What Can You Do Now to Make Your Last 40 Years Your Best 40 Years?

Best 40 years? Really?

Author: Esther Sarlo, BA, CEO | Founder | Myndful Spark of Mynd Myself

Sophia Loren once said,

“There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.”

When you take a look at your life right now…if you really look closely and take time to breathe into it…what do you see?

Do you see someone who is vibrantly inspired and taking action on the things that matter to you? Or someone who seems outwardly ‘all put together’ but is discouraged, dry, and shriveled on the inside? Or someone who is running desperately on a hamster wheel, trying to make it all happen but feels on the verge of collapse? Or someone who vacillates between Type A overachieving and passive-aggressive resistance? Or someone who plods along at a steady, lackluster pace whose dreams remain hidden underground—any occasional tendril peeping through trampled under the dreary foot of the daily grind? Or someone who aches to feel alive but is crushed under the weight of procrastination and despair?

There are so many ways in which we live. On any given day we may touch down in any one or more of those modes.

When I see a headline like, “Live Your Best Life Now!” I sometimes respond with a cynical thought, “Yeah, yeah, more positive drivel spouted by famous, ‘happy’ people…but what does that have to do with me and my life in this moment?” At other times I choose to take a deeper glance at the offering in front of me to see if I can find a new nugget that might inspire me.

Here’s a summary of what I believe most of those ‘Best Life…’ articles will share:

• Make time to reflect
• Breathe
• Hydrate
• Eat well
• Move
• Get good sleep
• Find inspiration
• Be kind
• Unlock your creativity
• Be of service

Truthfully, I’m not sure there’s anything new to add…except that you are right here, right now…in this moment with me. So, what I will do is ask you a few simple questions:

• What are you doing in your life…right now?
• What are you “supposed” to be doing? You know you know…so
• What are you going to do about it?

Notice I didn’t ask the negatives like, “What’s in the way?” “What hurdles or obstacles do you need to overcome?” or “What circumstances would need to be different for things to be better?” etc. Instead, it’s three simple questions to jolt you out of any complacency in which you may find yourself.

Could it really be that simple?

I believe it is. You already have everything inside you that you need. You already ARE amazing. What will you choose to do about it?

As Kathleen E. Sinclair says,

“Use the skills you’ve accumulated over a lifetime to tap into your creative potential and get ready for a kick-ass second half of your life.”