Category: Encouragement

Encouragement: BELIEVE in the promise of this day!

8/7/2020

All I want to do with today's blog is remind of you of something I had forgotten,
Everyday has new promises!
Everyday has new opportunities!
Everyday is a gift from God.
Look forward to this day.

Believe in the promise of this day!

In today's world it is easy to be sucked in by all the negativity. I have been feeling it myself in the last few weeks.

Everything you love to do and you always had a wide open access to do them, are on hold. Our world is in a state of adjustment.

Hang in there, we will make it. It's rough, but we will be fine. Encourage someone who may overwhelmed in negativity.

XOXO

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Encouragement: Look at your life 10-15 years down the road, are you headed in the right direction?

1/24/2020

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"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as
you do not stop."
Confucius, Chinese Philosopher

Look at yourself and your life 10 to 15 years down the road. If you stay on the present course, will you be where you wanted to be? If not, now is the time to change - change course!

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached,
don't adjust the goals,
adjust the action steps."
Confucius, Chinese Philosopher

I have written about setting SMART goals, re-evaluating our life, evaluating our progress, to-do lists, and other tools that can help us be successful and also happier in the coming year. The first of the twelve new months has come and gone, did you learn anything new? Did you accomplish any of last years goals? Did you start with all all new goals this year or carry some over from 2019?

I would hope you accomplished something last year. I hope that you did not sit still and that you made progress towards a more fulfilling life on FIRE!

If you didn't, why? When you took time this month to re-evaluate the past year and where you ended up the during the year, what did you learn? Did you see any areas that you neglected? Did you even look at your goals year? Did you make a SMART plan to accomplish those goals? Did you stick to it?

If you continue to do what you are doing now for your health, wealth, relationships, etc., will you be where you want to be in 10 years? 15 years? Do you know where you want to be in the future? The most important thing is to know where you want to end up and then devise a plan to get you there.

For example, do you want to be a self supporting artist? Do you want to be financially able to travel more? Do you want to get married and have a family? Where do you want to be? How are you going to get there? Wishing will not get you where you want to be. Doing will.

If you know your destination, you can map out a trail to get there. If you don't know your destination, you will spend your life wandering aimlessly in circles and never getting anywhere but where you are.

The tools are available to help you in laying out a path to your perfect life. The SMART plan for goal setting is the easiest and the most effective tool out there today. It is not new, but few people actually use it. They will read about it, agree with it, then go about doing everyday things the same way with the same results.

We have all heard of Einstein's quote "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". Well, it's true. But more than that, it's a waste of time, a waste of life.

Most people live their lives allowing everything to take priority over their goals except their goals. They struggle to get through each day just to live the next day the same way. Then at the end of 10 years they look back at their life only to see that they have not made any progress, not met any goals, and are still living the same way they always do. Those goals and those dreams they had, all fall by the wayside and are continually unfulfilled.

Procrastination is the name of the game for most people.
"I'll make up for the lost time tomorrow", "I have too much to do today, I will start that quilt tomorrow or the next day", "There's a good movie on tonight, so I think I will take the night off and watch it. The blog post I was writing can wait another day," these are typical excuses that people make to put off doing what they claim they want to do or that will lead them to accomplishing their goals.

They can have the tools to set goals, set a plan to accomplish those goals, and the opportunities to accomplish those goals, but unless they act upon that plan or take advantage of that opportunity, the goals will never be accomplished.

Set your mind to accomplishing your goals,
follow your plan and seize the opportunities as they come.

You will thank yourself in 10 years when you have the life you want and have achieved the goals you set out for yourself.

Make it happen!

"Success is steady progress toward one's personal goals."
Jim Rohn, American Author and Businessman (died: 2009, age 69)

Remember, if you are not seeing any progress in your plan to accomplish your goals and dreams, change the plan not the goals and not the dreams.

Do you have your goals written down? Do you have a plan to following to make progress on your goals and fulfilling your dreams? Are they realistic? Did you use the SMART system for setting your goals and creating your steps to achieving them? If not, what plan did you use? No plan? How's that working for you?

