Positive attitude better than Botox

You don’t have to be younger, thinner or richer to feel ‘Fabulous’ after 50 it’s about zest for life.

ARE you over 50 and yearning for your younger self? Get over it! A positive attitude is more youth enhancing than Botox. It trumps wrinkles, creaky knees, and a tendency to talk about your aches and pains.

Thinking you are ‘invisible’ because there is a trail of younger women stealing the limelight, is such a negative defensive position to take, it’s no wonder you would disappear and retreat from the wonderful curiosity of life.

That’s the view 60-year-old author Ellen Lubin-Sherman shares, when we chat about her book The Essentials of Fabulous... Because Whatever, Doesn’t Work Here Anymore.

“You can be whatever you want to be – it has nothing to do with your age,” she proclaims defiantly. “I don’t feel 60 in my head because I am always challenging myself.”

And although New Jersey based Lubin-Shermin has been an executive coach for many years — teaching others to repackage themselves — she admits it was only five years ago when she truly connected with her own negative self-talk.

“I blossomed when I was about 55 — I began to become really aware of how I spoke to myself”.

She has also transformed her passionate invitation to age with positivity — to be ‘Fabulous’ — into the (self-published) book, the blog, the tweets and the website (essentialsoffabulous.com). She says if we choose the positive path, then we can learn (in self-help speak) to “mastermind the narrative” of our lives by having a goal, purpose, passion and above all, by keeping our sense of humour.

Her zest is infectious. “You don’t have to be younger or look thinner or taller or have more money to be Fabulous... when I’m excited and passionate, then that energy — that thrusting curiosity takes 10 years off my life.”

Part of that curiosity is remaining ‘relevant’ in society – keeping up with what’s happening in the world, she says.

“Remaining open is the hallmark of the Fabulous. Forget your age and force yourself to stay au courant. That keeps you in the conversation no matter how young the company you’re in.”

She advises us to wear clothes that “add oomph not ouch” – and not to be a slave to labels, especially because they were costly or appeared in a magazine.

The truly stylish create a wardrobe composed of a small number of superb pieces that can be worn in many ways, she points out. The classic pieces are: black pants, grey cardigan, simple white cotton shirt, safari-style jacket in olive drab, trouser-inspired jeans and a classic raincoat. But part of being fabulous over 50 is to inject your confidence, personality and wit into an outfit. Flair is about giving good taste the boot, if necessary.

“If you’re convinced that this slightly trashy looking jacket will rev up the perfectly ladylike pencil skirt that you’ve always worn with a perfectly respectable sweater, then go for it!

“Let’s try things that once intimidated us... bolder accessories, stronger and more saturated colours and vintage pieces from the charity shops.”

Lubin-Shermin isn’t all talk. She did a photographic journal of herself on her blog over the four seasons in 2012/13. The deal was she wouldn’t buy any new clothes for the year and she alternated and ‘rearranged’ her outfits including different accessories.

“I told the photographer ‘Don’t airbrush me, don’t photoshop me I want to be real and accessible’,” she says.

And that’s how she wants us all to move forward — real, accessible and with an ageless defiance.

* The Essentials of Fabulous, is available at Amazon.co.uk

Tea helps eyes

Alarmed by your puffy eyes in the morning? Go and make a pot of tea for yourself. Then, before you dump the teabags in the recycling bin, allow them to cool down, place one each over your eyes — and sit back and relax! It doesn’t matter whether it’s your common cup of black tea, or an exotic herbal — either will soothe. Actually caffeinated tea constricts the blood vessels to reduce swelling.

No longer life

New research on over 65-year-olds bursts the bubble that resveratrol in red wine and chocolate prolongs your life, at goo.gl/pvubc6

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened

— British author Terry Pratchett

Elderly inspired

Anyone who thinks older people lose their verve for life and their ability to dream should take a look at the inspiring book, Life is for Living, which was launched last week.

It features 29 interviewees who reveal candid thoughts about their personal growth, among them Edna O’Brien (below left), Tony Ward, Olivia O’Leary, Christy Moore (below right) and Pauline Bewick. The book was a project adopted by Age & Opportunity to celebrate the national organisation’s 25th birthday.

Editors Ann Leahy and Catherine Rose say what was really heartening was the individuality of all the interviewees: “ The same events may have helped to shape us, but we all respond in our own way.”

The book is available for €15 (+p&p) from their website www.ageandopportunity.ie.