I come from a long line of women who live into their 90’s! My mom passed away last year at age 98 and I’m currently ‘managing the care’ of my mother-in-law who turns 97 this week. So longevity is a subject I explore often. When my darling grandson asked, “Grammie, will you still be alive when I get married?” I replied, “I certainly hope so. I want to dance at your wedding.” Still, his innocent query reminded me to continue to pursue a healthy lifestyle of wholesome food, daily exercise and supportive social connections. I’m particularly interested in wellness and nutrition so I’m always seeking new ways to ‘slim down’ and firm up. I love to bike ride and hike — and have taken some wonderful ‘adventure trips’ to several National Parks in the US. I try to keep very current on all the latest Broadway shows, movies and art exhibits in NYC — and I enjoy sharing it with family and friends. But what I love mostly about this stage of my life is that I have come to accept who I am and be perfectly happy with it! Here are my strategies for achieving acceptance at any age:

Stage 1: Become aware of your negative feelings and the thoughts which accompany them. Recognize your impatience, boredom and anxiety — without beating yourself up!

Stage 2: Give your inner critic a Break! Know that if you believe you’re fundamentally OK , that ‘this too shall pass’ . That negative voices in our heads really need to “Shut Up”!

Stage 3: Replace your negative thoughts with conscious positive thoughts. There are so many things to be grateful for — and just focus on one or two of them.

Stage 4:  If there is any resistance left, let go of it. Don’t mentally push the situation away, welcome it. Embrace the situation. 

This all may sound very simplistic, but if you can experience the power of acceptance, you’ll become powerfully aware that it’s not so much the events or situations in our lives that determine our mood, but our attitude towards them.