POSITIVE Attitude Can Make All the Difference

"Most folks are about as happy 
​as they make up their minds to be."
-Abraham Lincoln

I remember when my 60th birthday was getting closer. I checked twice to make sure I had done the math correctly, and when the numbers added up, the first thing I thought was, “But hey, I’m not OLD!”
         
60 is a big number. It’s full of heavy words like "Social Security" and "Medicare", "Osteoporosis", and "Senior Moments." I was turning 60, but I didn’t FEEL 60. 

I looked in the mirror and said out loud, “Why not think about 60 with more positive words like, “Wiser”, “Sassier”, and “Bring it on!” That’s when I decided to have some fun. Carrie Underwood had just recorded her hit song, “Before He Cheats.” The music was great; it was country, and we had recently moved to Nashville! Why not write some new lyrics for it, expressing exactly how I felt about turning 60! 

I was turning 60, but I didn’t FEEL 60. 

And so I did:

Title: SHE’S NOT OLD
(to be sung to the tune of “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood)

      spoken: "I just turned 60, and here’s what I think about it.”
        
Right now, you’re probably just thinkin’
It’ll be hard work when I’m blowing out the candles
Right now, you’re probably just thinkin’
I should buy a house dress and some Dr. Scholl’s sandals
 
Right now, you’re probably just feelin’
I should nap to get ready for a big game of BINGO
What you don’t know
 
chorus:
I threw the pieces all over the yard
It was my A A R P membership card

I got Botox in each and every fold
 
No early bird special or senior day,
I joined a gym and I know the way 
​So, don’t you dare call me OLD

Right now you’re probably just thinkin’
​I should sit up on the porch and discuss my constipation

Right now, you’re probably just guessin’
That I’d like a bus tour for my summertime vacation
 
Right now, you’re probably just thinkin’
That I’m sassy cause my hormones are low
But you don’t know
 
Repeat Chorus
I threw the pieces all over the yard
It was my A A R P membership card
I got Botox in each and every fold
 
No early bird special or senior day
I joined a gym and I know the way
So, don’t you dare call me OLD
 
Just tryin’ to save a little trouble for the next girl
So the next time you hear 60,
Don’t call her OLD!

​Of course, not wanting to be called ‘Old” at 60 is not much different from the other stages in life that when we decide we want to be a different age:      

Age 2-3: WE WANT TO BE OLDER
“Can I go to school?” “I want a backpack!”

Age 6-9: WE WANT TO BE YOUNGER
“Watch me! Say I’m doing good, too - like you do when you watch my little brother!”

Age 10-12: WE WANT TO BE OLDER 
“Why can’t I wear makeup?"

Age 30-50: WE WANT TO BE YOUNGER
“Yeah, I just got a facelift and dyed my hair, so what?” 

---

As a retirement coach, I hear musings from clients about reaching their 60s and 70s. 

“What does it all mean?"

"Will I be treated differently?” 
​
And, really, “How will I find happiness?”

Regardless of how old you are, having a POSITIVE ATTITUDE can make all the
difference. Try it when dealing with words like
              “SOCIAL SECURITY” - “Wow! This extra money is awesome!” Or,
                 “MEDICARE” - “Fantastic! It really does pay my medical bills!”

​Positive thinking means making the most of the situation you are in. When I turned 60, I didn’t mope. I wrote new lyrics to Carrie Underwood’s song, and then I went out and bought a hat and some fancy cowboy boots. 

Don’t let getting older lead you down a path of scary words that you think mean negative things.  Be more optimistic and positive.  According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, here’s a list of some of what you will get in return:

• Better stress management and coping skills
• Enhanced psychological health
• Greater resistance to the Common Cold
• Increased physical well-being
• Longer life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease-related death​

And who doesn’t want all that?
Life is Full of Choices.
I Choose Happiness.
What’s your choice?

Loretta