How many times have you heard that?  As excerpted from a great article by Shane Kreider, you probably have heard that expression a lot.  And guess what, “From a financial viewpoint, it means our money has to last ten years longer, but we also have ten extra years to make it. It also means we have ten extra years to apply our entrepreneurial skills to make us happy.”

According to Shane, “The expression also has a scientific explanation. It’s a different way of looking at age - it’s not how long you’ve lived, it’s how long you’ve got left. As our expected life span gets longer, ‘middle age’ happens later; some say we are therefore in the same cycle of life at 40 that our parents were in at 30. And as our life span is supposed to continue to increase, middle age is coming later and later. Expected life span is different from country to country but in Germany, for example, scientists say that by 2050, middle age (for Germans) will begin around age 52.”

And there is also a great way to look at this and that is about the attitude you have.  Many of us refuse to buy into the idea of “getting older”.  I personally feel the same way now as I did at 30.  Maybe there are some bones cracking more often, but in my mind, I am 30.  I have another 50 years at least, to learn, grow, prosper and excel in all my life areas. 

So as Shane says, “If you get out of bed some mornings feeling old, remember this: scientifically speaking, you’re actually ten years younger. Then have a good day.”

Steps 5 - Be Optimistic

You will never gain enough approval for you to get permission to be yourself.

PEOPLE PLEASERS UNITE! It is time to stop stressing yourselves about trying to get others to like you, to love you, to accept you, to approve of you, to respect you, to honor you, and everything else that you seem to want from them. You must go in your own direction, and the appropriate people will show up. It may not be today, or tomorrow, but in it’s massively abundance time, you will attract the people who can help you get where you want to be going.

Your job is to get clear about what your purpose is for your life and what you are here to do. The more definitive you are about your vision, the more you will see who is and who isn’t a part of that picture. (Step 1 – Paint Your Passionate Picture)

So many people are stressed out because they are either trying to make others conform to their ideal, or they are busy trying to conform to someone else’s ideal. Remember, everyone has an agenda for you – even your animals!

Check out the balance sheet. When you are doing more for someone than they are doing for you, then put your foot down and claim your power. The stress of shifting into your power will be difficult at first, because others want to keep control over you and they will get angry when you stand up for yourself. But the rewards will be worth it. You will ultimately feel an energy and lightness that will move you into your abundance. This is YOUR life. Step into it!

Step 6 – Do What Prospers You

… Then, why the heck am I still taking Prozac? Well, some people, like author Dr. Robert Maurer, claims that that stress just doesn’t exist. Dr. Maurer is an Associate Clinical Professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and he talks a lot about KAIZEN, a process of taking small, trivial steps over time to master a goal, a skill, or an attitude.

Now, its’ not that he doesn’t believe in setting huge goals like we do; it’s just that he believes that, in order to reach those goals, it is helpful to take small steps regularly in order to get there. You know. It’s like the tortoise and the hare – remember who won that won?

So when it comes to managing stress in these uncertain times, we need to do the responsible things that will keep us on track — plan ahead, do reality checks with others, talk with professionals (accountant, etc.) review budgets, etc. And to do those things, Dr. Maurer suggests that we take small, trivial steps to handle those activities.

This process also works very well. It is our thinking process that is so much the source of our anxiety. So instead of obsessing about how you’ll never get hired again because you are over 50, you might allow yourself to consider the idea that some one might actually hire you! You might start saying to yourself that “there is a job for everyone –even 50 year-olds.” And then do nothing about it for a few days except to repeat that statement a couple of times each day. Then, on the 4th day, allow yourself 10 minutes to look online at just 1 job site to see what is available. Then several days later, select 1 job and send in your resume. Or maybe pick up the phone and call someone you might be able to help you. Remember – change your thinking, change your life!

One of my friends, Melissa, was scared to death that she was going to lose her apartment because she was at the end of her savings. Because her anxiety was so high, she couldn’t concentrate and her ability to make good decisions was impossible. So she started to tell herself every day that “Everything was going to be OK.” She didn’t believe it at first, but after a while, she started to feel better. She noticed that she was sleeping better and that her neck pains were going away. The more she focused on how things were going to get better, the less she thought about being thrown out into the street. Eventually, she was able to start taking small, trivial steps to make positive changes in her life. She got some friends to help her, and she was able to manage her difficulties successfully.

So we need to ask ourselves to what extent are we creating our own stress? Are you a believer in “abundance” or in “scarcity”? Do you trust that the Universe is “safe and nurturing” or is it an “unsafe place to be”? Why not consider the more optimistic approach and allow yourself those small, trivial steps to help you change your life. Keep your vision massive and do something every day to help you get there. You will be amazed at your results!

STEP 5 – BE OPTIMISTIC!