“It`s Not How Old You Are, It`s How You Are Old.” ― Jules Renard
It Is None Of My Business What You Are Thinking About Me
“The good thing about being old is not being young.” ― Stephen Richards
The cool thing about getting old as a woman is I can disappear! After I hit 50, seven years ago I didn't get those "checking me out," looks from men and women I have had to live with most of my life. I've heard women lament the fact now that their boobs have blended into their waistline, their ass sags to their knees, their hair is thin and graying, and their chin has doubled no one looks at them anymore. Being invisible is a superpower! You should rejoice and use this power to your advantage. Just think about all the things you can do without someone checking out your ass, trying to catch you for the next notch on their gun, and insecure women hating on you because they don't feel happy about themselves.
“I don't see why there should be a point where everyone decides you're too old. I'm not too old, and until I decide I'm too old I'll never be too fucking old.” ― Lemmy Kilmister
Today I make the choice, what people think of me will never limited my choices in this life or how I react to life. I am the only one with the power to choose how to feel, think, and live my life. Even if someone stuck me in prison and threw away the key, I still would be free. My mind is my own!
“Learning Is An Ornament In prosperity, A Refuge In Adversity, And A Provision In Old Age.” ― Aristotle
I was diagnosed with fibromylagia back in 1993. I suffered from repeated kidney and bladder infections, pneumonia, lower GI problems, extreme fatigue, skin rashes on my face and asthma. I couldn't keep my weight at an even keel because of medication I was taking, I suffered from muscle and ligament pain, ruptured lower vertebra, L5 and couldn't bend over to tie my shoes. I suffered from PTSD from sexual abuse as a child and I married a man just like my perverted stepfather, controlling, violent, alcoholic, sex addict, and black out drunk. Instead of playing the victim game, many people play this game because they don't have to take responsibility for their life, it is profitable, I got pissed off and decided to take my life back. No one get's to live in my head for free anymore!
Everyone Is Profiting From My Illness And Confusion Except Me!
My choices in this life define me and just for today I will choose to live a good life. I am not what someone else thinks I am. I have made myself miserable through my reactions to what I like and don't like. Since I have this power I can learn to react in a healthy way to what life throws at me. Instead of praying to God to help me I looked to myself and asked for help. I know my choices in life had made me miserable but I didn't know how to change my conditioning. That's when I realized I was making myself miserable. That's when I found Buddhism when I threw away all the self help books, medications, and stopped giving a shit about what people think of me. God couldn't help me because I didn't know how to help myself. Buddhism, Gautama Buddha taught me how to help myself. With that choice my whole life changed and I started healing
“The question is not how to get cured, but how to live.” ― Joseph Conrad
I still struggle with an impaired immune system, I get depressed, I slip up with my diet, people can still hurt my feelings, I can still make the wrong choices but how I react to all this has dramatically changed. It is not that I don't care, I've learned to care in a different way. I have learned how to react to life stripped of my past, my hopes, and my dreams. I don't dream about being happy, I am happy sometimes, I don 't avoid being sad, I am sad sometimes. I don't dread being old and dying, there is no way to avoid this state. Illness and depression, have become my friends and guides and they have lead me to freedom!
“Old age is the new childhood.” ― Hanif Kureishi
I lost 50lbs back in 2015. My body has changed, I am in menopause and I haven't gained the weight back. I've gained 5 or 10 pounds here and there but lost it again when I stopped eating foods that cause stress to my digestive system and endocrine systems.
I didn't feel sorry for myself about getting old, I had a screwed up past, I still suffer from depression and illness. Instead I thought to myself, "I found myself in a new body and I no longer suffered the hormonal swings that a woman's menstrual cycle brings." This was true freedom but my body was so different, I had to figure out how to live in this new body by myself. Diet, exercise, a disciplined mind are things I've been working on for almost 30 years. So figuring out what this new body needed was easy. All I had to do was quiet myself down and listen to my body. It told me no sugar, clean water, fresh air, walk daily, no refined carbs, 16 hour intermittent fasting, 6 hours of sleep, build your creativity, learn new things, and take care of your family!
My New Drawing
I want to do some winter themes and knot work for November. This is my first drawing and dedicated to Steemit. A steaming snowflake...hahaha. I don't know if I will keep this a pencil drawing or ink it out. I sat down and started sketching simple ideas, "keep it simple," I thought to myself. After drawing the day away I thought, "yeah right, not that simple." But that's me, I can't keep it simple and don't try and stop the process anymore.
