Aside from more aches and pains, and having to stretch much more often, I'm finding my word recollection is growing more difficult at age 63 and worry that I have Alzheimer's like my mom did, as most people likely do, who have gone through it with a parent.
The good news is that I have learned in the last few years that I have DYSNOMIA, which is a wing of dyslexia and common with people with ADHD as well.
Learning this about myself was such a relief.
Because of my dysnomia, writing posts can at times be very challenging and a slow process, as I search, like a cell tower, for the words I need to write to express myself. In conversation I can talk around the word I am missing but in writing, it is not so easy, unless I want to ramble, which I do not.😕
Someone once told me that I write like reporter which I think is pretty accurate.
I have also been oscillating, between being amazed at my aging body, with lots of lines on it now, and the true masterpiece that it is becoming...AND also frequently thinking, "Good gawd am I looking old! Where the hell did my former self go?"
But I truly feel that we all become beautiful works of art when we take good care of ourselves and allow ourselves to step into and continue to glow in, the amazing aging patina process.
And how fortunate I feel, being able to observe this natural occurrence, both in myself and others.
As I have always said, it's as normal as getting our baby teeth.
In case you have been questioning the beauty of aging, have a look at these untouched beauties HERE. I especially like the older man swimming in the water, in the upper left hand corner.
Also recently on my radar, is that I have just begun school for more coach training. This time, to get my sex & relationship coaching tools through the Somatica Institute, which I am both very excited about and scared to begin. It is a subject however that I have always been very interested in, as many of you know and I want to help others better navigate this important energy for healthy living in themselves, as I continue to navigate it in myself. I will be collaborating on the journey with the Hallowell Center for ADHD, where I have been on staff as a coach, for the last 3+ years.
I am hugely grateful in their support of this for me.
And lastly, I leave you with this beautiful nugget 🧡
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And below is another beautiful piece by author DONNA ASHWORTH
TIME CAN’T ERASE YOUR BEAUTY
Ageing looks good on anyone who believes
that it does.
This is one of the most inspirational things I have listened to in a very long time.
Also to ring in the New Year, this quick read on How to Age Happily is fab.
💗Sending love and hope out to you all,
Louise
"I’ve discovered something new and exciting in my life. After many years of resistance, I finally dipped my toe (well, my whole body actually), and experienced the most exhilarating feeling I’ve had in a very long time. It’s hard to describe that “hurts so good” feeling but I will do my best to portray the paradoxical exchange of emotions mixed with the physical effects. But first, a little background..
I practically grew up in the water. Being born a Pisces I suppose I was destined to at least test the fluidity in my life and see if it aligned with one of the many reasons I showed up here. I quite liked swimming and especially attached to the camaraderie and excitement of swimming competitively, but the one thing I absolutely abhorred was that first plunge into the pool. The shock of cold water against every cell of my body sent me swimming as fast as I could just to warm up. Early morning swims were always the worst, still feeling half asleep and wanting to crawl back into bed with my warm blankets encasing me. I sometimes struggled with the reason I chose to take this path, and then I would see my teammates and feel the connection between us as we journeyed those waves side by side. The physical pain we endured to reach the thrill was worth every stroke.
It was during this journey I met my swim sister, Louise. We met in the pool in fifth grade and developed a bond not only through swimming, but through the twists and turns of life. We’ve encouraged and listened, cried and sang with joy, felt the agony of defeat and celebrated our wins, all while testing the waters of life. Louise has been such an inspiration in so many ways, but when it comes to H2O inspiration we become totally synchronized. If it wasn’t for Louise, I likely wouldn’t have plunged back into Masters swimming after 30 years, and I certainly would never have even entertained my latest plunge.
It’s been a few years now that Louise has talked about her year-round cold water swims in Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. I’ve always admired her bravery in doing so, but in my mind, it was the worst torture anyone could experience. She would then express how it’s the best natural high she’s ever experienced, and I would smile politely and say, “That’s great, Lou, I’m so happy for you, but that’s something I could never do.” Remember my trauma of jumping into cold pools my whole life? Well that little mini trauma swam around in my head and never left. And then, Louise sent me an article on stimulating your vagus nerve for better mental health, and lo and behold, the very first thing on the list was cold exposure. It talked about researchers finding that exposing yourself to cold on a regular basis can lower your sympathetic “fight or flight” response and increase your parasympathetic “rest and digest” activity through the vagus nerve. Now it was starting to sink in. This was something that could not only benefit my physical health but my mental health as well. I decided to dig a little deeper and read many articles on Cold Water Immersion Therapy. The benefits of taking cold dips were eye opening; decreases depression and anxiety, decreases inflammation, boosts immune system, manages pain, increases energy, soothes muscle soreness, to name a few. That was enough for me. I called Louise and told her I was filling my bath tub with cold water and ice and taking the plunge! She was ecstatic for me. My first try, the temperature was 72 degrees and I lasted about three minutes, and it was challenging! It’s been two months now and I’ve moved down to 59 degrees for six minutes. It sure is cold when I first get in but I’ve learned to accept the pain to enjoy the gain. The funny thing is, it’s still the first few seconds getting in that hurts, but then a calm sets in and I feel as though I’m enveloped in polar bear skin. It is the most peaceful feeling as I focus on my breathing and move into a meditative mode. And then, I can’t even express the exhilaration I feel when I emerge from the water! My endorphins are so happy afterward that I actually caught myself giggling yesterday as I was drying off. Now I get it, Lou. You’ve got a swim sister on another level now, and I can’t thank you enough for lightly nudging me when my ice wall was up. Your patience and warmth always turns it into a pool of peace.
