Jan Pejsa JoAnne Funch

Last week I had the honor of speaking at an event called the “Women’s Circle of Care” which was sponsored by a local hospital.  The hospital promotes many health related events throughout the year, some focus on women’s health issues such as this spring event with the theme of “Celebrating The Strength of Girlfriends.”

I shared with the group that friendship actually does have  a positive affect on our health.  The Mayo Clinic reports many benefits of friendship such as an increase in your sense of belonging and purpose, a boost in your happiness, reduction in stress, improvement in self-worth and many more.

Other research suggests the health benefits of social support such as a study of women with breast cancer, those who had strong social support of friends were more likely to live twice as long as those that didn’t. So researchers are now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship and social networks in overall health.

High School Girlfriends

Friendship has sustained my life through the good times and the bad. We are a trusted source of strength for each other. Girlfriends form a bond, a sisterhood, where we support one another’s dreams and passions even when our spouses and children don’t understand. They give us courage to discover what our passions are and cheer us on to make our dreams a reality.

Lifelong girlfriends continue to be a source of wisdom and strength. We have history, and that is the glue that binds us.

The constant that I rely upon at this stage of my life is that I have people who really know me, love me and cheer me on as I move forward into the next phase of my life.  So, I urge you to take time and celebrate the incredible strength you gain from your girlfriends and embrace their love and support because they will see you through the decades of your life.

Someone once said that people come into our life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.  When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person…

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed -

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow and learn.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

I honor my girlfriends and I am even more blessed to know they are very good for my health.

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Planning for retirement isn’t only about financial planning.  It is about life planning.  Just as we planned other aspects of our lives such as level of education, career path, marriage, children, where to live, etc., we must plan for what we want our lives to be once we retire – what will be our new normal?

In order to successfully retire from our nine to five lives we must begin establishing a new normal for ourselves prior to retirement so we are not suddenly faced with no where to go once we’ve bid ado to our boss and co-workers.

From what I’ve seen, if you have no life beyond work, you’ll be hard pressed to establish one after the job is gone.  If you haven’t been an active person out side of your career, I see little chance for you to suddenly becoming an active person.  We are, after all, creatures of habit.  If you have not established an active life during your free time while working, do you seriously expect to leave your job one day and wake up with a whole new way of living the next day.

Ask yourself what is your heart’s desire once you retire, and if you aren’t already working towards that goal why not?

Are you actively involved with any social groups, clubs, political, and/or community service groups?  Are you currently working out several mornings or evenings a week?  Are you already volunteering a few hours a month?   Are you taking real vacations and/or weekend trips now?  Are you attending evening and/or weekend classes now?  If not, why not?

Life is meant to be lived to the fullest.  Our minds are meant to be used to the fullest.  Sitting in idle doesn’t do your car engine any good does it?  Well, sitting on your butt isn’t going to do you, or the rest of the world any good either.  We are meant to be well rounded persons.  Yes, retirement will give you more time for YOU, but what does that really mean to you?  How will retirement truly benefit you?  Will you learn a new language or how to paint? Will you take extra long walks, have extra long conversations over savory meals with family members and/or friends? Will you attend more cultural, sporting, or charity events, or spend more time traveling?

We each only have so many precious days on Mother Earth. You will have worked long and hard for your retirement days. They are not to be wasted, they are to be treasured and planned for wisely.

As my husband and I prepare for his retirement we are looking forward to a varied and diverse schedule, despite that fact that he wants to golf a lot.  (I mean a lot!)

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Jan Lapitz is a creative, free spirit who spends her retirement doing things she loves including designing hand crafted inspirational plaques, writing and traveling. She and her huband live in Albuquerque, NM   For a copy of her product album you may e-mail her at jlapitz@hotmail.com Subject: Album

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What did you want to be when you grew up?

Did you get there or did life take other turns.  For many of us, our childhood dreams were that of whimsical fairy tails where we ride white horses and trot off into the sunset with a handsome prince. Perhaps you wanted to be a ballerina following the years of lessons your mother had you attend. Perhaps you dreamed of playing in the big city orchestra one day after plodding through the years of music lessons. Perhaps you ran track and field and thought one day you would try out for the Olympic team.  No matter, we all had a dream and a vision of what we wanted our life to be.

