THE GOAL IS TO LIVE…REALLY LIVE

This is a lot like using the best dishes! Read on…….

I fear there are readers out there who find all of this advice to be a bit ridiculous. Why should we attempt to improve our appearance every day…who cares if we dress shabby in the heat or go to the grocery in pajama pants….who cares if we look twice our age….who cares? Maybe you feel as though no one cares, but, please remember, this is about you and only you. You should care….if you want to experience joy….you should care…if you want to grow in strength…you should care… if you want to grow in confidence…you should care…and if you want to live “life after halftime” to its fullest…you should care. Those who say joy doesn’t come from Saks Fifth Avenue are right. Joy does come from living. Often when we engage back into life and feel and look our best then we are on a path to joy. God created us to love life…to be beautiful…and to be women of strength and dignity. God is the gifter of joy.

Just prior to that dreadful driver’s license picture, I had been through one of the most difficult times of my life. I was living with my husband, three children, my mother, my mother-in-law and two dogs … all under one roof! You may have just shuttered and thought why in the world would any sane person do that!?!? We thought we had good reasons but many days an asylum seemed the better option for me! The morning began with criticism and ended with criticism. Many days, I felt defeated and just did not care if I looked defeated. As I have written before, not fixing up was a form of rebellion. I knew that the way I looked was discussed by the “moms” every day, so I just gave them fuel rather than try the impossible task of seeking their approval. The defeated, stressed face became my style of choice and it was the picture which woke me up to just how devastating that choice had become.

When your eyes open, they open to many other areas. For me, I noticed that I had several wonderful pieces of china, crystal, cookware, party platters etc. that I had never used. Why should they sit waiting for a special occasion? Life is a special occasion. Now, I use them often…..even with apple juice at breakfast. The goal here is not to get you to spend a vast amount of money on a new wardrobe…the GOAL is to LIVE…..really LIVE.

Apple Juice tastes oh, so better!