XOXO

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Encouragement: Healthy Habits, Good Nutrition, and Living a Full Life after the Age of 50 - Ending October

10/25/2019

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Aging is not for the weak, is what some people say. I agree. You can exist but not live, you can exist but not be healthy enough to do anything but lay in a bed and be tended to, and you can lose thinking skills - if you choose to.

On the other hand, you can live a life full of exciting things to do, traveling, good food, good friends, and the ability to live independently - if you choose to.

Yes, there are unknown factors that could make a difference in our choices. Factors such as an unavoidable disease, accident, or some other personal crisis, tragedy, or event could occur and you have to adjust your plan and perhaps make different choices.

The thing is, you still have choices. You can still choose to live with a disease and still be all you can be, putting in all the effort you can or you can give into the disease and whither slowly away. You can choose to let an accident ruin your life or you can deal with the effects of the accident and create the life you want.

Not only is your attitude about your health a factor in living a happy and fulfilling life, what you eat and do affects your life just as much. If you are not getting the right nutrients, enough sleep, and enough exercise, you won't feel as good as possible and you will be more susceptible to illness.

If you are sick or sleepy when you should be wide awake and energetic, then you need to change some things or find out what is causing the issue. It could be you feel bad and old because you are not taking care of yourself. Vitamins are very important to our bodies. We learned this month about nutritional yeast and how good it is for our bodies without any down side. It tastes good and is good for us. It also, provides our bodies with all the B vitamins that we need so very much.

On Fire also celebrated our 4th birthday. It's been fun to write this blog for the last four years and I am especially happy when I get a message or email from someone who took the time to let me know I helped them in some way. That makes my day.

Tonight, I went to a Grief Gathering at my church to study about how to help people who are grieving the death of a loved one. In the meeting were a few women who came to the Ladies Day last year that I spoke at. The women told me how uplifting my talk was and how they left the Ladies Day Meeting feeling happy, hopeful, and ready to live more. It made me feel really good and encouraged me to keep writing.
That make's it all worth the work.

I have always been terrified to speak in public, but for some reason this time was different for me. It was different because I lived the topic I was speaking on and I knew it frontwards and backwards. I believe in what I write here and I also believe in my readers.

My past issues with self confidence, weight, and happiness have taught me valuable lessons that I want to pass on so that maybe no one will go through them or if they do, they will be helped by what I write about. There is no reason for anyone over the age of 50 to feel old, invisible, or not valuable to society.

The Bible states clearly:

"Not that I am speaking of being in need,
for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."

Philippians 4:11-13

That is not an excuse to stop trying to grow, excel, or improve. What it does say is this - do not use your "lack" of something as an excuse or a reason to complain. Instead, live to the best of your ability and don't let your "lack" of anything hinder you from being happy. Don't blame your individual circumstances for your "choice" to not live a fulfilling life.

One of my favorite scriptures is this one:
"For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

Proverbs 23:7

If you think something about yourself, you will live that. If you think you are too old to learn something new, then you are. If you think you are old enough to learn something new, then you will. It's that simple.

What you think, is what you become.
Henry Ford had it right when he said:

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.
Anyone who keeps learning stays young.
The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."

Henry Ford, American Industrialist

Mr. Ford also believed in doing. Here is something he said about being what you think about:

"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing,
you are right."

Henry Ford, American Industrialist

As we close out the month of October, let's remember those things we learned this month and put them into action.

Start today living the full life that God expects from us.

Think you can and you can, even with all your handicaps, illnesses, and lacking. You may have to do it differently than you would like to, but you will be doing it!

Are you doing all you can to live a full and healthy life? Have you given in to the world's negative view of aging? Do you have any experience in aging and living.

XOXO

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Encouragement: Ending September with thoughts on Healthy Habits

9/27/2019

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As we get older, what we eat, how we move, and how we think become more and more important. While everyone no matter what age they are need to be more mindful of their diet, exercise, and brain health, it becomes more and more important with age.

