Aging GreatFULLy with Holley Kelley

RICO RACOSKY joins us for a Merriment Choice Marathon 3-6-5... just in time for the holidays! Will you be jubilant and "MERRY" or will you choose to be stressed out and "Scrugilant"? It's YOUR choice and Rico will help you decide, like only he can!
​A PIONEERING BREAKTHROUGH THOUGHT SYSTEM THAT CREATES A “FLIP-IN-THINKING” TO REVEAL THE EXACT CHOICE POINT THAT RELEASES THE PERSONAL POWER UNNOTICED INHTTP://JUST2CHOICES.COM/ EVERY CHOICE TURN YOUR ORDINARY CHOICES INTO EXTRAORDINARY CHOICES USING CHOICE MAPPING! WHETHER AT THE CONTROLS OF A F16 JET FIGHTER—OR NOW AT THE CONTROLS OF A SOPHISTICATED JET AIRLINER, RICO RACOSKY KNOWS THAT EVERY FLIGHT CHOICE HE MAKES IS BASED ON ONE OF TWO CHOICES. HE MAY MAKE MULTIPLE SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS AS HE EVALUATES THE INSTRUMENTS IN FRONT OF HIM THAT SHOW THE AIRCRAFT’S IMMEDIATE PERFORMANCE OF SPEED, ALTITUDE, AND NAVIGATION, YET EACH CHOICE HE MAKES ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN TO A “YES” OR “NO” INPUT DECISION BASED ON JUST TWO CHOICES. FROM RICO’S POINT OF VIEW, ALL OF LIFE IS CHOICE AND HAPPENS AT THE SPEED OF CHOICE—A PERSPECTIVE HE RECENTLY SHARED AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY AS A “CHOICE EXPERT” THOUGHT LEADER GUEST SPEAKER TO HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLUBS.

DEBORAH HEISER, PHD HOLDS A DEGREE IN APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY WITH A SPECIALTY IN AGING. SHE IS FOUNDER AND CEO OF I.M.AGE INSTITUTE AND THE MENTOR PROJECT AND HAS A 20 YEAR TRACK RECORD OF AWARD WINNING RESEARCH, PUBLICATIONS, PRESENTATIONS AND CONSULTING. SHE HAS BEEN QUOTED IN MEDIA, INCLUDING THE NEW YORK TIMES AND SEATTLE TIMES, IS PRESIDENT OF QUEENS PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, AND IS A PAST PRESIDENT OF THE STATE SOCIETY ON AGING OF NEW YORK.

​Deborah Heiser is a Consultant for corporations on topics such as: Mentorship, Meshing Family and Work, The Value of Experience and Retirement: What to expect and what NOT to fear. She consults with families on topics such as: Downsizing, Providing Resources for families, Family Caregiving Support, and Guiding Families through Crises and Emergencies. Public speaking topics include: Redefining the Image of Age, Overcoming Age Biases, Empowering Ourselves, Generativity: Mentorship, Volunteering and Philanthropy, Retirement, What to Expect: The Lifespan. As part of the I.M.AGE Institute, Deborah founded and maintains The Mentor Project. This is a series of vignettes in writing and video format sharing stories of successful mentors. This is developed as part of a book she is working on, showing the benefits of mentoring others, from the perspective of the mentors. Deborah is also a regular guest on Boomers Rock Radio, and is an expert contributor on Vidoyen.

