FORTY AND FREE! LOOKING BACK AT THE PAST AND CELEBRATING SO MUCH MORE!

GlamourByLBD note: This past month, my dear friend, Aurora Corpuz, joined those among us who have reached that Four-oh threshold. Her husband and my personal trainer, Rommell, reflects on what that meant to her and has a little wisdom for all of us….

“Aurora’s big ‘Four - O’ became a strategic plan for her life from diet, exercise, relationships, travel and wardrobe. She set out to accomplish all things new and exciting before the turn of her fourth decade. As she took ‘one day at a time’, diet became nourishment not denial, exercise became enjoyable not dreaded, relationships became fulfilling not challenging, travel became purposeful not just passing time and her wardrobe became a reflection of who she was on the inside rather than a reflection of what she unrealistically wanted to be on the outside.”

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FORTY AND FREE! LOOKING BACK AT THE PAST AND CELEBRATING SO MUCH MORE!

Rommell Corpuz, Director of Performax Training at The Family Life Fitness Center

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear, (your name), Happy Birthday to you! Whether you choose to celebrate or commiserate the event, your birthday reminds you of the inevitable passage of time in your life and what you did with it or did not do with it. In the world of health and fitness, it is widely accepted fact that you stand to lose 15% of lean body mass between the ages of 30 and 60. Roger Feilding, PhD director of the Nutrition, Exercise Physiology and Sarcopenia Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston confirms, ‘we are becoming much more aware now than at any time in the past that as people get older, the amount of muscle they have in their body becomes smaller’. As a result, the aging population begins to reflect on ‘what they did not do’ as they lose strength. For some it may even be ‘what they cannot do’, as Barbara Bushman PhD, a professor of health, physical education and recreation at Missouri State University cites one study that reveals 40% of women ages 55 - 64 said they could not lift 10 pounds. Dr. Williamson, the clinical director of the J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging and Rehabilitation at Wake Forest University targets the age of 40 as the key point to not just get active, but hit the gym and most importantly lift some weights. Associate professor of exercise science at Wake Forest University Tony Marsh, PhD advises, ‘The strength of your muscles is fundamental in maintaining your independence.’ In our commitment to provide a quality of life changing experience at the Family Life Fitness Center, we provide quality programs and qualified service as a resource for you to Get Strong! Stay Strong! and Finish Strong! Learn how to train with a Kettlebell and develop strength that you can use! Get yourself back into heart health with the energy of a Group Cycling Class and the encouragement of others getting back into shape just like you! Need a little help to get started, no problem, the Family Life Fitness Center offers F.I.T. Training, as well as One-on-One Performax Training to get you reacquainted with yourself, orient you to the fitness center and introduce a program to get you back on track to energy, vitality and longevity!

As the reflections of the inevitable loss of muscle charge you with the responsibility to take the best care of your body as possible, the wisdom, knowledge and experience from your life puts you in the position to gain all of that and more. Looking back at it all, you may come to realize the truth of successful living in what is my personal favorite of Pastor Kenny Foreman’s sermons, ‘mistakes are not fatal, failure is not final and delays are not denials’. In her experience of turning 40 years young, my wife, best friend and business partner exemplified this truth in taking the first steps into the best years of her life. Aurora’s big ‘Four - O’ became a strategic plan for her life from diet, exercise, relationships, travel and wardrobe. She set out to accomplish all things new and exciting before the turn of her fourth decade. As she took ‘one day at a time’, diet became nourishment not denial, exercise became enjoyable not dreaded, relationships became fulfilling not challenging, travel became purposeful not just passing time and her wardrobe became a reflection of who she was on the inside rather than a reflection of what she unrealistically wanted to be on the outside. In the year long ambition to achieve at 40, Aurora was mentally strong as ever, physically fitter than she thought possible and emotionally prepared to serve as a godly woman of instruction, influence and inspiration. Coincidentally, it would seem that Aurora may not be alone in the epiphany of the decades. A recent poll conducted by More magazine of women over 40 revealed the top reasons to turn from the years behind and look forward to those ahead. Learning from mistakes become life giving instead of giving up on life, as those polled shared “we’ve honed the ability to allow things to roll off of our backs”, mistakes are learned from and easily forgotten. Getting back up from failures provides hope in a new beginning as those over 40 remind themselves “we’ve grown to appreciate the singularity of our own selves and finally absorbed the reality of it”, no matter what the flaws or great the shortcomings, gone are the days spent in despair preventing the experience of love, happiness and joy. What once were delays give way to the blessings of deliverance as those moving into the fourth decade of life commented on the confidence in the ‘yes’ and contentment in the ‘no’ decisions of their lives and “regaining all the time obsessing over turning 40” (50 or maybe even 60).

As many of you have or will turn the corner of the decades embrace the blessing of the Freedom at Forty as the realities of life define your circumstances but do not define you and will never again confine you.

Stop by and visit at Performax Training at The Family Life Fitness Center and share your story of not just living life, but living it to the ‘Fullness of God’ (Eph 3:19). We look forward to seeing you soon and helping you to not just change your body, but change your life!

