Words that age you faster

And, what to say instead.

Welcome to a new week!

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Okay, let’s dive in!

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Welcome to The LIFT

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THE POWER OF WORDS

If you have been reading The LIFT for any length of time, you have undoubtedly heard me talk about the power of words.

As a writer, I have witnessed this over + over. Words are powerful.

My favorite quote is:

“For me, words are a form of action. Capable of influencing change.” - Ingrid Bengis

Whether you write them or speak them - words have energy. They impact anyone who sees or hears them.

We tend to underestimate the power of our words + sometimes we are careless with the words we throw around.

Here’s a good example.

I have finally reached the age where not a week goes by that I don’t hear someone say something to the effect of…

• “Guess this is what it’s like getting old”

• “Getting old sucks!”

Phrases like these come up all of the time in my circles. They are usually in reference to things like not being able to stay up as late as we used to. Or not being able to eat crappy food like we used to. Or not being able to drink like we used to.

Sometimes it comes up around conversations about injuries or aches + pains that show up just from bending over or twisting the wrong way.

You know what I’m talking about. We have all uttered these words at some point.

But, here’s something to think about.

Is it age or wisdom?

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OLDER VS. WISER

Think about it. Is your body rebelling because it’s older? Or because it’s WISER?

When your body screams at you because you stayed up too late or drank too much or ate a lot of sugar - is it trying to make you feel worse? Or better?

I tend to think it’s the latter.

The older we get, the less our body puts up with abuse.

It seems like you just can’t get away with anything anymore, but is that a bad thing?

Our bodies are pretty amazing. They can tolerate quite a bit of stress, less than ideal circumstances + other poor treatments. But, it seems the older we get, the less of that stuff we can get away with.

Why is that?

We often attribute it to the idea that our bodies are falling apart, but I don't believe that's the case. I think it's more about our bodies gaining wisdom, not age. We have learned after repeated experiences that certain behaviors are terrible for us. Our bodies get to a point where they say - “Girl, seriously! Stop this nonsense! You know better!”

What if instead of complaining about what we can’t do, we thank our body for helping us do the right thing + make the better choice?

And, what if instead of reinforcing this idea that ‘getting old sucks’, we instead start reinforcing the wisdom that comes with age.

It’s a subtle shift, but you get the difference, right?

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WATCH YOUR MOUTH

Our culture has got some serious problems because of our lack of respect for the wisdom of age. We treat ‘old’ as a curse. We talk about it like it’s a dark cloud looming overhead.

We have made aging the enemy when it should be the thing we hold close + dear.

And, it all starts with our words.

So, I challenge you to catch yourself next time you make a reference to ‘getting old’. See if you can say it in a better way. See if you can insert some wisdom or gratitude into it.

I’ve been practicing this myself.

It doesn’t suck getting ‘wiser’. It doesn’t suck that I go to bed earlier + take better care of myself these days. It doesn’t suck that my body has gotten wiser + knows what I need to feel my best.

I love that I get a little wiser every day.

And, if we talk about aging THAT way, we just might find our world gets a little wiser, too!

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YOUR MISSION:

This week, I challenge you to notice when negative comments or phrases come out of your mouth related to ‘getting old’. You might be surprised just how often you do it. You will also notice how often it comes up in conversation with those around you.

See if you can interrupt the pattern + instead, thank your body for being so smart + watching out for you.

Will you give it a try?

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IN SUMMARY:

Words really are powerful. They can create change. Not just for you, but for those around you, too! Let’s be the change.

See you next week?

Meanwhile - you can read thru the archives here. And, please reach out to me anytime!

You can learn more on my website or follow along with me on Instagram @itMayBeMenopause

Email: karen@itmaybemenopause.com
Instagram: @itmaybemenopause

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