RICO RACOSKY joins us for a Merriment Choice Marathon 3-6-5... just in time for the holidays! Will you be jubilant and "MERRY" or will you choose to be stressed out and "Scrugilant"? It's YOUR choice and Rico will help you decide, like only he can!
​A PIONEERING BREAKTHROUGH THOUGHT SYSTEM THAT CREATES A “FLIP-IN-THINKING” TO REVEAL THE EXACT CHOICE POINT THAT RELEASES THE PERSONAL POWER UNNOTICED INHTTP://JUST2CHOICES.COM/ EVERY CHOICE TURN YOUR ORDINARY CHOICES INTO EXTRAORDINARY CHOICES USING CHOICE MAPPING! WHETHER AT THE CONTROLS OF A F16 JET FIGHTER—OR NOW AT THE CONTROLS OF A SOPHISTICATED JET AIRLINER, RICO RACOSKY KNOWS THAT EVERY FLIGHT CHOICE HE MAKES IS BASED ON ONE OF TWO CHOICES. HE MAY MAKE MULTIPLE SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS AS HE EVALUATES THE INSTRUMENTS IN FRONT OF HIM THAT SHOW THE AIRCRAFT’S IMMEDIATE PERFORMANCE OF SPEED, ALTITUDE, AND NAVIGATION, YET EACH CHOICE HE MAKES ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN TO A “YES” OR “NO” INPUT DECISION BASED ON JUST TWO CHOICES. FROM RICO’S POINT OF VIEW, ALL OF LIFE IS CHOICE AND HAPPENS AT THE SPEED OF CHOICE—A PERSPECTIVE HE RECENTLY SHARED AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY AS A “CHOICE EXPERT” THOUGHT LEADER GUEST SPEAKER TO HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLUBS.

Omar Cumberbatch will help you ring in the holidays with cheer and fun while not derailing yourself from your fitness and health goals! ​
Omar Cumberbatch, founder of The Wellness Ultimatum is a Professional Health Coach and Radio Talk Show Host. Omar received his training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where he was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. For over a decade he studied hundreds of different nutritional theories navigating through the world of contradictory dietary and exercise advice. During this time he experienced firsthand how challenging it was to devise his own dietary plan. Omar was able to confront this struggle by changing his approach to incorporate a holistic lifestyle approach. He then decided to become a health counselor to fulfill his passion for working with individuals who struggle with similar obstacles and are motivated to change.
Coupling his knowledge and studies at IIN, Omar created The Wellness Ultimatum in order to provide a real outlet to the latest trends and information on health and wellness. The Wellness Ultimatum is a primary hub of trustworthy solutions to everyday health challenges and guidance on how to create your best life now. You will find tips on health, nutrition and fitness peeling back the truth about what the world of nutrition all means for you.
Omar is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and holds a Bachelors degree from Purchase University. Omar offers a unique approach to a healthy lifestyle helping his clients unlock the key to make their most balanced life; physically, spiritually and nutritionally.
Looking to create your own personalized roadmap to wellness?
Looking for a place to find information to create a balanced opinion for the future of your health future?
Omar considers himself your best chance to finding what you are truly made of.

Heather Stang is a thanatologist, mindfulness speaker, and author of the grief book Mindfulness & Grief: With Guided Meditations To Calm Your Mind & Restore Your Spirit. She is best known for using present moment awareness to relieve suffering, cope with and eventually reengage with life after loss. Her focus on teaching others to use mindfulness-based techniques to reduce stress, cope with grief, and cultivate personal growth is inspired by her own journey of love, loss and posttraumatic growth.
Heather discovered yoga and mindfulness while she was the CEO of a web development company and diagnosed with a stress-related illness. These contemplative practices inspired Heather to live a life in service to others, and she became a suicide/crisis hotline call specialist in honor of her uncle who died by suicide when she was a child.
She relied on her mindfulness training to maintain a calm and compassionate attitude both on the job and at home after difficult shifts. Additionally, Heather volunteered as a trainer and call specialist on the New Orleans hotline just weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated the region, and was a research assistant for a NIMH funded National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Research Project. This experience inspired her to pursue a Masters in Thanatology (Death, Dying & Bereavement Expert) from Hood College, which she earned in 2010.
Struck by the parallels between mindfulness, yoga, and contemporary theories of grief, which focuses on the individual’s direct experience of loss and the benefits of meaning making and posttraumatic growth, Heather developed a “Yoga for Grief” course: an 8-week program uniting yoga, meditation, journaling, expressive arts and death education. Today, that course is captured in her book, Mindfulness & Grief, and is offered by yoga, meditation, and grief professionals in North America in a variety of venues.
Heather is a public and keynote speaker, presenting for organizations such as the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (for military families), Association of Death Education and Counseling, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation, and the Maryland Library Association. In addition to Mindfulness & Grief, she contributed three chapters to the volume Techniques of Grief Therapy: Assessment & Intervention (Neimeyer, 2015).
Heather lives on South Mountain overlooking Maryland’s Middletown valley with her husband, and is the founder of the Frederick Meditation Center where she is a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist and mindfulness meditation instructor.
Learn more at heatherstang.com and mindfulnessandgrief.com. ​

World Renowned Naomi Feil, Validation, and Aging GreatFULLy!
Validation began in the 1970s as the personal practice of a brilliant individual, Naomi Feil. Born in Munich, Naomi and her family escaped Nazi Germany and moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Her father became the administrator of The Montefiore Home for the Aged and they lived in 5 rooms alongside the elderly residents. This is where the roots of Validation began.