Over the past two months, I must say that my inflammation has decreased and my mood has elevated to a more positive level. Of course, it is only one piece of the balance wheel. Diet, exercise, meditation/relaxation, and adequate sleep are all pieces of the health puzzle. For me, if I don’t pay attention to the amount of sugar I put into my body my cells scream inflammation, and it won’t matter how many plunges I take. Balance in everything we do is the key of life. I’m just grateful I found another healthy opening for that key to fit into.
*If you’re considering taking the plunge please do your own research and talk to a health care professional you trust to be sure this endeavor is for you.
If you give yourself the green light, welcome to the world of exciting exhilaration and hop aboard the Polar Bear Express!"
For further reading on my own experience of cold water click HERE.
And have a nice holiday season!
xo,
Louise
Everyday it seems the world is getting harder, far less connected and less loving. David Brooks, author of How To Know A Person, was recently interviewed on PBS and he has a wonderful message to share:
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| The river stairs to my childhood home |
True intimacy with others, at it's core, is our single hardest task on earth.
Telling our truth and allowing & accepting who we truly are in our hearts, to reveal itself.
without worrying about the judgements of others.
And noticing where our truths resonate for us, and land, and wander,
and come back to us sometimes again
and again,
and again
for clarification,
It's good to ask ourselves in times of struggle why something is hard for us.
What keeps happening, that gets in our way?
What part of ourselves are we abandoning that needs to be revealed?
And what have we been tolerating in our life that it is time to let go of?
It's helpful to also remember that there isn't any losing in life, only learning.
So often we are afraid to fuck-up in life but it is there in the wake of what we
perceive to be a fuck-up, to be our greatest learning.
And the gift of a new internal compass for moving forward.
Chose faith, over fear, that things are going to work out,
and be curious and get excited to embrace the unknown.
Living a full life requires courage.
Being courageous means doing and saying things that make us feel vulnerable.
And honestly, being scared is one of the most alive and exciting places to be.
What new thing do you want to usher into your life that you need courage for?
What just whispered to you?
Sending love and courage,
🧡 Louise
I have thought about it so many times and use it to redirect my thoughts to a better space always, as it has for the people that I coach as well.
There is a reason 15 million people can't stop talking about it.
Also, if you know anyone struggling with ADHD, the documentary called THE DISRUPTORS is fabulous too. It is a strengths based piece on ADHD and people of all ages and different walks of life, chime in on the gems of living with it. Dr Hallowell, whom I coach for is in it, as well as many other knowledgeable people in the field of ADHD.
If you aren't familiar with ADHD, it is a neurological imbalance, where the brain doesn't have enough dopamine. One of the secrets to managing it, is to do things we love to do, because the dopamine fuels our brain with what it is lacking. Exercise and sleep is also hugely important.
Hope y'all are having a nice summer, even amidst the rain and global chaos.
My heart goes out to so many people & places right now,
xo, Louise
Garden bouquet and photo by Caroline Fernandes.
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| Mount Cook, New Zealand |
A is for Always: Always be your own best friend first. What is it that we need, not what someone else needs? As my favorite astrologer ARIFA says, “ Do not abandon yourself for the needs of others.”
B is for Bed: Getting in bed by 11 is heaven for me and anyone with ADHD traits especially. A perennial night owl I can be, and it always screws me up the next day.C is for Careful: Working on being careful in whatever I say or do, especially not tripping down a flight of stairs etc. Being more careful, except for dancing and romps in the hay, of course. 🙃
Happy New Year my dears. Life has been crazy but I at least wanted to hop on and share this GREAT ARTICLE. If interested, it's available on audio as well. Appropriate and helpful for all ages. In my experience, orgasms and and exercise are a true gateway to more happiness.
Not a bad thing to begin a new year!
Louise
I swam the 50-yard-freestyle this past weekend and was beat by a 73-year-old very inspirational man. Not as inspirational, however, as 100-year-old marathoner, Mike Freemont, who shares his story below. If interested to hear more of his tale about beating cancer 30 years ago, when he was given only 3 months to live, CLICK HERE.
I've missed writing but life has felt as of late, as it often does, like a bit of whirlwind.
Woven into the chaos of all the crazy things that are happening in the world and in our country, not to mention environment, I have been discovering a new chapter and renewed happiness for myself.
I spent time tonight reading through some old posts here on Lines of Beauty, reflecting back over more than a handful of tumultuous years.
I guess what I want to share the most is that I have found new life & lightness for myself, after all the turmoil.
I was pretty certain that I would reach this clearing although I remember being so afraid to make the JUMP, now almost 3 years ago.
I am here to say, that if you are in a rocky relationship, that you've worked hard to save and simply cannot, trust yourself to find a better place for yourself.
Find the courage. It won't be easy but you will be ok!
Today, I was telling one of my kids that I wanted to go to the movies alone but that it felt kind of scary.
She said, "Mom you always use to love going to the movies alone, what's underneath this?
I stopped and thought. Going to the movies alone never use to make me feel lonely, but I was afraid that it might or retrigger the feelings of loneliness that naturally came with divorce.
So I jumped in the car and WENT TO THE MOVIES ALONE and it was so nice!
Especially having not been in a theatre since covid hit.
Anyway, I love the above quote. It's so true! Let's keep piling on good things. We don't have to solve our whole life, nor can we.
Be organic, let life flow. There is no need to define anything, except for what makes us happy and unhappy.
Life is short, especially now.
Let's get on with doing what we love to do and don't let anyone rock our joy!
If something costs us our peace, it's too expensive.
(and we know if something is right, when it feels good in our bodies).
So stay away from the news, most of the time.
notice beauty,
notice honor
and keep letting our piles of good things grow.
Here's to love!
Spread it everywhere,
like sunshine,
Louise