For example, brain functions begin to deteriorate in the 30s, continuing to learn, taking on new jobs, reading, traveling during these years can improve and sometimes even delay age related brain deterioration.

This also is true for older adults over 50 years of age. If they eat healthy, exercise regularly, and continue to learn new things and challenge themselves, the over 50 person can retain good health, mobility, and brain function well into their 90s and even 100s. It takes effort and a decision to do so.

Meditation is one thing we learned this month that can help us to stay focused and grounded. The practices outlined in this month's blog will insure that you start off the right way and continue the right way. Learning to meditate can also help with brain function. Just keep adding to it and trying different mantras or phrases as well as different poses and locations. Mix it up.

Exercise is something we all know will help, but few of us actually put into practice. If you exercise, even if it's just walking, for a minimum of 30 minutes every day, you are well on your way to better mobility as you age.

If you gradually add other exercises in and include some weight lifting eventually, you will find your strength, stamina, and mobility will get better and better.

Healthy eating will provide all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to remain healthy. Low refined carbohydrates, lots of green leafy vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins, will ensure a well rounded diet.

A person over the age of 50 needs to be sure they drink lots of water and eat healthy foods or they will start to feel tired a lot.

Which brings me to the final piece of this puzzle, sleep. You need sleep to survive and to survive healthy.

A minimum of 7 hours sleep per night is optimum. Taking a nap during the day is perfection. It used to be that the 7-8 hours of sleep had to occur at night, but as long as the majority is at night, taking a nap to make up the deficit is a good way to get 7-8 or more hours of restful sleep in. Just don't sleep the day away, twenty minutes to an hour is plenty.

Things that are out of the normal routine of a day are no excuse to not eat healthy, exercise, meditate, or get enough sleep.

Traveling, vacationing, visiting family, and other things that take us out of our normal routine are not excuses to let your health go to the wayside.

An occasional day off from exercise, the occasional consumption of fast food, or a late night out for entertainment will not ruin your health, but to throw all you have worked for to the wayside everyday and all day is dangerous.

Meditation, healthy food, exercise, and sleep, all work together for a healthy and happy YOU!

Do you meditate? Do you eat healthy food? Do you exercise? Are you getting enough sleep? Remember that meditation, healthy eating, exercise, and sleep are all important to your overall health and well-being. Don't neglect one over the other.

XOXO

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Encouragement: July - Yellow Jackets, Hikes, and Hot, Hot, Hot!

7/26/2019

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This has been a busy month for me. Some of it good, some not so much. Here are the highlights from July (nothing earth shattering, but just busy.)

YELLOW JACKETS

The not so much fun was the day I was stung about nine times on my hands, feet, and chest by yellow jackets.

It took me almost three weeks to get over them. My hands and feet swelled, my chest was tender and red.

The first thing I did was rush into the house (they chased me) and put a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda on them. After that I took a Benedryl and then just sat and rested. I was waiting to see if my breathing would be affected (I am allergic to bees, but I guess not yellow jackets). It wasn't.

Let me make a SUGGESTION to you if you ever get stung by a bee, wasp, or yellow jacket. If you are not allergic, then make a paste of white vInegar and baking soda. The vinegar will neutralize the poison and the baking soda will draw the poison to the surface and hopefully out of your body. I learned this when I was young.

THE HIKES:

In my weekly Zumba class, I met a wonderful lady. She and I hiked a rock last month, so we thought we would hike a normal trail along the shore of a lake this month.

It was beautiful. It was also 5-6 miles long and even though we left in the morning, it quickly rose to the 90s in temperature. We saw a lot of beautiful and strange things on this hike and our conversation never lacked. (lol)

We decided to cut our hike short when the temperature reached 90 degrees. The only problem was the trail was marked with mile markers but no landmarks. The map of the trail we had picked up at the visitor center had no landmarks or mile markers. This made it difficult to accurately predict where we were on this trail.

