One door closes. NOW what??

That is totally up to us!

Green door European style We can thank Alexander Graham Bell for this wonderful quote:

When one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.

That is so very true!

While we may think of Alexander Graham Bell only as the inventor of the telephone (we learned that as kids!), there was much more to Mr. Bell. He endured many hardships in life – as we all do – but he persevered to “see the good” and have an appreciation for the new doors that could and did open in his life. Hopefully we can do the same.

Have doors closed for us? Yes. We can all think of a few…or maybe even several. Loss may close some doors. Age alone may close some doors. Unexpected life changes can close some doors.

Have new doors opened for us? Yes! To see those doors we must approach life with an open mind, an open heart, and with our eyes wide open. How else can we take advantage of wonderful serendipity when it comes our way? Of course, hope and optimism are also required!

Years ago I read the book Repacking Your Bags: Lighten Your Load for The Rest of Your Life by Richard Leider and David Shapiro. Here is a great take-a-way from that book:

There are many doors to open and close in our lives. Some we leave ajar, where we hope and plan to return. Some doors are slammed shut decisively – ‘No more of that!’ Some are closed regretfully, softly – ‘It was good but it is over.’ Departures entail arrivals somewhere else. Closing a door means opening onto new vistas, ventures, new possibilities…

Yes, I’ve slammed some doors. I’ve closed others regretfully. And some doors have been closed on me. Did that hurt sometimes? Sure. Did life go on? Yes, it did!

As kindred spirits in aging, we can view this life journey as a time for new opportunities with new doors to open. Not doing so would be boring…and frankly depressing!

Let’s not move backwards (we’ve already been there!). Let’s not stay the same. Let’s open new doors, keep contributing, keep learning and make the very most of “the days of our lives.”

Here’s to opening new doors…together!

♥

“It is what it is.”

Wait! There’s more to the “story”!

How many times have you heard someone say “It is what it is”? Countless times? That’s pretty much true for most of us.

So…what does “It is what it is” mean to you? While I know what it means to me — I’ll get to that shortly! — I decided to Google the idiom and found that some folks feel very strongly about this little phrase!

In a 2015 article on inc.com entitled The Stupidity of ‘It is what it is…’ author Peter Economy (Is that a real last name??) declared that “It is what it is is especially damaging when used to frame a response to a problem…an admission that the problem is too hard…This all too common phrase has no place in the lexicon of leaders who rely on the intellectual, emotional and creative power of their people.”

Okay Peter, you’re right to a point. However, let’s not just say “It is what it is” and leave it at that. Instead, let’s say this…

It is what it is 2

Now that is about acknowledging the reality of a situation and then making a conscious choice about how that reality will impact us and what we are going to do about it!

Case in point: I’m 70 now. (Yes, indeed, it is what it is!) And…I choose not to bemoan the fact that I’m not younger. I choose to embrace the fact that I’m still waking up in the morning, have people to love, and can still make a contribution to this world. I choose to accept responsibility for my attitude…and I choose to be an optimist.

It is what it is, my friends!

♥

This Little Light of Mine…

This song never fails to bring a smile to my face!

I’m sure you’ve heard the little song This Little Light of Mine. Take a listen now! (It’s a “toe tapper”!) This song never fails to bring a smile to my face!

While we might think of this as a kid’s song – and I do love to hear children sing it – it really has a message for all of us, even those of us in the Celebrating70 community! When we “shine our light” we share our knowledge, our experience, our talents, our time, our energy, our caring, and much more.

Just think about it. We could make it our goal that:

Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine.
All up in my house, I’m gonna let it shine.
Out there in the dark, I’m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

So…just how are we “gonna” let our light shine? Will we call a friend we haven’t talked to in way too long? Will we volunteer a bit of time for an organization we admire? (I volunteer for the Make-A-Wish foundation!) Will we reach out to someone going through a difficult time and ask, “How can I help?” Or maybe we’ll simply put a big smile on our face and say hello to a couple of folks who look like they could use a kind word. Even the smallest gestures make a difference and we’re setting a great example for others to follow. In today’s very difficult world, letting our light shine could have a much more far-reaching impact than we can imagine.

From another perspective, letting our lights shine doesn’t just help others. It can provide meaning in our lives and “satisfy the soul.” It feels good inside to make a difference, no matter how small.

Yes, this little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine!

How ’bout you? Any ideas on how you can let your light shine???

♥

What Matters Most Is How You See Yourself

When you look in the mirror, who do you see?

IMAGE -- What matters most When you look in the mirror, who do you see? Okay, sometimes I can’t believe the image I see in the mirror! Who is that person and just where did she come from???

All joking aside, how we truly view ourselves and describe ourselves has such an impact on our lives. Our self-perceptions influence who we believe we are, what we expect of and for ourselves, how we interact with the world around us, and how we expect others to treat us. Quite simply, how we “see” ourselves influences the quality of our lives in many ways.

So…Who do you think you are? That makes a difference! Our thinking – our self-talk – what we say to ourselves all day long – can be either helpful or sometimes very, very hurtful. We make choices in our lives based on those thoughts! “Stinking thinking” – or “stinkin’ thinkin’” as I prefer to think of it – is term that originated in Alcoholics Anonymous and it has meaning for all of us. In the simplest terms, stinkin’ thinkin’ is negative self-talk. We can’t continually give ourselves negative messages and then expect to make positive choices. If you’re doing that, cut it out!!

Muhammad Ali once revealed that, “I was saying ‘I am the greatest’ long before I believed it.” Can that acknowledgement in any way be a lesson for us?

We can choose what we believe about ourselves. While that might not be easy at times, it is essential to our self-confidence, our sense of peace, and our ability to maintain an optimistic perspective, especially as we grow older. Yes, positive expectations and a hopeful perspective can be learned. (Could that be a future goal?!)

Let’s have the audacity to do whatever it takes to think differently and recognize ourselves as the valuable human beings that we are!

Our happiness might just depend on it!

So…kitten or lion, my friend??? Or maybe something else?!