If your thoughts and words are steeped in negativity, if you are telling yourself that you are struggling, that you are a loser, that you are stuck and that you are sick; what do you think the ultimate outcome, the results will be? More than likely depression and weight gain. I received the following letter from one of Our Lady of Weight Loss\’s readers. Knowing that she is not the only one who speaks in this manner, sees life in this way, and manifests aches and pains, I thought I would share it with you. Special thanks to “NLP” for being brave and open and sharing her feelings... Read More

Looking for a new activity? Consider tennis! I\’ve only been playing for about five years (I\’m 54), and I\’m addicted! Why tennis? Assuming you are good to go (get the okay from your doctor before you start), there are quite a few physical as well as psychological reasons for playing this “sport for a lifetime.” Decreases your risk of death. Harvard University School of Public Health\’s Dr. Ralph Paffernbarger\’s study of more than 10,000 Harvard alumnae demonstrated that those who played tennis at least three hours a week cut their risk of death from heart disease... Read More

I have spoken with many mothers and even fathers this year, from across the country, all with similar words “I can\’t believe how sad I am. I have done this letting go before. I thought it wouldn\’t hurt this much. Why didn\’t anyone ever talk about how horrible it is to be home in a silent house?” Your sadness and anxiety are real. It is interesting how parents and children parallel each other, both beginning new journeys and new roles. Different reasons for the change, but still, change is scary and lonely. After all the lists and build up of goodbye, and the months of... Read More

The month of September, possibly more than any other month of the year, always elicits vivid memories. Back to school, new notebooks and pencils, new outfits that simply must be in the fashion-of-the-moment (remember Papagallo shoes?!), football season, marching band practice, and of course, a back-to-school checkup. And included in that checkup was always the eye chart with those huge letters which inevitably led to stronger glasses and, happily one year, contact lenses. But since our eyes stop changing sometime in our teens and are stable until one day we realize we ‘re holding the newspaper... Read More

September . . . the start of a new year! Sure, I know people think January 1st is the start of the new year but September and a new school year always marked a fresh new beginning for me. I loved going back to school . . . . Seeing old friends; meeting new ones; new classes; new teachers; all the extra curricular activities; and all new supplies!!! When I started working, I felt the “new school year” excitement at work, too. Everyone back from vacation and everything hurdling toward the end of the year. But for your aging loved one, September can be a very difficult time. During the... Read More

My home has been invaded. Oh, not by creepy spiders, or cheese-eating mice. Not by ants, roaches, or wooly worms. Worse. It\’s been invaded by ONE mosquito with the landing gear of a Boeing 747. This ONE mosquito is deadlier than a hungry 8-foot grizzly bear at a Southern family reunion, which we all know has fried chicken on every table, right along side the potato salad. This mosquito, who I have un-affectionately name Rambo, is quicker than greased lightening, shows up just after enough time has slipped by for me to forget the pain, and always seems to reappear the moment I\’ve... Read More

Everything worthwhile in your life only comes into form through your creation. You cannot wait for the right time, the right job, the right husband, the right house, or even the right body to come to you. You have to create it. To achieve the life of your dreams, you need to spend time “visioning” what you think will make you happy. Then you get busy “acting,” moving forward, and figuring out how to create what you want. I created the right job by becoming the CEO of my own company and constantly refocusing back to my “passions” during difficult growth phases.... Read More

Author: Barbara E. Friesner www.AgeWiseLiving.com Reviewed By: Melinda Cianos Barbara Friesner is a Generational Coach, an adjunct professor at Cornell University, and the primary caregiver for both her grandmother who was afflicted with dementia and her mother who now struggles through the same disease. Friesner models compassion, practicality and understanding for those trying to handle the many different pieces of caring for a loved one with dementia. Answering questions like: “How do I know that my loved one has dementia; what does it look like and how will it progress?” or “How do... Read More

Author: Edited by Maud Lavinwww.amazon.com Reviewed By: Melinda Cianos When I opened the book and read the line that was chosen to lead into the collection, I knew I would love its offerings. Taken from one of Joyce Carol Oates many incredible writings, it is the bottom line of what mid-life feels like: “You leave home one afternoon, you never return as yourself.” Mid-lifers, both men and women, share something very intimate in this collection. The featured pieces will not glow back at the reader through tales of success against all odds, reinvention and re-creation, a discovered fountain... Read More

Author: Vonda Skeltonwww.VondaSkelton.com Reviewed By: Melinda Cianos Vonda Skelton, author of Seeing Through the Lies, wants to reacquaint us with the truth. Skelton’s composition of witty and wise chapters focuses on everything from marriage to over-committing, and uncovers the falsehoods that keep us in stagnant places. Living an authentic life is effortless once we align ourselves with God’s will. Seeing Through the Lies offers a down-to-earth, scripturally-based approach to securing our freedom; freedom from the doing, doing, doing that’s brought on by unrealistic and damaging societal... Read More