One of the blessings for many of us in our 60s and beyond is living a comfortable life. This does not imply riches. It means we have found a way to have ‘enough’. We have given our time to our work/profession and family. Now is our time to relax and enjoy life. We want to enjoy our comfort. We deserve to enjoy comfort.

Still, for many women there can be a yearning or dissatisfaction lurking just under the surface.

The Lure of Comfort

Now that I have married my love, I feel full. Recently, I have faced my own complacency...

Italians use the term speranza-certezza, offering an expansion to how we might use only the word hope, or perhaps intention or faith. It means to hold hope and certainty at the same time. Think about it… this is a powerful pairing of ideas that transforms a wish into creation.

I learned about this term from a wonderful Italian artist, Barbara Sbrocca, who interviewed me for her love and separations project, Baci Sospesi. She said that I had speranza-certezza when I decided for love in my life. 

Barbara uses the interviews to inform her art and to provide input for anyone researching or exploring love in their life, work or creativity. Have fun exploring!

Have you ever hoped to become more fit or to learn a new skill? Maybe you hope to fall in love, as I did for so many years. The difference in...

We all know that feeling grateful feels good. Right? It is more than that! We care about aging well, with vitality and wellness. Well, gratitude can play a big part in that.

According to Positive Psychology, research shows that benefits of gratitude for us include:

• increased happiness and positive mood
• more satisfaction with life
• less materialism
• less likely to experience burnout
• better physical health
• better sleep
• less fatigue
• lower levels of cellular inflammation
• greater resiliency
• encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom

How can you make gratitude a part of your life?

Gratitude as an Everyday Practice

I am sure you have read about keeping a gratitude journal. It is a wonderful and beneficial practice. If you are anything like me, the consistent journaling will last less than a week! So, what can we do to make gratitude a part of our everyday life?

Eckhart Tolle says...

Change, even if creating something you truly desire, can be challenging. Why in the world would anyone, especially when in your 70s, choose to go through change? Well, growing and learning are a type of change; growing and learning are essential for well-being and longevity.

Feelings of vitality, of aliveness, arise from embracing change. The real question is why in the world would someone in the seventh decade of life (and beyond) NOT choose change?

Change can happen to us and around us – health issues, someone dying, kids moving, etc. These are the kinds of change that are a natural part of life’s ebb and flow. We are called on to accept what is and to care for ourselves as we navigate them.

Then, there is change that you decide for. Reflecting on what we want, we may feel resolve, hope, desire, and often have a vision. You might decide to get more...

The Galapagos trip turned out to be the consummation of the Love Story article series I wrote for Sixty and Me, which covered self-love, love for friends, and mature love.

This article will describe a little about the adventure as well as the Valentine’s marriage proposal.

Spoiler alert: I said “Yes.”

Getting There

It was a long day! I flew from the west coast in the US. Most flights connect through Panama, a delightful airport. Then it is on to Guayaquil, Ecuador. If you make the same trip, I recommend spending a day there if you can. It is the largest city in Ecuador. Enjoy walking the Malecon along the Guayas River and find a good place to eat. You will enjoy the street performers and Ecuadorian people.

Then on to the Galapagos, usually using LATAM airlines. It is a two-hour flight.

The...

Finally, we arrive at truly intimate committed love as the third area of bringing love into your life. Our journey to expand and deepen love in life has taken us from self-love to heart-based friendships. Now we will consider committed, intimate relationships.

Notice that in the below exploration of committed intimacy, does not need to include romance. These healthy, deep relationships can exist without a romantic aspect. Still, if you are looking for romance, certainly committed intimacy should be expressed in the love you are seeking.

If you are in an established relationship, consider what it might mean to deepen it and fall in love all over again.

What Is an Intimate Committed Relationship?

Intimacy implies that you, as a mate/lover/companion, are truly authentic and vulnerable with your partner; your...

This is the second of three articles to help us create more love in life. A life filled with love vibes will help keep you healthy and happy. Spread the love.

We are all familiar with the adage, “If you want a friend, be a friend.” I am living proof that it is true! The second step I took on my journey into love was to mindfully nurture and expand my circle of woman-friends. Remember, this is after spending time learning to love me… the real me.

Since the last article about the value of self-love, you have tuned into loving yourself. Hopefully, you have found some ways for your self-love to flourish. Know that others recognize the energy of self-love and that it is attractive. Others are drawn to it. With it you are more available for friendship.

What Is the State of Your Friend Love?

If you are anything like me when...

In earlier stages of life – adolescence, young adult, midlife – our life focus usually is prescribed by society and family values. Thus, we generally know what is expected of us. For example, upon graduation from high school, we go on for more education/training/apprenticeship.

Admittedly, some of us may have been rebels, but in the end, most of us followed the norms, albeit stretching those norms just a bit as our generation has been known to do.

There is little if any...

If you have ever shopped at Macy’s over the holidays, you know they use the word “Believe” as part of their branding. This is an invitation to bring “Believe” truly into your life in the New Year… and leave the old resolution as a goal or wish behind.

How is this different than making a resolution? Let’s take a look.

Listen

What you want to create in 2022 must come from your deep and true inner desires. Give yourself the gift of pausing in this busy time of year to love yourself. Ask yourself, your inner wisdom, what you truly desire in the coming year.

This is not what a friend is doing or fixing something that our society or someone you know has said you should do. This is your life, and you know what is...