“You are braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” Winnie the Pooh
BY HONEY GOOD
We, darlings, have lived through life-changing events. The quality of a woman’s life over 50 depends on her mindset. Our attitude and our adaptation. Our minds are so powerful; therefore, what we plant is what we reap.
Many women over 50, when faced with change, sink into despair. They freeze. Other women faced with change have the natural ability to view change as positive growth. They are capable of seeing change as a welcome challenge. These women bloom. And you can, too.
When I am confronted with negative challenges that bring about forced change, I can gather my resources, my knowledge, and true grit attitude, and turn whatever lemons are thrown my way into lemonade. Many women find this problematic and freeze. I freeze, too. But not for long. My positive attitude allows me to adapt and bloom above the fray.
We face all types of unpleasant changes. It is normal to experience a variety of emotions from fear to anger to sadness. But only for a few days. Then you must adapt with resolve and move into solution mode or you will feel helpless. When you adapt, you bloom.
All of us go through change. Some changes are minor, some are major, and some are just plain marvelous. Hopefully, we take lessons away from all of them.
How to Make Lemonade Out of Lemons
When life gives me lemons, I force myself to make lemonade. This gives me a positive, can-do attitude when I am faced with an unpleasant change.
I suffered emotionally through bouts with cancer, and I sobbed over the loss of a husband. Furthermore, I ached over betrayals and lived through significant disappointments. I was shocked over a family suicide, I have had problems with adult children, and I moved across an ocean. Truth be told, I could go on and on.
These were exhausting, life-changing events that did not evaporate overnight. I lived through them because of my attitude and an innate strength to gather all my resources, so I was able to adapt.
How I Confronted Life-Changing Events
- I am proactive in taking care of my health, and I bloomed after I survived CANCER. For that, I am so grateful.
- I permitted myself to mourn; to feel grief, anger, and fear and over time, I was able to rebloom. I survived WIDOWHOOD and I loved again.
- Being true to myself gave me permission to remove unhealthy relationships from my life, and I bloomed. I weathered BETRAYALS. New friendships
- I figured out how to pick myself up and turn my disappointments into successes. I embraced GROWTH, and so, I bloomed.
- Understanding the capacity I had to give 100% of my love to my husband’s grandchildren and my daughter-in-law, we bloomed as a family. We survived SUICIDE. We choose to live on, remembering those we will always love.
- I realized, unfortunately, some actions in families are unforgivable. I reached a point of acceptance and bloomed.
Darlings, do not get me wrong; the positive changes in my life can fill volumes of books and for that, I am one grateful woman over 50. I am smiling.
I Believe You Can Adapt to Anything
Each day, I try to turn my positive attitude up to high. A positive attitude is the number one reason I always somehow land on my feet. Darlings, your attitude is a great asset. With positivity, you can adapt to anything.
A Woman Can Adapt to Everything
This is how I adapt.
I mobilize my positive emotional energy. I gather all my lifelong knowledge stored in my head and sometimes ask the advice of those I respect for help. Necessity is the mother of invention, and most of us will find ways to meet a challenge.
Those of you who have convinced yourself it is not possible to meet a challenge, my advice is to unfreeze yourselves today. Have hope and a positive perspective. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
On a lighter note — but true — when I am faced with difficult challenges I think of the words in the storybooks, the Little Red Engine and Winnie the Pooh.
The Little Red Engine said, “I think I can! I think I can!” I have found that I can, and so, I do.
And, I will end with the quote I began with my musings.
Winnie the Pooh gave Christopher Robin this mantra, “You are braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”
Accepting the challenge of change with a good attitude will make you a better version of you. Embrace change with a competitive spirit and know that after the fall comes the rise; every low will be followed by a high. That’s the ride we call life. Jump in!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – SUSAN ‘ HONEY’ GOOD
Susan “Honey” Good serves as the voice of women after 50 all over the world. Years ago, Honey started a diary hoping it would help her find a new purpose in life. Feeling the need to open up her thoughts to others, Honey soon turned her diary into a website. Her life stories and musings immediately resonated with women 50 and over. WWW.HONEYGOOD.COM