By this stage of our lives, many of us have married, divorced and married again or opted for singledom. Every year that passes, relationships change whether with spouses, ‘significant others,’ children, friends, co-workers…and ourselves. The Bible and every religious text, regardless of religious persuasion tells us to “Love one another.”  We all know this is not always easy. I believe the love part must start with trying to understand one another. Only by working hard to understand another can we actually start to love them, or keep on loving them. When we cannot love someone or something, it’s because on some level we simply don’t understand them, their thinking, their actions and motivations. So, they/it become(s) unlovable. Yet, the more we try to know or understand someone or something, the more we access the potential for feeling love (or at least acceptance of another or a situation.)

All of us do things that are completely incomprehensible to others. Does this make us all unlovable? I sure hope not. Rather, it just goes to show the human condition is complex, diverse and ever changing. To feel love means we have to constantly try to understand one another. If we understand another, we can forgive them, as we are all hoping they forgive us as well. As years go by, if we’ve really put in any effort to growing, we’ve tried to understand others, many whom see life and the world far differently than we might. If we only love those similar to us, we’ve made our worlds smaller. If this seems to be confusing at all, think about what makes each you feel loved: It get’s down to feeling that we’ve been heard and understood. If we’ve kept ourselves youthful by maintaining flexibility toward our stances and opinions of others, we’re likely aging quite well with love continuing to expand the capacity of our hearts…and a big heart capacity is a very healthy thing.

Note:  The video is an edited version of this blog.

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We’ve all lived long enough that the odds favor the likelihood that we believe we’ve been screwed in some way or another, in some situation or by someone, at some point in our lives, possibly even many times. A normal reaction to feeling wronged is to start building up defenses and walls to prevent such from ever happening again. Consciously or not, we decide we need to protect ourselves against such perceived violations in the future. Apprehension builds against things that may or may never happen again. The proverbial baggage gets packed and carried. If we can’t put our offended, pained and angry feelings about the situation or toward the other person behind us and move on, we become harder and jaded. We actually relive the pain, re-hurting ourselves. We begin to become rigid. Not only do our perspectives become more rigid, our bodies stiffen and become less flexible as tension is held onto. This affects our mental health and our physical health, as well. Arteries, so essential to blood flowing freely with flexibility through our bodies, harden.

Aging starts when anything gets stiff, rigid and begins to loose its inherent flexibility. Youth is associated with flexibility, possibility, unfolding and stretching. Flexibility is a trait of life: Rigidity a trait of death. The more flexible we can remain, the more we can move on, living. Life is challenges and adversity. To believe otherwise is naive. Working to maintain our flexibility in body, mind and soul, the greater our physical and mental health will be. Release the chains that bind you. They’re yesterday’s news. Embrace today.

@DianGriesel is @SilverDisobedience @WilhelminaModels @ApertureTalent #writing   #selfawareness #selfdiscovery #aging #healthyaging #communication #DGIcomm More in profile & DianGriesel.com  #video by @richkissi

Whatever we believe to be a personal or physical shortcoming or weakness, may actually be a source of strength. A simple example of this is when health problems arise, we all tend to improve our actions, trying to figure out what we need to do to get better. (When I get sick, I swear I’ll never eat another cookie or miss a workout again!) Conversely, when we’re feeling healthy, we might be more inclined to burn the proverbial candle thinking that we can handle anything, when maybe we need to consider a little more balance.

Awareness of any weaknesses is the first step to becoming stronger. Simply being aware of a shortcoming is great because it can serve as a way we whisper to ourselves: “I can work to improve this somehow.” I know many people in their seventies, eighties & nineties that are still mulling over what they need to learn about themselves or something that they still want to accomplish or improve at. They’re educating themselves to overcome weaknesses they think they have. Seen in the right perspective, it’s our awareness that can trigger the urge for self-education and new efforts that results in our growth and improvement.