A link to My Blog
You are a precious gem @reddust and this post resonates with me on so many levels.
When I was younger I feared the unknown which meant everything new was an unknown. Being an Aspie I finally got sick of getting in my own way and made the decision to try stuff and hope it didn't hurt or kill me. I think a lot of that fear was what other people would think of me because I've always felt different.
If I could go back in time and tell my younger self one thing, it would be "No one get's to live in my head for free anymore!" You've got that right, sister!
My Mom had me tested for Aspergers when I was 2 years old. The doctor told her I was just sensitive. I didn't like her smoking, she smelled awful so I avoided hugging her and I hated scratchy clothes! Because of that history I researched aspergers and resonate with many of the symptoms. We are on an individual bases so different from one another, people fake being the trendy norm and that makes them so boring. I cherish your uniqueness @merej99, aspies can't fake who they are and that makes you gold to me!
Hello, great story, you have gone through very hard situations, illnesses, bad relationships, but you understood that by going through all that means that YOUR ARE LIVING, and you surpass them thanks to your self-esteem, I congratulate you, continue your way ...
Thank you @eleyda78, it is a good time to be alive!
U are looking very young , in your body no sign of Ageing
It's amazing what walking and keep life simple will do for your health. I eat whole foods without additives that are organic and cut out sugar my inflammation issues went down drastically and I think this also has given me a youthful look. But you can't negate genetics as well. We don't age fast in my family.
Absolutely there is no age for learning ND this is true the old means the new childhood so Pls takecare of your parents. Nice looking in pic.
Thanks for your post. Like it.
@amitaj, my parents are dead, I have 4 grown children and 8 grandchildren. I threaten my oldest grandson he will be changing my diapers when I am 120 years old :p hahaha
Haaahaaaa it's not for you I write, I wrote for every person who has his parents.
ahhh, the lurkers, I understand <3
You are an inspiration that no matter what we can always choose. Either we let the world control us or we dig deep and find away to control our own life. We switch from being a reader to being the author of our own life story - you are awesome!
I am learning to tell my story, thank you my friend @dandesign86, I hope our stories will be good and happy ones here on steemit.
I can imagine it's not easy to share for sure. I think it shows great strength . I am sure we will have many good and happy stories to come here on Steemit!
Great thoughts reddust. We give too much emphasis on looks. However, if you are confident, believe in your capabilities, and happy with yourself, your looks just become a secondary thing.
I've learned to accept my looks and use them to my advantage. Even with the illness and trauma my body has been incredible resilient, healing when given the right data. I often have thought what it would be like to live this life without the thoughts, "there is something wrong with me." Now I try and live life without the worry that I am a sick awful person that deserved the abuse I suffered from as a child.
We are all responsible for our selves. I, like you have had long term medical problems.Realized early Doctors can't do much. Diet, life style and attitude carries the day. Good days bad days. The bad day are good to me because each one is a gift. Stay strong.
Listening to the news here in America, day in and day out I hear people playing the victim game, passing the buck, blaming other people and events for the choices they they chose to make that got them into trouble....I can't watch the news anymore, it's not healthy to listen to the blame game mantra. Thank you @manourvillemike.
nice post, i agree with your thoughts if we stay strong and think in a positive way we surely get good results, i think if a person's mind and heart is healthy he surely lives happy life no matter how old he is, our mind is so powerful and it needs positive and healthy feed and when we did it our life becomes more brighter, i also like your drawing yes it is simple but it looks so creative and beautiful, have a fantastic weekend ahead, Stay blessed
I really think my world is held together in a certain way by how I think. When I change my mind my world changes....it's kind of scary to think about lololol
Thank you @adnanrabbani.
You are welcome, i love reading your posts because they give me positive energy. Stay awesome.
@reddust,
If someone say you are old I will shot him :D I mean you are not old! and the way you think always feel respect about you! Great article with great thoughts!
Cheers~
@theguruasia, you know what's better than shooting someone? Laughing, they don't know what to do and will start laughing with you. Thank you my dear friend.
Your statement, " I have made myself miserable through my reactions to what I like and don't like" is amazing. It helped me realize that I am dealing with someone who is making ME miserable with their constant petty grievances. No more. Thank you!
Yeah, I still struggle with telling people that they are too negative if I like them, they are a friend. But I think it is helpful to people who like to dump on other people when they are feeling bad. I learned from my meditation teacher SN Goenka, don't give your pain away, let it go since it is empty. So many people use others as their negativity wastebasket. No more for us!
Exactly! They can keep it.