By Pam Lutrell –
January is the hopeful month. It is the one time when we welcome a chance to start again and change everything we see lacking in our lives. It is the one time we welcome a “slap-in-the-face” we really hope will result in a different direction heading polar opposite from all the wrongs or bad decisions we faced in the year before.
It is the one time we believe reinvention is possible. Vast numbers of today’s women are open to the idea of change….real change. Not just lofty resolutions about weight loss or smoking patches or Botox , but statements of empowerment and confidence.
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More women are now divorced; empty nesters; or finding themselves among the large numbers of unemployed. Reinvention has become a new reality and also a new hope. However, some women still struggle with change. They wonder if it is superficial to give time to a new appearance. They wonder if it is too late to pursue their dream careers.
I have written before that I went through my own change at age 50, and now eight years later, I continue to face new changes every day. They are actually energizing and I do believe God wants us to be our best at living life joyfully every day. I feel better, because I have lost thirty pounds and hope to lose more. I feel younger because I cut and color my hair. I feel exuberant, because I am pursuing my dreams now that my children are grown. None of this is superficial to me.
Alison Vaughn, founder and CEO of Jackets for Jobs, a nonprofit organization that provides employment etiquette, career skills training and professional clothes to persons seeking employment defines the concept “life age” in the book Inspired Style. Your life age is the difference between your actual age and how you feel on the inside. When I saw my driver’s license picture at age 50, I realized my life age was in the 60s or 70s. We all know middle aged people whose life age is unfortunately in the 20s or young ones who stagnate and think older than they really are.
As an image consultant, Vaughn writes, “Your image depends on how your life age works with your personal style. The more the two are in harmony, the more together your image. Your life age isn’t just about your chronological age; it includes how you look, act, think, feel and much more. This is the age you want to represent through your personal style. A woman wears her life age like a garment. It says more about her than she could ever say with words.
After much hard work during the last eight years, I can confidently say that I have turned things around and now have a life age in the 40s. I had to embrace reinvention and believe it was possible. The joy and fun it has delivered to me have been beyond my expectations. Just begin small….what is one change you can make this week? Something that might make you laugh to gift it to yourself. If you desire change, it is possible…make 2012 your year!
“Fashion is always of the time in which you live. It is not something standing alone. But the grand problem, the most important problem, is to rejuvenate women. To make women look young. Then their outlook changes. They feel more joyous.” – Coco Chanel
During the 1980s, Pam Lutrell left a thriving public relations career to be a wife and mother. At the age of 47, she began to teach high school journalism and prepare for life at middle age. After a huge wakeup call on her fiftieth birthday, Pam made some significant changes in her life and today has added several awards as a teacher, freelance writer, lifestyle blogger, and public speaker to her resume. She is having the time of her life with her developing fashion & style blog for middle aged women….women of strength, dignity, and joy! Find her also at http://over50feeling40.blogspot.com: over50Feeling40@gmail.com Twitter: Over 50Feeling 40; Face Book: Over50feeling40; and bloggers for www.mysa.com, The San Antonio Express News.
1 thought on “Time to Reinvent Yourself”
Thanks for the encouragement, Pam! I love the quote from Coco Chanel. As I begin my 50s, I’m actually getting excited about many new things. Fashion being one of them. Being a kindergarten teacher, I’ve never had disposable money and I’ve always had to be careful when spending money in the clothing department. So thrifting has been an important part of my life. But, fit seems to always be a challenge. Well recently, I’ve jumped on the refashion wagon and I’m having a ball. Now when shopping the thrift stores, I know it doesn’t have to fit perfectly, because I can take it home and resew it to fit me. This has energized me to the point of starting my own blog called http://www.chicenvelopements.wordpress.com where I highlight my refashion adventures. Keep up the good work, I’m really enjoying your blog!
Beth