Each time we challenge ourselves, we’re assure our growth. While youth might come with stronger bodies — the experience and knowledge that is accrued year by year through daily life, experiences & years of lessons learned through trial and error that is lacking.

As we age, we may forget a few things and possibly be a bit physically weaker—but we’ve become more aware and flexible about changing. We’ve gained life experience and consequently a special wisdom that is absent in youth. While certain elements for success may seem inclined towards youth (and its naivety), age proves that it is our weaknesses where we find our strengths.

(Video and Podcast of this post on the website.)

@DianGriesel is @SilverDisobedience @WilhelminaModels @ApertureTalent #writing  @Stonesongnyc #selfawareness #selfdiscovery #aging #healthyaging #communication #DGIcomm More in profile & DianGriesel.com

We all need to keep honing our personalities if we want to take charge of our lives, move our ideals and hopes ahead, fight for our dreams and live our lives around our personal purpose. Our ideal life is not something we “find,” it is something we “create.” The business of being a person is to take our existence and organize it around our plans and purpose so that we create the life we want to live.

Here are three steps to building your greatness.

Imagine what you want. Use your most vivid imagination possible. Hold the image in your minds eye so the you are drawn to it. Be bold and imagine yourself being knocked down and defeated…and victoriously rising like only you can do. See how you are contributing to whatever success you imagine.

Use your common sense. Don’t try to shove round pegs in square holes. If you want to be an artist—start acting like an artist! You’ve got to start doing what you want to do.

Put on your Super Suit. Greatness takes faith, courage and the ability to ignore ignorance, neglect, negativity and disrespect from others regarding your ideas. Believe that whatever it is you want to do will benefit not just yourself but others, also. IF you think this sounds grandiose, remember: Because you are working to fulfill your dreams, you will change others simply because you'll be more pleasant to be around.

Even a moderate dose of all of the above will set you on a new journey.  When we purely chase pleasure, we won’t necessarily win. When we live to make ourselves greater…every day we push forward is another win.

This is Silver Disobedience™ #philosophy

@DianGriesel @SilverDisobedience #icon #model @WilhelminaModels @ApertureTalent #photograph and #video by Richard Kissi

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Some things do matter. Illness and Death are big matters. Having an income matters and it’s very stressful when money seems to be flowing in the wrong direction. But other than these, not much else really matters.

What you said or neglected to; how you acted or didn’t; what your wore; that expression on someone else’s face; that prize; that job; that comment; make up; no make up; bad hair days; no hair days; that parking spot somebody just took; the rude person who ‘didn’t let you in’; stepping in dog poop; pigeon poo on your hair; coughing without covering a mouth; cold-callers; poor customer service; slow internet connections; annoying people shouting into their phones; celebrity drama; people reading over your shoulder on the bus; sycophants; complainers; stepping on chewing gum; feeling bloated; 5 extra pounds; delays in traffic; late trains; airline cancellations; people who don’t answer your calls; junk mail; broken dishwashers; unflushed toilets; politicians; paper cuts; bad parkers; acronym text messages that need deciphering; long waits at traffic lights; slow closing elevators; uncut lawns; grocery store lines when you only need one thing; Christmas lights in March; weathermen who are right only 50% of the time; the speed police; dieting celebrity sagas; burnt toast; and pimples and wrinkles at the same time…

It all doesn’t matter as long as you’re healthy and alive…that matters.  Changes can happen with life.

This is Silver Disobedience™ #philosophy

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A strong body of medical evidence shows that our mental state can upset normal physical functions, weaken resistance to infections & actually change vital organs. For example, emotional upsets affect the flow of hydrochloric acid which aggravates stomach ulcers. When I worked as a nutritionist & hypnotherapist in private practice, upsetting conversations could make people buckle over retching in stomach pain. Anger can send blood pressure skyrocketing. Essential hypertension or chronic high blood pressure that has no other apparent physical cause is directly associated with bottled up anger. Considering how many deaths after age 50 are related to blood pressure disturbances, this is significant. Hypertension patients may appear to be easy going , yet these same people may be smoldering beneath a submissive facade. Once taught effective ways to release pent up emotions; blood pressure can resume to normal. Diabetes has been associated with severe emotional shock; arthritic & autoimmune flare ups can parallel emotional upsets; and worry can accelerate tooth decay. Clearly understanding our frustrations & fears is just as important as what blood tests or x-rays might document

