Blog Archives

Once Upon a Time …starts now (even at 50+)

3/30/2025

We all grew up with fairy tales. Years ago, I taught gifted kids in a creative writing class. One of the exercises I used was to challenge the kids to write a follow-up of what happened to any fairy tale character of their choice - TWO YEARS LATER. Oh, the tales I got – and with such unique endings! ...

1. Cinderella and Prince Charming split up. The prince gambled away his fortune, and Cinderella moved to LA and opened… a shoe store.

2. Snow White married her prince, and she found that his mother looked in the mirror even more than Snow White’s stepmother. Soon her new mother-in-law chased Snow White away, forcing her to end up keeping house for the seven dwarfs. Ultimately, she became hard of hearing because of all that whistling!

Fairy-Tail Endings?

This made me think a lot about fairy-tale endings. How can we make them happen for ourselves so that we don’t end up like this prince and the princesses??

Whether it’s career issues, relationships, or life transitions in general, I believe people are searching for that “Happily Ever After.” Over the years almost every coaching client I’ve worked with answers the question, “What do you really want?” the same way: “I just want to be happy.”

So, what does being happy
really mean to you?

And how can you get there? Well, the fact is that you can sit back and just let things happen around you, or you can think about what you really want and begin making plans that can lead you to your new goals. Here’s the first step.

Let’s say you are 50+ and beginning to ask yourself, “Is this all there is?” You’ve worked hard and you’ve accomplished a lot. The question then changes to, “What’s next?”

Assuming you are like the rest of the world and say, “I just want to be happy,” This is the time to take a good look at who you are NOW and what really makes you happy. (Yes, you at 50+)

Hint: Think about some of those things you were really good at or interested in but gave up because of career or family obligations.

This step is called self-awareness.

If you purposefully make time for some or one of those activities, you will be not only challenging your brain with something different, you will also be creating a new community for the future and having fun as well.

Go ahead and try it. Whether you are simply feeling stuck, facing one of life’s many transitions, or just wanting more, you’ll find self-awareness to be the first step on your path to ‘happily ever after.’

You’ll be motivated, energized, and more determined to reach your goals. Here’s a little creative writing idea for you. Like my students did for the fairy tales, take a few minutes to describe yourself two years from now. Writing about achieving what we want makes the victory a lot closer.

-Loretta

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Plan Your Happily Ever After So That It's Not Just a Fairy Tale

3/5/2025

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"Your mind is a garden;
your thoughts are seeds.
You can grow flowers,
or you can grow weeds."
-Dr. Seuss

Theodor Seuss Geisel adopted the name “Dr. Seuss” after an incident at Dartmouth in 1925. He was editor and chief of the humor magazine, Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern. When he was caught drinking with nine of his friends in his room, he was forced to resign as editor.

To continue working on the magazine without the administration's knowledge, Geisel adopted the pen name "Seuss.” He used the title Dr. because his father wanted him to study medicine!

March 2nd was Dr. Seuss’s birthday. March 20th is another important day in March.

March 20th is The International Day of Happiness

Yes, really! Go ahead - ask Google

The General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution 66/281 of 12 July 2012 proclaimed 20 March the International Day of Happiness, recognizing the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives

Why is this important? Because traveling the road to happiness requires a positive outlook. I know in this time of political division and frustration it seems fruitless to tell you about the UN resolution and ask you to celebrate, but what better time than now!

BUT HOW?

Welcome to Make HAPPY a Habit!, my simple, easy-to-follow 30-day plan that will leave you feeling happy (contented/joyful/fulfilled/satisfied) and will make you more resilient, help you have less stress, and simply enjoy life more. Raise your hand if you’d like that!

I’m sure you have some habits you’d like to stop (biting your nails, always being late because you think it makes you look important), and there are some we’d really like to do more often (get better at reading social cues, being able to sleep on an airplane).

Read on for creating a daily habit that comes
with guarantees.

Since science has proven that at least 40% of what we think and how we act is a choice*, choose to do the following five simple basic tasks every day for 30 days and see how this can help with planning your future:

1 – Every morning SAY (out loud) three things you are grateful for. Helps you greet the day with a smile.

2 – Every night WRITE down a positive experience from the past 24 hours (can be just one sentence) Keep a pad and pen on nightstand. Thinking positive before bedtime helps with sleep!

3 – Exercise - 20 min a day. This doesn’t have to include a Lululemon outfit or a gym membership. Go for a walk; enjoy nature. See how many steps you’ve completed. (You can split the time, if you are a whiner)

4 – Meditate - 5-7 min a day, No mantra necessary. This can be guided (Headspace/Calm) or by simply sitting quietly listening to wordless music.

5 – Perform a Random Act of Kindness (let someone in front of you in traffic, buy a coffee for the person behind you at Starbucks). There is real joy in a random act of kindness.

There! That doesn’t look so hard, does it? Do it for 30 days, and it becomes a habit. BTW, you’ll get extra credit if you start today! It’s your choice.

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one
who'll decide where to go.”
-Dr. Seuss

Travel safely,

Loretta
[email protected]

*Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, distinguished professor of Psychology, University of California, Riverside.

0 Comments

Once Upon a Time …starts now (even at 50+)

Fairy-Tail Endings?

So, what does being happy
really mean to you?

This step is called self-awareness.

Plan Your Happily Ever After So That It's Not Just a Fairy Tale

"Your mind is a garden;
your thoughts are seeds.
You can grow flowers,
or you can grow weeds."
-Dr. Seuss

March 20th is The International Day of Happiness

Read on for creating a daily habit that comes
with guarantees.

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one
who'll decide where to go.”
-Dr. Seuss

Author

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Email or call to set up a FREE 15-minute introductory phone session!

Telephone

Email

Once Upon a Time …starts now (even at 50+)

Fairy-Tail Endings?

​So, what does being happy​really mean to you?

This step is called self-awareness.

Plan Your Happily Ever After So That It's Not Just a Fairy Tale

"Your mind is a garden;your thoughts are seeds.You can grow flowers,​or you can grow weeds."-Dr. Seuss

March 20th is The International Day of Happiness

Read on for creating a daily habit that comes​with guarantees. ​

“You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes.You can steer yourselfany direction you choose.You're on your ownAnd you know what you know.And YOU are the onewho'll decide where to go.”-Dr. Seuss

Author

Categories

Archives

Email or call to set up a FREE 15-minute introductory phone session!

Telephone

Email

So, what does being happy
really mean to you?

"Your mind is a garden;
your thoughts are seeds.
You can grow flowers,
or you can grow weeds."
-Dr. Seuss

Read on for creating a daily habit that comes
with guarantees.

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one
who'll decide where to go.”
-Dr. Seuss