Be Brave!

I posted this picture on Facebook this week and truly believed in what it said.

Today I had an opportunity to share a small piece of my life story with a young woman. It is interesting how the conversation came about and I believe with all my heart that it is always, always divine intervention.

Sometimes it takes a lot of bravery to tell your story. You fight back tears but you know in the core of your being you need to be strong and tell it anyway. Sometimes, the tears need to be shared also.  I have been blessed to be presented with more opportunities than I can recall to share my experiences and learn later how much it has helped someone. I have been able to tell one or two of my life stories in front of large crowds of people and allowing so many people to see your emotion is not always the easiest thing but I am always amazed at who my words touched. I don’t take credit for that because the words that seem to have the most impact are the ones I never intended to say. They weren’t in my notes, they are what I call “Heart Words”.

Today’s conversation was also a healing process for me. Because of sharing with someone of my trials, I was able to relive those just a bit and address some of my feelings by sharing.

By sharing your experience you also meet some of the most incredible people and you get to know them on a level that most superficial relationships never attain. When you see those people the next time, you look at each other, really look at each other, and that look is with knowing eyes and hearts.

So…..Be Brave! Share those thoughts and feelings. Listen to your inner voices that tell you it is okay and this is what you need to be doing. You will have an opportunity to help someone if you just pay attention. Guess what? It probably helps you more than them.

When I Grow Up I Want To Be Betty White

Betty White has become my hero. Well, hero in the sense I want to be like her when I grow up……you know, about 80 years old or so.

She just celebrated her 90^th birthday and has not slowed down based on what I have been reading and seeing on TV.

My belief is if you decide at 40, 50, 60 or any age for that matter that you are old, then you are. You may as well be dead now because you are committing suicide on the installment plan. Take a look at Betty White and what she is doing at the young age of 90.  New TV shows (yes plural), talk show interviews, appearances, etc. She is not sitting on her butt being old. In one interview she talked about living in a 2-story house and making several trips up and down the stairs to stay in shape.

She is a comedic actress and that humor comes through constantly. Here are some of my favorite quotes of hers:

"I think we're losing our sense of humor instead of being able to relax and laugh at ourselves. I don't care whether it's ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, or whose ox is being gored. “

"I think older women still have a full life. Maybe the [movie and TV] writers don’t address it these days, but it doesn’t change the fact."

"If one gets lucky I bet they do."-
 In response to Barbara Walters asking her if 88-year-olds still have sex.

"You gotta use everything you possibly can!"-
On the slit in her dress when accepting the SAG's Lifetime Achievement Award.

 I want to be 90 years young and fully living my life. I will be having great parties with young men, you know about 70, flirting with them, dancing, drinking and carrying on in inappropriate ways. You can get away with a whole lot at 90 that you couldn’t previously in your life so I am looking forward to it.

I hope you continue going along on this journey with me and I will invite you to all the cool parties I am going to have when I get a bit younger. Thanks Betty for being such an inspiration!