Finally, after taking the wrong turn (thanks to GPS on my phone) we finally found our way back to the parking lot where my car was located and went to lunch.

NOTE: When you are driving, GPS on your phone works pretty good. Not so when you are walking. It directed us way out of the way and not the most direct route. It was terrible.

HOT! HOT! HOT!

Not only was the weather hot this month, so was my Zumba.

I took a new class at my YMCA and it was great! Great, but hot. It's called Strong by Zumba. It's very hard, but very good for your body. My hair was soaked when the class was over. The next morning my feet hurt, not my legs so much, but my feet were feeling it. The class is only thirty minutes and believe me, that's a lot!

What is Strong by Zumba?

"The difference between STRONG by Zumba
and other high-intensity workouts,
is that this workout uses the TEMPO of the music
to get your body into high gear
... STRONG by Zumba is NOT a dance fitness class.
It is a High-Intensity-Tempo- Training—HITT—workout.
And the music makes it so much fun!"
www.minorsan.com/classes-fitness-martial-arts-self-defense-santa-cruz/fitness/strong-by-zumba/

I dare say that I was the oldest participant in this class. Let me say, also, I did it. It was challenging at times and I had to modify some of my moves, but it did what it was supposed to, work my body. I enjoyed that class so much.

My instructor, Dawn, is an awesome woman. Sometime in the future, I want to interview her so you can meet her and see how awesome she is. She makes the class fun.

Dawn raised an awesome daughter, Raven, who is also an amazing instructor. That's one thing we parents and grandparents should consider...teaching the younger generation to start young with fitness and stay with it!

The third person in the photo above is Bobby. Bobby is one of only three men in the Zumba classes. He recently became a Strong by Zumba instructor. He filled in for Dawn this week and he is a killer! I loved it. Just like Dawn and Raven, Bobby provided alternative moves for old folks like me. (😉😊)

IN CONCLUSION:

As you can see, July was a busy month for me. The hike and the Strong by Zumba were the fun parts. The stings were not so fun at all.

I encourage you to do something new next month. Take a new class, start your own exercise routine (even if it's just walking), learn a new skill, do something you have never done before. Find a Zumba or Strong by Zumba class or a trail to hike or walk...you won't know what you are capable of until you at least try.
Don't be afraid.

XOXO

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Encouragement: Ending June with Thoughts on Travel and Health

6/28/2019

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"To Travel is To Live"
Hans Christian Andersen, Danish Author

Over my lifetime I have traveled quite a lot. There are places I want to see and places that I may never see. As long as I am physically able I will continue to travel somewhere. If you never leave your home, you miss out on so many opportunities. Opportunities to learn, to meet new people, to see beautiful new sights, to enjoy exciting new experiences, and just to live. It doesn't have to be around the world or even out of your country. Any where you live, there are wonderful opportunities to travel (even a short distance) even in your own backyard.

To turn down an opportunity to travel is to turn down an opportunity to enrich your life. To turn down an opportunity to travel because of fear is a wasted opportunity. Fear should not be the determining factor when it comes to travel. Even on a limited income, you still have opportunities to travel - even it's walking out your own front door.

There is a beautiful world out there for us to enjoy. A walk in the park and really notice the birds, squirrels, and other creatures can be an uplifting experience. About six minutes from my home is a state park with several walking and hiking trails. Even short little "travels" like this, can be a beautiful experience.

If you have the funds and the opportunities to go to another town, another state, or even another country, then I encourage you to take advantage of that opportunity. Traveling exposes your mind to a different view, different smells, different sounds, different and new people to meet, different foods, different drinks, and just so many learning and enjoyable opportunities. Investing in travel is one of the best investments you can make, the memories will last you a lifetime.

“All you need to know is that it’s possible.”
Wolf, an Appalachian Trail Hiker

It is possible. Traveling alone, with family, or with a travel group, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you take every opportunity that comes your way to travel.

