Turning 50 had Barbara Hannah Gruffman wanting to know how to make the best of her life after reaching the half-century mark. She wanted to know the secrets to life after the big 5-0. Barbara decides to consult with the best of (more…)
Archive for July, 2010
Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd
Friday, July 9th, 2010Blog Talk Radio “Feisty Side of Fifty” Show (Taped)
Thursday, July 8th, 2010Host Eileen Williams and I covered hair, makeup and style, based on what I learned from my wonderful experts. >> Listen
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE. REALLY.
Saturday, July 3rd, 2010
This morning, after my run (with walk breaks!) in Central Park with Gunther the Wonder Dog, as I was leaving the park to go home, I noticed a teenager wearing a brightly colored t-shirt with these words: “The Best Things in Life Are Free.”
Tom Petty was still serenading me through my iPhoneearbuds and my mind started to meander while walking the half-mile home.
Are the best things in life really free? Are they really the best? I started a mental list of those things that really and truly are free, and then some that are pretty cheap that they could almost slide right into the “free” box without anyone noticing. A review . . .
- love — the love you give and the love you get
- the moon
- the sun
- the stars
- your faith — whatever it is, even if you get persecuted for it, it is still yours
- your conscience — Thomas More, in the 16th Century, had this one down pat. Your conscience is yours to do with what you will, and only you can look at yourself in the mirror every night at the end of every day and tell yourself that you truly did the right thing, and that you lived each moment according to what you believed was right
- running (with walk breaks) — some experts even think we should be running with no shoes at all, like our ancestors, which would make this truly free, but I still suggest investing in a good pair of running/walking shoes
- your thoughts — whether you choose to share them, or keep them to yourself, they are free
- friendship
- happiness — we can choose whether to live our lives in a state of happiness with moments of unhappiness (which is completely normal, as no one can be happy 24/7, especially with the troubles we see in the world every day) OR we can choose to live in a state of unhappiness with moments of happiness (don’t choose this option if you can help it)
- laughter — laugh every day . . . because no matter what is going on, there is always something else we can laugh about, even if for a moment
- sex
- reading – go to a library and check out a book, or borrow one from a friend
- push-ups and sit-ups — these are so free it’s laughable . . . you could be buck naked and still do them
- compassion — be tender of heart, and the world will be a better place
- honesty
- eating healthier — okay, it’s not free BUT . . . eating less processed food, less meat and more vegetables, whole grains, beans and fruit is ALOT CHEAPER
- attitude – You can’t buy your attitude
- singing — even when my daughters roll their eyes at me, I sing whenever I feel like it, which is often
- PBS and NPR — although it would be nice if we all gave them donations once in a while to keep those free programs going
- Central Park — and other parks around the country
- Facebook – well, it’s free for now
What do you think are the best things in life? And, are they free? Let me know . . .
Best of everything,
Barbara
THE BEST OF EVERYTHING AFTER 50 “WOMAN OF THE WEEK” IS (AGAIN!) . . . DENISE TAYLOR TREMAINE!
Friday, July 2nd, 2010This is a first! Denise is The Best of Everything After 50 “Woman of the Week” for the second week in a row!!
Why? Because she decided only a few weeks ago to enter her first race — a 5K — and this week, she did it!
Denise — as I wrote in last week’s blog about her – suffers from fibromyalgia, which can be very painful at times. Denise had stopped working out, thinking it would be too uncomfortable for her, until she read about the walk/run program in my book, which was created by marathoner, author and Olympian, Jeff Galloway.
After getting a pedometer a few months ago, she decided to give it a try, slowly building up her pace and the number of steps she took each day. Eventually, she got to the recommended 10,000 steps AND incorporated some running into her walking routine. Denise tells me that her “normal” walk/run ratio is 3 – 4 minutes of walking with 1 – 2 minutes of running, and she’s working toward reversing that ratio. BUT, she knows that walk breaks are
forever if she wants to walk/run — injury-free — for the rest of her life.
Result? She’s lost weight, gotten leaner, and the most gratifying of all . . . she finished her first race! Denise used to be annoyed by people who would say “If I can do it, anyone can!” . . . but that has became her own mantra and message to other women over 50.
In the words of Tom Petty (from one of my favorite songs):
I don’t know what I’ve been told,
You never slow down,
You never grow old . . .
Yay, Denise!!!!
Best of Everything,
Barbara