Often those childhood dreams can provide the telling information of what we love and what we are skilled at. As the years go by and life happens as it does with all of us, dreams get tucked away for more practical endeavors.

It seems once most women’s children are raised and off to build their own lives we tend to wonder, what now?  What will I do with my life now? and we ponder, what happened to all those things I used to love that I let slip by as I married, raised children and offered support to my husband.  Not that those things aren’t important or didn’t take priority they did, but now …what now.

I encourage you to go back an explore, be a kid again, remember what you loved.  Here’s a few tips to get the creative juices flowing;

1.  Make a list of 10-20 things you love, don’t over think it – just write

2.  Make a list of 25 things you’re good at

3.  Make a list of another 10 things others tell you you’re good at

4.  Reminisce with a childhood friend about things you loved to do as kids

5.  Do one thing a week that you love, again do it for the fun of it and see how it makes you feel

You’re on your way to re-discovering who you are, the rest will come!

Come back and share with us your adventure in the comments below;

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March 08, 2011 – International Women’s Day – 100th Anniversary

Each year around the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. Hundreds of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Organizations, governments and women’s groups around the world choose different themes each year that reflect global and local gender issues.

The theme for this year’s celebration is;

Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women

There are 237 scheduled Women’s Day Events across the USA, CLICK HERE to find out where.

Honor the women in your circle of strength today and honor yourself, we’ve come so far in advancing achievements of all women.  Share with your daughters the importance of supporting women’s achievements everywhere!

Check out all the other great organizations we support HERE

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Did you know that Facebook now has more than 500 million active users? So it’s a great way for businesses and organizations to strengthen their connections, do market research and develop new customers.

Here are a few tips to get started;

1.) You need to create a personal profile in your name first, after you have established that profile you can start another page called a “LIKE” page in your business name.  Be sure your branding is consistent with your website and business name because once you create your name it cannot be changed. As an example you can see the “LIKE” page for Circle of Strength. The branding is consistent with the werbsite.

2.) You must add content to your business page frequently (no less than once per week) and constantly if you want people to follow your brand.  No more than 20% of your content should be blatant selling or marketing your products or services.  People will stick with you when you provide value. Example, provide insider advice or help and other tips that your audience would find useful.

3.) Perhaps you can offer to answer questions about your niche

4.) Supply discount offers or specials

5.) Know who your readers are

6.) and be sure to to “humanize” your company, people want to connect with those who they connect with on a personal level.

To learn more from my favorite FB expert check out: Mari Smith

and if you want a social media presence but don’t have time to learn, you’re not alone.  My marketing company offers a wide variety of solutions to fit any budget.  CLICK GIR

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Do you find your life going in too many directions and  sense a need to bring yourself back to center and can’t quite remember how to do that?  Or perhaps your life is in transition and you have a chance to re-group, re-focus and perhaps re-design your life?

A great place to start is to make a list of 10 things you love.

Keep your list in a prominent place so you can read it often. (I read my list daily to keep the thoughts of what I love fresh in my mind)

If you believe we attract what we think, then why not think about the things you love!  I know I certainly want to attract more of what I love in my life…cooking, creative writing, leisure travel, spending more time with friends etc.

To live a life we love means more than just putting in time, earning money at a job we dislike, and simply co-existing with others.  It means to live life with passion to create a life of significance and meaning.

(psst…don’t underestimate the power of your passions and empower yourself to live your best life)

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As women, we treasure our friendships with our women friends. We are a trusted source of strength for each other. Girlfriends form a bond, a sisterhood, where we support one another’s dreams and passions even when our spouses or children don’t understand. They give us the courage to discover what our passions are and cheer us on to make our dreams a reality.

When I’ve arrived at that middle-age number 50, I have discovered that my girlfriends are more important than ever. We talk a lot about what the future might bring and our place in the world. We still have dreams and a lot more passion for the second half of our lives. I want to buy that beautiful car and take a road trip, write a book, start a new hobby, travel through Europe, and enjoy the next half of my life even more than I did the first part. And now I’m old enough and wise enough to appreciate every single moment of blessing and accomplishment.