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.”
Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Traveling clears your mind of worries and often has helped me reach a decision or find clarity in a stressful situation. Traveling can take you away temporarily from your everyday chores and responsibilities so that you come back fresh. The most valuable thing that traveling does is to teach us. It teaches us new ways and introduces us to new people, new food, new ideas.

Get out of your house and go somewhere! Anywhere! Just go, go while you are still able! Go while you still can! Do you have any stories about your travels that you can share with us? Do you have any suggestions about traveling that may help someone else? Please share your travels with us.

XOXO

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Encouragement: Ending May with Some Thoughts on Hope!

5/31/2019

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Spring is always a welcomed sight after our beautiful, but cold winters. It is a time when flowers begin to bloom and the air seems crisper and clearer. This May was filled with showers of rain and sunshine, usually in the same day. We have covered a lot of subjects this month. Hopefully, they were helpful to you.

We found out how to lower our blood pressure naturally. Hopefully, someone has been able to use that information and it helped them.

I hope during May you started a walking routine, if you didn't already have one. Walking is the best exercise anyone can do. I even saw a man in a wheelchair "walking" his dog in the park the other day. There are very, very few people who can not walk for exercise. It takes a change of thinking sometimes, it takes "making yourself go" even when you don't feel like it, it takes making a decision to do something good for your health.

I use the word "hope" and "hopefully" a lot in my blog, if you haven't noticed. The reason is this, I believe in hope. I believe we should have hope in our future, no matter how old we are. I believe we should have hope in what we can accomplish and then do it. I believe in the hope of better health and a longer life because of the way we live. Finally, I believe in the hope that no matter what illness or injury we sustain, we will have the hope of healing and improved health. I hope we will not lose hope in ourselves no matter how old we are.

Here are a few thoughts of men and women along with scriptures on HOPE:

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."
Romans 15:13 NKJV

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.
Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."
Helen Keller - Author, Died Age 88

"Hope lies in dreams, in imagination,
and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality."
Jonas Salk - American Scientist, Died Age 81

"For I know the thoughts (plans) that I think toward you, says the Lord,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

"A little more persistence, a little more effort,
and what seemed hopeless failure
may turn to glorious success."
Elbert Hubbard - American Writer, Died Age 59

"Love recognizes no barriers.
It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls
to arrive at its destination full of hope."
Maya Angelou - American Poet, Died Age 86

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness."
Desmond Tutu - South African Leader, Alive Age 88

In a nutshell, all of these quotes and scriptures are saying the same thing. They are saying that hope is the key to happiness, success, accomplishments, and everything else positive in our life. So find that hope within yourself and put it to good use!

Do you see hope despite all the negatives in your life? Do you love yourself as well as others enough to turn your desires or plans into action? For example, have you started your walking routine?

XOXO

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Encouragement: April Showers Bring May Flowers - There's good in every rainy day!

4/5/2019

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“You cannot always control what goes on outside.
But you can always control what goes on inside.”
- Dr. Wayne Dyer -

Every day that we wake up is a good day. Everyday that we are able to see the rain fall and know that God exists is a great day. Sometimes it's hard to see that silver lining in that gray cloud of rain - but it's still there.
April is the month when we really know spring is coming. Even in the coldest of climates, spring arrives in it's own way.

That's the way of human aging, also. We have our spring and for each one of us, it comes (and goes) in it's own way. When our spring (childhood) is gone, our summer (teen years) arrives, then fall (adulthood), then our winter (older - closer to the end of our seasons). In human aging, each season lasts for various lengths of time for various people. Winter comes to some in their 30's and 40's, for others winter comes in their 80's, 90's and beyond. Unlike the calendar seasons. We only experience each human season once. No repeats. No do overs.

For this reason, it is important to live each season with intention. The late Dr. Wayne Dyer wrote a book named The Power of Intention. Each day that we wake up, is a day to live with intention. If we live each day allowing the events of life or the actions of others determine our life, we will never know true joy, true peace, or longevity.

