVER 50 COMMUNITY! LOOKING FORWARD TO YEAR NUMBER TWO!

XOXO

After posting how much I loved Trade Joe's Facial Cleanser, I received requests for an alternative if you don't have access to a Trader Joe's.  So, in my opinion, here is the next best thing!
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar! You can purchase this in many stores across the country - from Walmart to pharmacies. It is very good and great for your skin. I use this in conjunction with facial cleansing brush (I will discuss more in next month's blog). 

Here are the details for this product:
- Developed by Dermatologists
- Contains: Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid (both good for the skin)
- Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)
- Non-drying (claims to lock in moisture 3 times longer than the leading brand
- Non-irritating (removes dirt, oil, and makeup without disrupting skin's natural protective barrier)
- Frangrance Free
- Containss CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (to hydrate and nourish so skin is left soft)
- $4.55 (Walmart and many other places)
lasts a long time

I have used this many times when I travel and forget my Trader Joe's brand, and it is wonderful. It leaves my skin very clean and soft, no dry feeling afterwards as with many other brands.

A facial cleansing brush is not necessary, but it does help to improve you skin's health, as long it is gentle. I purchased Olay ProX and it works great. It is also less expensive than some other brands. The brush is soft, but still aides in exfoliation. It's battery powered. I will discuss this in a blog post next month.

My dermatologist recommends using CeraVe for all skin care. I would agree with him, it is really good.

Do you use this product? What are your thoughts about it? Do you have another product that you think is great? If you do, please share it with us. Take care of your skin, it protects the rest of your body.

XOXO

Happy Birthday to On Fire and Over 50! We are celebrating our one year birthday!
When I turned 50 I had so many ideas about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I also had a lot of questions. I turned to the internet and found very little support. I decided that when I retired I would become that support for other women (and men) who turned 50 and older. On Fire and Over 50 became a reality and I'm loving it.

During this past year, I have written some good posts and some mediocre posts. It was a learning curve for me and I have learned a great deal. My posts have improved, even I can see that. Experience and practice is where I give the credit - and to my readers.

I have met some wonderful women through my posts. The emails I have received have been encouraging and helpful. I received suggestions for future posts and that helped me to write what you needed to read. The encouragement got me through when I doubted if I was making a difference or not.

Thank you for following me and encouraging me. Thank you for your suggestions and comments. I love your feedback that tells me I have helped you in some way. Thank you!

The next year will be a good one. I have plans to add a few things and some really good subjects to write about. I hope that you stay with me and that I can be of encouragement to you.

Remember:
"Sometimes we find ourselves giving up all too soon on our passions, desires, hopes, and dreams. God never gives up and is only waiting for us to act upon those precious gifts and time he has blessed us with. 
We should never give up on ourselves or God's future plans for us.
​For in giving up, we miss out on the best to come."
​- Sheryl -
XOXO

​Keeping a journal has been around for centuries. Ladies have kept diaries, which are the same as journals, for many years. In the beginning I only wrote about once a week or so, when I had a pressing day or event that I needed to get out of my head. For the last couple of years, I have journaled every day. I write in the morning, when I am fresh. Writing in the morning frees up my mind of negativity for the rest of the day. I purchased a storage box to keep them all in and I have all of them.

Some people pay a therapist, I buy journals and pens to write with. My journals are my therapy. Writing my feelings, thoughts, ideas, etc., down early in the morning is my way of dealing with stress and it works for me. When I started keeping a journal back in the 80s, I wrote in the evenings right before bedtime. Through experimentation, I have found that mornings are best for me. A few years ago, I read a book "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron and she suggests writing in the morning. She named this process "Morning Pages". If I had read her book earlier in my life, I believe my journaling would have been even more helpful to me. She also recommends writing every morning, something that I found works better for me, also.

Even if you don't consider yourself a good writer or even any kind of writer, don't dismiss journaling. You don't have to be precise, grammatically correct, or even good. No one will read this except you and those you choose to share with. (I don't share mine with anyone. They are my thoughts and may or may not make sense to anyone else.) Julia recommends writing three pages every morning and I admit that is good idea. However, I only write what I feel like writing. Sometimes that is only one page and sometimes it might be five pages. I write until I have it all out of my head and effectively brain dumped all issues onto paper. 

A lot of people journal but they call it by different names. For example: gratitude journals, diaries, log books, blessing books, etc. It all comes down to keeping a journal. Writing down your thoughts, ideas, and feelings hoping to clear your head for the day ahead.

Give it a try. You don't need fancy or expensive journals. I have written in notebooks that cost less than a dollar, loose leaf paper in a binder, cheap journals from the dollar store, and more expensive bound journals from a book store or office supply. Just grab some paper and a pen and start writing. At first it will seem alien to you, it may even feel forced, but after a while it will become routine and part of your daily life.

Keep this in mind as you write:
    1.    Write the first thing that comes into your mind.
    2.    Even if you write "I can't think of anything to write", write that.
    3.    Don't plan your writing, write any way you want.
    4.    Don't read what you have written (until at              least a year from now). It may affect how you           write the next day or feel about your writing,
    5.    Even when you don't feel like writing, do it anyway. Make it a morning habit.

Before you say that keeping a journal is not for you, try it. Stick with it for a month or two. Make yourself write. Write your thoughts down and then forget about them. Keep them to read at some point in the future, but don't read them within a year of writing.

Do you journal? If not, will you try it? Are you willing to move out of your comfort zone to write and reflect on your true thoughts, ideas, and feelings?  Share in the comments about your experience with keeping a journal.

XOXO