I share all of these dreams with my girlfriends because theirs are so similar. These women help me live, and they challenge me to fulfill my dreams without judgment. They don’t think I’m silly or crazy when I tell them what I’m planning. This year, I seem to be on the road to fulfilling some of the dreams on my list, and I am thankful for those ladies who have encouraged and supported me to take the risks and reach for some gusto!

With age and wisdom, I have also become a better listener and supporter – paying more attention to my friends’ dreams and offering suggestions and support as to how they, too, can enjoy this part of their lives. Joy comes when I see them fulfilling their dreams.

Lifelong girlfriends continue to be a source of wisdom and strength. We have history, and that is the glue that binds us. Besides that, our history provides a sense of security, knowing that my friends are still there, even after all of my life’s twists, turns, ups, and downs over the past thirty years. The constant that I rely upon at age 50 is that I have people who really know me, love me, and cheer me on as I move into this next phase of life.

So, I urge you to take time and celebrate the incredible strength you gain from your girlfriends and embrace their love and support because they will see you through the decades of your life.

Do you have a a girlfriend that exemplifies Strength?  Please nominate her and we will honor her on the Circle of Strength website:  CLICK HERE

COS recommends great personalized gifts for all your girlfriends;  Go to “Gifts For Her”

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I was amazed to read an article published by AARP in their online magazine titled “How To Be A Cougar”

Perhaps AARP isn’t for old stogy people afterall or they decided to cater to the younger hip over 50 set, either way I couldn’t help sharing what I learned.

The idea of a woman being with a much younger man became common place as we saw many celebrities touting their younger men – Demi Moore, Madonna, Susan Sarandon and the list goes on.

Unless you never turn on the tube I’m sure you’ve heard of the sitcom “Cougar Town” starring Courtney Cox.  So being a cougar has gone prime time and unless you live a live of isolation the idea of older women and younger men is here to stay.

The article suggests to the reader that there is more to becoming a Cougar than hanging out a sign and they give us seven tips;

They tell us to abandon out outmoded good taste for that more playful and sexy look. We are to pay attention to what they don’t see such as the perfume, sexy underwear and removal of hair from places down under. We are to access our inner bad girl, you know that naughty attitude you had once when you were in your 20′s and 30′s?  Stop the temptation of giving your younger man advise, in other words drop the motherly role and use the word “awesome” alot to describe or applaud your young man.  According to the article “The cougar-cub liaison can be great for the ego, for fun, for adventure, but you’re not going to bring this guy home to your parents or, God forbid, your kids.” so word to the wise.

If you have been on any of the on-line dating sites, you probably have been “hit on” by a younger guy, there are plenty of them out there apparently intrigued by the idea of being with an older woman.  So ladies if you’ve been intrigued, give it a whirl, what the heck we only live once – right Mrs. Robinson?

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We are bombarded with information about our health from the commercials on TV advertising some cure all drug we need to be sure to ask our doctor about to the magazines all with articles sharing how we can get prettier, thinner, healthier with the next greatest cream, diet & supplement.

I for one find navigating the world of living a healthy life rather overwhelming.  Often we turn to the internet and let our fingers do the walking through the myriad of medical websites.

Today I discovered that the infamous Dr. Memhet Oz who was popularized for his years as an expert on the Oprah Show is behind a new website called “Share Care” where you can ask a health question and the site provides answers.

Check it out:   SHARE CARE

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, “If your body mass index is between 20 and 24.9, you’re golden.” Another reason to drop the weight around our middles.  There has been much written about our BMI over the years but according to this report there is evidence that the higher your risk for heart disease and all sorts of other disease.

Use the online calculator to determine your BMI.   The entire article can be read here….

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.Circle of Strength Empowering you personally….Empower Your Health

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Part of living a balanced, healthy life style is having a healthy sexual relationship.  According to sex & relationship expert Dr. Laura Berman, there are 5 steps to putting the passion back in your relationship;
Step 1: Tell the Truth
Step 2: Ask for What You Want Foreplay Map
Step 3: Let Go of Negative Messages
Step 4: See a Doctor
Step 5: Make Sex a Priority

Ok make a list, what can you do this week to get your sex life back in balance?

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