Optimistic Aging: Inspiration Is Powerful

I AM EDITING AND RE-POSTING THIS FROM MARCH.  I BELIEVE IT TIES IN NICELY WITHY
YESTERDAY’S POST. 

AND ALSO, I MUST BEGIN BY THANKING ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY.

YOU INSPIRE OTHERS EVERY DAY!

Happy Wednesday, friends!  Today, I want to initiate a discussion on Optimistic Aging: Inspiration is Powerful.

At the ripe age of 73, I can confidently say that inspiration is powerful and a tool God uses in my life to keep me moving and experience aging with optimism.

When I began this blog 17 years ago, my mission was to inspire you to look and feel your best every day; however, I am just now realizing how important it is for all of us to be inspired daily in order to face life with a smile.

As we discuss the topic of inspiration as a key part of optimistic aging, I ask that you deeply ponder..what inspires you each and every day.

The official definition of inspiration is:  the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something.  Also, something that makes someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create.

It is that mental stimulation that results in optimistic aging.

So, let’s begin with what brought me back to this topic.

OPTIMISTIC AGING: INSPIRATION IS POWERFUL: JOANNA GAINES

Quiet simply, I received the Spring 2026 Magnolia Journal…and the theme is Let Inspiration Settle In.

In her introductory editor’s letter, Joanna Gaines writes this:

I think inspiration has something valuable to offer each of us. When we’re inspired – when we feel motivated and excited for something we care about, or we can see problems turn into pathways – we move to action.  Sometimes inspiration is out there and takes work to find.  Sometimes it settles in spontaneously, and our only job is to grab hold and pull it close.  As our team explored this idea as a theme,  we crafted our own definition, believing that inspiration is to be sought after, and that it is the search for unique experiences that spark something deep within us.

Those searches, in my estimation, should not stop as we age…but rather intensify.  To experience optimistic aging, we should all be seeking inspiration….daily….and this is something I love to do.

OPTIMISTIC AGING: INSPIRATION IS POWERFUL: WHAT INSPIRES ME #1

When I moved to a much smaller town, someone said to me that I would dry up because of lack of inspiration.

Au contraire….I believe I have been inspired even more in this “smaller town.”

First, due to the calibre of inspirational women I have met here and they inspire me every time I am around them.

Women like Ivy.  I first introduced you to Ivy in this post: PURPOSE DRIVEN BRAND FOR STYLE.

She is a strong, kind, joyful woman who is a wife, mother, educator, professional, and entrepreneur of a non-profit to help support and feed families in her native Africa.

This is truly an amazing woman who inspires me to do more each time I am around her.  And her style is impeccable…follow her on Instagram.

We share a love of service and of nature and the inspiration that is blooming all around us.

Meet Emma.  Another incredible talent who also inspires me.

She is a diligent wife and mother…and her creations are lovely.  She can take an old quilt and do amazing things with it.

I mention diligence because with Emma and Ivy they work so hard and their days are full…that is optimistic aging to me…when my days are full.

You can also find Emma with her company Adiel Designs on Instagram.

There have been so many women in my new community who have inspired me with a desire to be part of a community and serve others in different ways.

These women offer a personal touch that is difficult to find in the big city….and that inspires me.

What women inspire you the most. Tell us about them and how they keep you inspired?

OPTIMISTIC AGING: INSPIRATION IS POWERFUL: WHAT INSPIRES ME #2

I love the creativity in fashion as much as I love the creativity in an art museum.  I always have.

Beautiful fashion displays inspire me with ideas….to be bold…and to seek other ways to create the look.

There is no way I could afford clothing from ETRO, but this display inspired me so much years ago, that I have kept the image for along time with hopes to recreate it.

I never really did, but you never know…I may someday be able to wear something similar.

And I was inspired to seek toppers and jackets that made a statement of my style adjectives in my wardrobe.

Here is another display in my fashion inspiration folder.

Of course, the colors are not me…but I love the look and the style.

Displays like this inspired me to wear pants with prints…another look I have enjoyed wearing.

When I go “shopping,” it is often to seek inspiration and to enjoy the beauty of fashion displays.

As well as being inspired by fashion displays, I am also inspired by how other women dress.

I have so many pictures of this lovely lady, Xitlait, who I first met years ago when she was public relations manager at the San Antonio Neiman Marcus.

Her style always inspired me, so I took pictures every time I saw her wearing a stylish look that I loved.  She is a master stylist with accessories.

Again, I could not afford the brands that she wears, but I could always look for similar ways to style the more affordable brands.

She is kind and strong as the the other women who inspire me.  She once wrote these words:

Stop worrying about other people understanding you. Get in touch with yourself instead. Focus on what makes you happy, what makes your soul feel at peace.  You are your biggest commitment, so start to love your flaws, your awkwardness,  your weirdness, your intensity, your vulnerability,  your everything.  Life becomes so much more fulfilling when you are just simply yourself. The world keeps spinning whether people understand you or not.  So why not make this next trip around the sun about you.

Xitlait would go on to leave Neiman Marcus and create her own company to serve her community.  And I find that on Instagram, her style continues to inspire me.

I have also shared with you that lately I am very inspired by Elyce Arons of Frances Valentine.

I have a collection of screen shots from her personal Instagram that I use as inspiration for what I wear.

She has directly impacted outfits I am currently wearing and helped me step up my casual style in fun ways that are more me.

What women are inspiring your style the most these days?

I am also inspired by nature and art and books.  But, we will discuss those another day.

Just typing this post, inspires me to get back to my home design, and continue to work on where we live.  (It is a fun work in progress!)

I am also inspired to get out and meet more people and look for more ways to be a part of this new community.  My friend, Addie, inspired me to do this more.

Inspiration breeds movement.

OPTIMISTIC AGING: INSPIRATION IS POWERFUL: THAT YOUTHFUL GLOW

When we lean into our points of inspiration, no matter our ages, then we are experiencing a youthful glow that comes from inside.

Magnolia Journal says:  

And then, move from reflection to action. Do, go, seek. What new, fresh, untapped inspiration might be waiting for you with just a change of posture or movement? Revisit the kinds of places that once captivated you; woodlands, carnivals, back country roads, tucked-away shops, or pulsating cities.  GET OUT THERE WITH EMPTY HANDS AND A CURIOUS HEART.  Sketch instead of type. Run in the rain. Play old albums. Get back on a horse. Put on your apron again.

The magazine conclusion is: “You have a mind, a body, and an extraordinary heart that’s just waiting to be plugged in and turned bright.”

I have found that when I focus on inspiration more than the challenges I face from aging, that I feel younger and happier.

I cannot wipe away my wrinkles, or fix a ripped up ear, or bring back the amputated toe….but I can choose not to lament over them or allow them to ruin my day or cause me to feel “old” and “done.”

As the song says…the is still a lot of living to do.

I hope you have enjoyed this updated post on Optimistic Aging: Inspiration is Powerful.

Please join in and tell us…what is inspiring you right now?  How are you acting on your inspiration? What turns on your lights inside?  I would love to know your answers. Your previous comments may appear…but please give us an update.

Thank you for being here…I hope to see you tomorrow…until then….

BE THANKFUL & KEEP SMILING!

By Pamela Lutrell

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Inspiration from Fashion Designer Diane Von Furstenberg