Feil originated the concept of what is now known as ‘person-centered care’. She built Validation on an empathetic attitude and a holistic view of individuals with dementia. She said, “When you ‘step into the shoes’ of another human being and ‘see through their eyes’, you step into the world of disoriented very old people and suddenly understand the meaning of their sometimes bizarre behavior.”

With the help of a few supporters she created the Validation Training Institute (VTI), a 501 (c) not-for-profit organization, as a vehicle for spreading information, and training practitioners.
Over the past 40 years, Naomi has singlehandedly changed what is considered 'good practice' in the field of psychogeriatrics.

Naomi and VTI have created and delivered constantly evolving training programs in 23 countries, published 4 books in 12 languages, created films and built an international network of affiliated organizations. There are over 350 certified Validation teachers and a growing number of Master teachers to mentor and support them.

“What was I thinking?” may be what I ask myself after this show! But hey, you only live once and it sounded like a great idea when I conceived it! I did consider changing the iTunes ratings from E for Everyone or F for Family to…I don’t know…Explicit, Dysfunctional…DISASTER, perhaps! But I am all about faith in a higher court so I am going to just let it all play out and put it out there—my family and all!
You see, we’re not normal—I mean we ARE NOT NORMAL! But then I started thinking, “Is any family NORMAL?” Probably not. We are kind of like a trifecta version of the “Dynamic Duo,” … I would say were the “Tremendous Trio” of sorts. I didn’t pick “terrific” because tremendous is more far reaching to accommodate all of our unusual qualities—and they are not all terrific I might add…but they are US.


We are a story. As each of you are. Ours is a journey of togetherness. A mom that loved deeply (and lost—or was left—is more accurate of a description!) and was left to raise us in “tremendously” unideal circumstances and did one “tremendous” job. A brother that was a “tremendous” pain in the rear as a brother should be and I was the equally “tremendously” pain in the sass sister making me perfectly normal. But what is important is when it mattered, we showed in stellar fashion for one another. It was always the three of us. Whoever came. Whoever left. The Tremendous Trio was left intact, unfaltered, unwavered—stronger than super glue, larger than life. This bond was something I could always count on and a safe haven I am so grateful to have.


No, family doesn’t have to be blood related or a piece of paper that says you are legally connected. I am not one that buys into the verbatim and exact definition of family; “A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household...A group of people related to one another by blood or marriage.” Let it be known that I believe your family just has to be “your people.” And, well—these two are some of mine.


Life wasn’t always easy—but it was always good—and full of love. It was always moving in the right direction and it was always founded on the right stuff—respect, positive intention, and giving each other a good old-fashioned reality check if and when needed. Perfection is overrated. We’ve definitely learned some things along the way. One thing is for sure, we’re certainly folks that keep it real! We laugh, we swear (hopefully not on air), we argue, and we make amends—but we also know how to spread joy and filter unwavering love to our own kids. This is who we are and this is what we do. And we’re coming together on Aging GreatFULLy to share a few secrets of our life, how we Age GreatFULLy, reveal some of our interesting journey and what we’ve learned along the way with YOU!

Rico Racosky’s early life was a very active combination of his love of all things aeronautic and his passion for art. So it might not come as a surprise that both of these “visual careers” are still playing out in his life in a major way--in his dual careers as a former fighter-pilot-now-airline-pilot and as an author/publisher of multiple graphically-original books, that quickly and clearly explain life through visuals rather than mere words.