Many of us bury distress in the crypts of our minds—but the peace we may attain is at the expense of our health. Learning to relax can reduce or eliminate a plethora of problems. Our e-motions (think e= energy in motion) need conscious release, or they will express themselves in terms of our flesh and blood. Allowing emotions release—without judgement, without labeling them as good or bad, but just as normal human emotions—gives us a chance to work through them before they cause us physical hurt as well. I know some economic or physical difficulties cannot be ignored or meditated away. They are real. But facing challenges head on; accepting a situation; and talking with others or asking for help are steps to solutions that also give us new ways to cope with our challenges. Taking personal time-outs will release pent up energy, while simultaneously filling us with a new kind of energy that enables us to live richer lives. Time outs aren’t wastes of time; they’re time energizers that get our minds back in line to keep our bodies healthy. Hint: When you’re so busy you have absolutely zero time to take a break…that’s the time to take one.

@DianGriesel is @SilverDisobedience #graytphilosophy More @WilhelminaModels @ApertureTalent #SilverDisobedience

As we age, we often tell each other, “You’re looking good….” with the subtext being…” for your age.”

I propose we all start changing the phrase to: “You’re looking wonderful.” After all, “wonderful” is an adjective describing something that arouses “wonder.” Don’t other people regularly arouse wonder in you?  I wonder what people are thinking? I wonder why we choose to do certain things? I wonder what others would be like if I really got to know them? I wonder how other people feel about so many things that happen in life? I wonder about the ways people choose to express themselves? Can you imagine how many smiles we could bring to the world if we started acknowledging our wonderment of others?

“Wonderful” is not a possession of the young nor old. Yes, I know there are some pretty wonderful pictures out in the world of models, celebrities and others…and that is wonderful! They add interesting color to the world. But seriously, I also know what I look like when I’m tired—and I certainly know the magic an amazing stylist, makeup and hair team can create, along with a great photographer who understands lighting…and of course, who can resist the remarkable effects possible with any number of filters—also known as the Social Media Facelift?!

Let’s get back to recognizing the wonderful nature of individuality and start a new trend. Let’s all cheer our wonder of others. Let’s practice being wonder-full and full of wonder.  This is #SilverDisobedience  What do you think?

@DianGriesel is @SilverDisobedience #graytphilosophy More @WilhelminaModels @ApertureTalent #SilverDisobedience #DGIcomm #DGIwire #DGIPlatformance DianGriesel.com

Video by Rich Kissi

Life changes whether we like it or not. Change is a guaranteed constant, year after year. Changing anything —even those changes we initiate— doesn’t mean the change will be easy.

While we’ve all had those moments when we’d like to prevent change and  freeze time — our work lives change; daily routines change; family and friends move, get sick and die. We’re constantly changing: Aging from the moment we are born. We’re always “getting older.” It’s a fact of life that comes with birth.

Change is always accompanied by a period of discomfort and/or stress — even when it’s a positive change for the better. Growth is actually optional during any experience involving change. We have the option to resist. But it’s only our ignorance that would choose resistance. Ignorance, which sounds kind of a harsh, is really defined as unawareness or unfamiliarity with the experience. When we are ignorant we are choosing to ignore. But, we have the opportunity to choose growth by educating ourselves with new knowledge and information about the latest change. This is how growth flourishes, how we empower ourselves  and how we win the fight of resistance and reduce our stress, improving our physical health and mental wellbeing. Resist or Grow. Since I know our years have made us wiser…how are you growing today?

Watch the video of this Essay on Facebook & Instagram @SilverDisobedience

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Photo & videography by #RichKissi

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