“With everything that has happened to you,
you can either feel sorry for yourself
or treat what has happened as a gift.
Everything is either an opportunity to grow
or an obstacle to keep you from growing.
You get to choose.”
- Dr. Wayne Dyer -

Choosing is intention. It is choosing (or intending) to be healthy, happy, positive, active, pursue your dreams, your goals in life...choosing is living a life with intention.

So wake up each day of your winter, with intention in your heart. A purpose, a goal, a dream, a desire, a plan, that is intention. Work to achieve that intention or those intentions.

Do you live a life of intention or chance? Do you feel you are in the winter of your life? How do you know? Are you continuing to grow? Continuing to learn? Living with intention?

XOXO

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Encouragement: End of the Month of Love With New Things Coming!

2/22/2019

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The month of love is coming to an end.
It doesn't mean we can't take love into the remaining ten months of the new year. Every month can be a month of love no matter what our situation. It doesn't matter if you are married, divorced, widowed, never been married or separated from your loved one, you can still experience love. Love isn't just about romance and sex, it is about life and being in love with life.

Over the next year I am adding new blog topics.
Some of the topics include recipes and foods I found helpful when losing weight, volunteering and helping others, sexual issues that affect the over 50 with some solutions, the positive aspects of love and/or sex over the age of 50, traveling over the age of 50 both solo and with groups, and other topics by requests from
On Fire readers.

If you have a need, an idea, a suggestion for blog topics or any comments -
please email me here:

onfireandover50@gmail.com

I hope you stay with me and find the help, answers, inspiration, and encouragement that you need and want. I don't have all the answers but I can find people who can help and contribute.

Do you have a belief in love? Do you find love in living? Have you experienced a bad breakup or an exceptionally successful relationship? Do you have issues or needs about growing older? Questions about growing older? A lot of my blog topics have come from emails from my readers. I want this year to be a year of growing wiser!

XOXO

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Encouragement: Ending January with New Goals and Volunteering! (BTW It's my birthday!)

1/25/2019

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During this month, we have discussed SMART goal setting and Volunteering. These are two areas that I feel are important to every person's life.

Without goals we wonder aimlessly through life and most times never achieve something we need or want. Time goes by with or without goals, but with goals, you have satisfaction in knowing you have achieved something you wanted to achieve. Your life is richer, hopefully, because you accomplished something.

Volunteering is only one way to give back. You can also donate goods or money. However, time is something that many people feel they don't have enough of and therefore, they don't volunteer - instead they send money.

This leaves many organizations short on physical bodies they need to carry out their mission.

Every organization I know of can always use another volunteer. Giving some of your time, even a small amount of it, it priceless.

Please take time in 2019 to work on specific goals for yourself
and finding a little time to donate to a worthy cause.
Your life will be richer for both.

(NOTE: Yes, today is my birthday. I have hit another milestone, a mid-stone...hint, it involves signing up for something. LOL...but I feel 30, seriously, I feel 30. Happy and active, hope this lasts!)

Did you set new goals for 2019? Did you use the SMART formula to set your new goals? Have you included volunteering in your goals? Do you have any ideas for volunteering or goals? Please share some of your goals and where you are considering volunteering?

XOXO

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<<Previous

Encouragement: BELIEVE in the promise of this day!

Encouragement: Look at your life 10-15 years down the road, are you headed in the right direction?

Encouragement: Healthy Habits, Good Nutrition, and Living a Full Life after the Age of 50 - Ending October

Encouragement: Ending September with thoughts on Healthy Habits

Encouragement: July - Yellow Jackets, Hikes, and Hot, Hot, Hot!

Encouragement: Ending June with Thoughts on Travel and Health

Encouragement: Ending May with Some Thoughts on Hope!

Encouragement: April Showers Bring May Flowers - There's good in every rainy day!

Encouragement: End of the Month of Love With New Things Coming!

Encouragement: Ending January with New Goals and Volunteering! (BTW It's my birthday!)

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My mission