​Just 2 Choices was “an accidental discovery.” While working with primarily 4th and 5th graders for nearly 20 years on his days off from flying, Rico found himself frequently saying the phrase that “...there are Just 2 Choices of action. One choice will take you closer to your dreams and goals... the other choice will take you farther away. Which choice of action will you take?” After saying “Just 2 Choices” over and over for all those years to the children, Rico thought the phrase would have great applicability to working with grown-ups. So he literally “wrote the book on choice”—a book that’s entirely dedicated to and pioneers the topic of choice in a visual form.

A pioneering breakthrough system that creates a “flip-in-thinking” to reveal the exact choice point that releases the personal power unnoticed in every choice turn your ordinary choices into extraordinary choices using choice mapping!

Whether at the controls of a F16 Jet Fighter—or now at the controls of a sophisticated jet airliner, Rico Racosky knows that every flight choice he makes is based on one of two choices. He may make multiple split-second decisions as he evaluates the instruments in front of him that show the aircraft’s immediate performance of speed, altitude, and navigation, yet each choice he makes ultimately comes down to a “yes” or “no” input decision based on JUST TWO CHOICES. From Rico’s point of view, all of life is choice and happens at the speed of choice—a perspective he recently shared at Harvard University as a “Choice Expert” Thought Leader guest speaker to Harvard Business School’s Entrepreneurship Clubs. Now, Rico is bringing his wisdom and perspectives to Aging GreatFULLy and we are all ears and anticipation to learn more! Because when it comes to aging, he is also going to tell us how it's JUST 2 CHOICES! I can't wait! Be sure to tune into this fantastic episode with this powerful guest!

Join the discussion as Dr. Erica Goodstone shares more about her work in healing through somatic therapy and her fantastic summit that is going on RIGHT NOW! She has coordinated 44 professionals from around the globe to bring you innovative and practical advice to help you heal, love and evolve on your life journey!
Learn the many different ways to approach healing
Tune into your own body-mind-spirit connection
Take control of your body, your life, and your energy
Heal old wounds and live more joyfully right now
Chock Full of great informational segments!
~Wisdom-Based Healing and Spirit
~Massage and Therapeutic Bodywork
~Structure, Function, Alignment, Movement
~Energy Fields and Energy Medicine
~Meridians and Asian Healing Approaches
~Somatic Awareness and Trauma
~Body Oriented Psychotherapy
~Beyond the Body and Somatics in This Life
A great show with returning guest Dr. Erica Goodstone, full of wonderful ways to ensure you Age GreatFULLy and get the most out of life's amazing journey! Be sure to tune in!

Jim Beloff on Aging GreatFULLy! That's right! The musician behind the intro and outro song, "Aging Gratefully" used for the Aging GreatFULLy show is actually making an appearance ON THE SHOW! You'll get to hear the entire song and Jim will share the inspiration and story behind this song from the album, "Dreams I Left in Pockets" and reveal what led him to write this fantastic song that we have all come to love!

Jim is author of The Ukulele—A Visual History (Backbeat Books) and author, arranger, and publisher of the Jumpin’ Jim’s series of ukulele songbooks with well over 600,000 copies sold. This series is available worldwide and includes The Daily Ukulele: 365 Songs For Better Living and The Daily Ukulele: Leap Year Edition, two of the biggest and best-selling ukulele songbooks ever published. All Jumpin’ Jim’s songbooks are distributed by the Hal Leonard Corporation.

Jim produced Legends Of Ukulele, a CD compilation for Rhino Records, and has made three how-to-play DVDs for Homespun Tapes. Jim is also an active songwriter and has released a number of CDs. His latest 2 CD set, “Dreams I Left In Pockets,” features 33 songs he wrote or co-wrote with uke legends Herb “Ohta-san” Ohta and Lyle Ritz.

Jim and his wife, Liz Maihock Beloff, own Flea Market Music, Inc., a company dedicated to the ukulele. They regularly perform together playing their family’s Fluke, Flea and Firefly ukuleles.

Jim will share many inspirations regarding music during this show. And speaking of music, here's some of his worth sharing:
“Charles Ives”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rj4OgZSd-E
​and this fantastic ukulele concerto:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp1rYo8Y9qU

They have also gone on tours of Japan, Australia and Canada and believe in their company’s motto, “Uke Can Change the World.” www.fleamarketmusic.com and facebook.com/jimbeloffmusic.