In Your 50s and Beyond

CELEBRATE YOUR FABULOUSNESS

After going through the very emotional ending of a 15-year relationship, I knew I needed a change. My heart just wasn’t in designing flowers for weddings any longer. I needed to do something that would focus on a positive change for me and make me feel good. I wanted to inspire other women. I’ve always loved fashion: When I was in my twenties, I wanted to model. So I started a fashion and lifestyle blog (medleystyle.com) for stylish women over 50. Being able to do something for myself and inspire others in the process is an awesome feeling.” —Janie Medley, 58, Richmond (shown Above)

AFFIRM THE GOOD

“I have made a conscious effort to live in gratitude for what I have instead of dwelling on what I don’t. I made the change because I was tired of yearning for what was not. It made me unhappy. I write down five things a day that I am grateful for, and I start my mornings with affirmations. Throughout the day if I am getting a feeling of lack, ingratitude or disappointment, I refer to my affirmations. I always feel better after I do.” —Angelique Miles, 52, Harlem, NY

TAKE A SPIRITUAL RETREAT

“My life was complete, with a great job, a healthy lifestyle and family, but something was still missing. I wondered why I wasn’t the happiest woman on earth. Why wasn’t my relationship with my children as strong as I had hoped? I stopped life and went on a retreat to get direction, reflect on what’s important and learn how to live by prioritizing and being present at all times. I pledged to embrace my power and be grateful for all the gifts God has bestowed upon me. I now live in confidence that I am where I am supposed to be, doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.” —Celeste Wright Harris, 56, Chicago

STICK WITH YOUR SISTERS

“One of the things that makes me happy is family and spending time with my sisters. There are six of us. We take a trip together every year, and we even have a family prayer line, where we all get on the line and pray together. It’s something our mom fostered when we were kids. The family that prays together stays together.” —Lucille Scoon, 66, Maplewood, NJ

HUG SOMEONE

“Finding your joy can be as simple as giving and receiving a hug. Life can present many challenges, and often the biggest rewards are found in the moments when we make a difference in someone else’s life. I changed how I approach the foster children and teens I work with. Instead of asking them questions, the first thing I do to help them feel better is ask them if it’s okay for me to hug them. The hugs give me permission to help them feel safe and know that for right now everything will be okay. I live this joy every day!” —Paulette Cruz Buchanan, 70, Las Vegas, NV



START YOUR DAY WITH SPIRIT

“Every morning when I wake up, I take the first 15 to 30 minutes to worship. It’s not necessarily a religious worship, because I consider myself more of a spiritual person. I just take time to think about what I’m grateful for. I think about my blessings, my family. I enjoy reading and [saying] affirmations too. I have to take a vitamin of happy thoughts to start my day.” —Valerie Papaya Mann, 65, -Washington, DC, and Fort Lauderdale, FL

PLAN TO UNPLUG

“I plan my day the night before. I look at my calendar, and I actually unplug. My cellphone usually

goes off by 8:00 every night. And I mean off. Also I might check my e-mails, but I don’t usually respond to people on Sundays. You start writing people on Sunday, then they start writing you back. You teach people how to treat you.”

—Marsha Haygood, 60s, Sarasota, FL, and Yonkers, NY

BRING FAMILY TOGETHER

“We have a family tradition that on every Thanksgiving, there will be 20 to 35 of us who get together. Dinner's always at my house, although I have grown children, they make sure they're here. And that's the one huge thing that I personally look forward to every year and it makes me happy to plan the whole thing. I start planning a theme for the next year’s event the day after Thanksgiving. And, since I'm the matriarch of the family, I have the honor of picking the theme color every year. I work on it the entire year.” - Elaine Leo, 62, Concord, North Carolina