A Few of LBD's Favorite Websites

I spend so much time on the internet: sending or responding to email, blogging, researching and promoting. I do have a few websites that I frequent, whether for information, inspiration or promotion. Here’s a few of my very favorites:

www.divatoolbox.com The brainchild of diva Janet Powers, this is soup to nuts everything women need to do just about anything. If it isn’t there, just add it yourself by contributing an article. That was Easy!

www.allthingssouthern.com I was just minding my own business, browsing through Barnes and Noble one day when I ran headlong into Shellie Rushing Tomlinson’s latest book Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On I practically read the book cover to cover in one reading and now covet my weekly online newsletter!

http://fashionatforty.ning.com/ This is the social network site that I started and would love for you to join! For everyone who has traded leggings for Spandex but refuses to be caught dead in Mom Jeans, this is your spot! Invite a girlfriend and jump onto the conversation.

www.localmarketingcoach.wordpress.com Ryan Kuder is the guru on getting your name out in the local market. If you have a small business and seek to gain better exposure from those who are searching and buying in your own back yard, bookmark this site!

www.backinskinnyjeans.com I am very different in my style, views and approach to blogging. That being said, I have amazing respect for Stephanie Quilao, the quality of her blog, what she has accomplished, her courage to step off the ledge of corporate job security and trust her own abilities and what she has done for other women in the blogosphere.

www.localcandy.com Looking for a new haunt? This is a great place to find out about what’s new and cool.

www.craigslist.com For everything from a job to a vacation rental to a soul mate or news about what’s going on in the area. And a great place to promote your business.

www.facebook.com For finding long lost friends or new inspiration. Or just finding out quickly what all of my friends are up to.

www.sliceofpink.typepad.com Is a cute site. What makes it really special is Linkalicious, off of her home page, which is a treasure trove of great blog sites on every possible topic.

Women's Initiative is Teaching Women How to Fish

“Give someone a fish and you feed HER for a day; Teach someone to fish and you feed HER for a lifetime.”

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend an event for the Women’s Initiative. I am aware of many great non-profits, but the Women’s Initiative is one that I rank as outstanding.

The Women’s Initiative is an organization that helps low income women break the cycle of poverty by providing development training and financial backing to start their own businesses. In twenty years, some 11,000 businesses have been created. These women are overcoming obstacles such as poverty, language, disabilities and single parenthood to turn their lives around through sparking their entrepreneurial spirit. But it doesn’t stop there. Women who are empowered return that power by giving back to their communites by employing and mentoring others and working toward the vitalization of their neighborhoods.

Among the attendees at last night’s Women’s Initiative event were graduates of the program. One woman who I spoke to had started a fashion business. She had negotiated with vendors to complete her line. She had financial backing obtained through a business plan. Her dream is to grow her business so that she can bring on even more women to sell her clothes. Her top priority is to make it affordable for them to invest in their own futures. She had learned to dream and make it come true. Now she wants to share that dream with others.

California’s First Lady, Maria Shriver had this to say about the Women’s Initiative at the 2007 Governor and First Lady’s Women’s Conference: “California’s full economic potential will only be met when all women are supported in their efforts to contribute to the entrepreneurial spirit of California. WE Invest supports and encourages women and their families in this endeavor –putting money in their pockets, hope in their hearts and a future in their hands.”

Visit the Women’s Initiative Website to learn more.

Laura Beth DeHority of GlamourByLBD a Featured Contributor at Diva Toolbox

I just received word from the fabulous ladies at www.divatoolbox.com that I have been selected as one of their featured contributors! Recently out of beta and full steam ahead, this website offers a wealth of information on any and all topics that are important to women. All of that in a fun, easy to use and well organized format. So check it out and save it to your favorites!

JoyceAnne Pierce: Fall Beauty

GlamourByLBD note: Today was the final day of the regular season of major league baseball. While the days are still warm around most of the country, it is starting to cool off in the evenings and the days are definitely shorter. My kids are bringing home more school work and the schedule is much more like a routine. What a perfect time for my friend, JoyceAnne to step in and give us perspective on the season. Enjoy and be grateful! LBD

I grew up in the northeast part of the country so Fall is my favorite season.

The smell of Fall, the colors, the crispness of air…………..

The close of summer usually comes with Indian Summer and sometimes lasts into October. It’s our last reminder of Summer fun.

We can enjoy these warm days before the cool, fresh and brisk air settles in.

Nature is magnificent and provides such a landscape for the eye. With the new fresh air we are inspired to walk surrounding neighborhoods and towns and see how people and Fall has decorated itself with its variety of color, pumpkins and pumpkin patches; such beauty! We can talk and share with others and get to know them better, as we all take advantage of being outdoors in this beautiful season before Winter and colder weather sets in.

Fall is also ‘renewal’ time.

It’s back to routine, school, learning, and schedules for all of us.

And wonderful holidays!

Halloween - creativity time, and a time to get in touch with our ‘alter’ egos.

Thanksgiving - gratitude time, giving thanks, and spending time with friends and family. Hopefully if we know of anyone who is alone during this time, we take them into our fold and share our abundance with them!

We in California have so much to be grateful for!

We have so much available to us in our weather, the beauty of the ocean and mountains, and our local landscape.

How can we express ourselves more creatively?

What is it we can do individually to assist someone who may not be as fortunate as we are?

Where can we give more of ourselves?

And who can we align our energies with to make a difference in our community?

JoyceAnne is a Catalyst for Positive Change. She works one on one with individuals wanting to heal or become more, facilitates small groups, or motivates larger groups.
www.yesicansucceed.com