“Aging gracefully is definitely an art” as quoted by fashion designers and image consultants. As I began looking 60 years old in the face in less than one week, that quote has brought a new perspective to my life in this age of uncertainty and many trials and tribulations!!
As I kicked off August yesterday, I celebrated my first college roommate’s 60th birthday! It was great seeing five of my college peers, which most still looked well. However, they were most impressed with how well I look.
What I realized is while I am worried about losing 10-15 pounds, tightening up my mid area and thighs, most people I meet are in awe of how I look. So, I have to constantly be grateful for being blessed but also remember, I work at looking this way on a daily basis.
My motivation has been to build a brand that illustrates, “Don’t Talk About it, BE about it!
Essence of a Lady’s mission is to “help women gain maximum HEALTH and WEALTH!!
In order to help others, I knew I had to help myself FIRST!!
Here are 3 tips to maintaining a healthy lifestyle as you build wealth.
Maintain a Positive Mental Attitude
First, maintain a positive mental attitude. As the Bible states, “As a man thinketh, so is he.” The greatest thing I ever did in college was sell books for three summers. Not only did I buy several cars, but I learned entrepreneurial skills and the importance of having a positive mindset! These skills have helped me succeed in every aspect of my life. It also taught me the importance of becoming a storyteller, how to share my life with the world to motivate others!
Develop a Healthy Lifestyle
Second, develop a healthy lifestyle. I never say the “d” word (diet). In my mind, dieting was a temporary fix. My desire has always been to learn how to eat to maintain a certain weight and enjoy food that was good for my body. The old saying, “You are what you eat” is true. I remember being 13 years old. I made a conscious decision that I was not going to be fat and look like most older women looked then. So, I spent years reading magazines and books to understand what types of foods were good for me and how they helped my body. I learned about SUPER foods, foods with antioxidants, and heart-healthy foods. I read a book called, “Sugar Busters” which taught me WHY refined sugar was so damaging to our bodies. That book and “The Naturally Slim” program offered through the school district I worked in were the two most important catalysts to my healthy lifestyle.
Maintain a Healthy Relationship With Yourself and Others
Third, maintain a healthy relationship with yourself and others. With the pandemic and social unrest of 2020, mental health has come to the forefront of societal concerns. Many athletes, like Naomi Osaka and recently Simone Biles, took stands to protect themselves from mental breakdowns. It is great that they lifted the veil off this vicious monster, but I recognized the importance of taking care of me very early in my career. I used to take “me” days and mini-vacations a few times a year after I started teaching. You must be your best ally. My family used to wonder why I needed this time. I would say, these breaks and time to myself are the only way I can be an effective teacher and leader. It gives me time to reflect, rejoice and renew. The same is true with people you surround yourself with, your inner circle. I learned that, while I relate to a lot of people in business and my personal life, I realized “everyone could not sit in the front row of my theatre” because some were not worthy. When a person mentally drains you, bring negativity into your life frequently, do yourself a favor and eliminate them. Remember, as the old saying goes, “some people are in your life for a reason, and some are there for a season!” I’ve learned that it is ok not to still have friends from elementary school if they are constantly saying negative things about you!
In closing, before good can come into your life, you must develop a positive mindset to receive it. Once you have a positive mental attitude in place, then you can develop a healthy lifestyle based on your love of food and understanding how to eat to maintain your health. Through this process, you are working on ensuring you take care of yourself, “self-care” is how it is termed today. Once you take care of yourself and get in a great space, then you will release people out of your life and/or business that does not deserve to be there because they disturb your peace. In other words, once you take care of your health, that is when you will be able to build wealth!
For more information on how you can share your wisdom on our Females are Fabulous platform, go to www.eladies.org and become a philanthropist; then www.femalesarefabulous.com to share your story of success with the world.
Dr. JoAnn Ajayi-Scott is a professor who provides instruction for graduate students in writing and public speaking, publisher of blogs and magazines, and philanthropist to nonprofits and community organizations. Her goal is to create a community of entrepreneurs providing products and services to other women in one place. You may reach her at www.joannajayiscott.com. Twitter: @ELadiesNetwork
#motivation #mindset #goals #health #brand #leadership #food #chapter60 #mentalhealth
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