Do We Do It Because Of What Others Will Think Of Us| Anti-Aging | Life Over 60

The world's obsession with women and aging is well-known and well-documented. And just exactly what is the purpose of this? I believe that women of all ages can enjoy a life rich with health, vitality, and joy. Whether they are 19 or 89, beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and varies from person to person and culture to culture. Youth and vitality are not mutually exclusive. Welcome again, this is Sandra Hart at Life Over 60. Thank you so very much for stopping for a few minutes to join me today. I'm going to share with you a very animated conversation I had with my daughter the other day. And it was all about aging. And as we all know that aging probably is one of the most accepted last prejudices, at least here in the United States, and especially against women. For some reason, women are not allowed to age naturally and gracefully. And quite honestly, I blame a lot of this on the cosmetic industry. It's almost as though if we see a wrinkle or we have an imperfection, it makes us less attractive and it makes us old and it makes us so undesirable. And my daughter, who is 59, kind of is on the edge of not wanting to get old and fearing of getting old. And she happened to remind me the other day of Betty Davis and a very famous saying. And I think she has it added on a pillow in her living room on her couch. And it said, aging is not for sissies. And in a way, I guess she is absolutely right. But I have a different take on aging. And I believe that it's not our fault, you know, because we are forced and we're pushed into this media frenzy of, oh, you have to stay young. And if you see a wrinkle, God forbid, it's the end of the world. It's not true. And it's absolutely not our fault that we have been fed this. I know every time that I look in the mirror, you know, sure, I see wrinkles. I'm getting older. And maybe, you know, sometimes I wonder, you know, what's happening to my body. It's not what it used to be. But I know from life experience that that's not the most important thing in the world and it's not the most important thing as to who we are. I am much more and you are much more than all of these cosmetic people tell us that we have to be. Of course, you know, I take care of my skin. I want to have the healthiest skin because it's the largest organ in my body. I take care of that skin. And I want to have as nice a face as possible as far as wrinkles and things go. So I take care of it. But it's not only for cosmetic reasons. It's for health reasons. And it's for mental health reasons. So that when I look in the mirror, I say, hey, you know, you're not too bad for 84. But I have wrinkles. And I know that no matter what I do with my skin, what type of skin care I use, unless I get plastic surgery or Botox or use fillers, they're going to come. But I accept that. And when I look at other women who in my mind I think are the most beautiful women are those that have aged so gracefully. I feel so sorry for all of the Hollywood actresses that are pressured to look like they're 40 when they are 45 or 50 or 60. I feel so sorry for them because they have played into this mystique of you are absolutely worthless once you start seeing wrinkles and bags and changing. And they wind up having so many procedures that they start to look really freaky. Now I know I'm not going to be speaking for everyone. I'm speaking for myself and how I feel about aging naturally. If it makes you feel better to do procedures, then I certainly think, you know, it's everyone for themselves, whatever makes you feel good. But I have always felt that I want to age naturally. And I want to go against all of the prejudice that are out there. And I don't want to be swayed by any cosmetic commercials. And there go all my endorsements that I know cosmetic company will ever endorse me because I am so against not aging gracefully and naturally. And what can we actually do about it? Well, I think it's not to play into all of the stereotypes that have been talked about with aging and women. You don't see men under this pressure very much at all. They are allowed to age gracefully, get gray sideburns and look distinguished, but not us, not women. And I don't know if it will ever change. And the only way it will ever change is that if we women who are mature, embrace aging naturally, and we don't buy into all of the craziness about doing things to alter our appearance so that we can become younger looking. Because inside our body is aging inch by inch. So no matter what we do on the outside, if we don't take care of ourselves inside, it's a moot point, isn't it? That is why it is so important. And I've said this to give yourself a high five in the mirror when you wake up and say, I love you, girl. I love who you are today. And I am so proud of all the years that you have lived and all the things that you have learned in life. And maybe all of the challenges that you have faced and have come through. That is why I love you. If you say that into the mirror every day, then all of these outside influences on how we should be and what we have to do to fix our physical appearance as far as our face goes, and getting all of the procedures that really won't make us live any longer. The only thing that will help us live longer, one, is good genetics. And two, is taking care of our physical body. Exercising. Eating right. Having a good mental attitude. Thinking positively about life. You know, these things are so important. And I think for the younger generation who are so fixated on physical appearance and they're getting breast augmentation as young teens, they are getting Botox and they are so terrified of getting older. And again, I blame it on the cosmetic industry creating this myth that once you start to age, and if you aren't perfect physically in their standard of beauty, then your self-worth just goes down the drain. And I think it's a very scary trend, what is happening today. When I was younger, I don't remember having so much pressure on myself to be perfect and to be this Barbie doll type of person. I don't ever remember that, do you? I really would like to have your input on this entire subject, because my daughter, as I said, she's going to be 59, and she really is getting terrified of getting older. And she said to me the other day, oh, you know, men don't look at women over a certain age. Well, there are men, of course, that want trophy wives. They want a trophy girl on their arm. But I do know men who have chosen as partners women who they have so much in common with, who they can talk to, who can understand who they are, who can understand where they have been. So let's all celebrate what we have right now, our growth, our wisdom, and the strength that we have gathered by living all of these years. Those are the most important things in life. Taking care of our skin is really important. Taking care of our body is also important. All of those things together. But let us not be focused on trying to be 20 when we are not. Let us not be focused on dreaming about something that has passed. We are who we are today, and we should embrace who we are today and be so grateful that we are still here and that we can still be a role model for all of these young women coming out because we can show them just exactly how it's done. And until they have walked in our shoes, there is no way that they can understand the beauty of aging naturally and appreciating everything else that goes along with being a mature woman. There is far more to living and breathing and being than trying to stay young forever. Thank you so much for joining me today for this conversation. I hope that you will embrace who you are today and do something really wonderful for yourself. Please do be kind to whomever crosses your path. And of course, let's all share the love and pray for world peace. And please know, wherever you are in the world, you are beautiful because you are unique, and you are you, and you are never alone because you are truly loved. Thank you, and I hope to see you on next Tuesday for my new conversation.