Hi there! In this, my first blog, I'd like to share a little about myself and how I ended up doing this blog for Experience Life magazine.
I was on the cover of Experience Life twice. The first time was for the Power Aging issue in July/August of 2004. I was 54 at that time. The second cover was for their "Best Of" issue about a year and a half later (December 2005).
For that first cover shoot in 2004, I flew out and met Pilar Gerasimo, Experience Life's editor in chief, at the Minneapolis airport. By the time we got to the location for the photo shoot I had fallen in love with her and what she told me about the magazine.
I thought, "Wow, finally a health magazine with integrity! A magazine willing to do the research and really test what they were reporting."
Of course, I was also delighted that they were acknowledging the whole concept of power aging, and giving baby boomers some visibility in their pages.
The boomer generation -- my generation -- is 76 million strong. That is a huge audience. And certainly a large percentage of people in our generation are living lives very different from the previous generation. We have pioneered the way to new health and vitality, among other things -- embracing natural foods and exercise, seeing the mind-body connection, and more.
From our teens through our so-called old age, we boomers have redefined every decade of our lives. Never accepting the status quo, we have been rebelling, inventing and reinventing our lifestyles, discovering new and better ways to keep both our physical and spiritual vitality. We are running marathons, teaching yoga, going back to school. You name it, we're doing it!
We're certainly not letting any idea of age hold us back from doing what we want.
The experience I've had at this time in my own life has been very different from what society has presented as a model of "normal" aging. The message most of us have received throughout our lives indicates that "old" is something negative -- something ugly, unpleasant and to be avoided.
The word "old" is practically synonymous with tired, sick, bored, cranky, close-minded. But the truth is, "old" just means you've been around more years. Simply that.
Society illustrates life in a graph with an upward line during our youth, stopping at a peak and then falling in a sharp downward motion until death. No wonder people have such a negative viewpoint about being over 30! And with advertising continually selling youth, youth, youth, we have no indication of what the real possibilities are.
My experience of aging has been so much better and more rewarding than what I was led to expect. As I've aged, my life has become more interesting, more exciting and richer in experiences. My life graph seems to just keep expanding outward to encompass more and more. I have more knowledge, more curiosity, more health, and more strength and vitality than ever!
So I think it's time to redefine what aging is all about. If we choose, we can make "old" translate as wise, mature, sexy, vital, energetic and discerning.
I am 58 1/2 years old, and for me, life has never been better. I've been working as a model since I was 49, an age at which most models have long abandoned their careers.
Ten years ago, about the time I was "discovered" as a model, I was just closing a career in the fashion and beauty industry as a makeup artist, working around the world with the celebrities of the time.
I worked with a lot of famous fashion models. But it never occurred to me that I could end up modeling myself. When I was younger, I would have been way too self-conscious to even consider it.
It may seem strange that I gained self-confidence and comfort about my appearance as I aged, but that's just another one of those positive things about aging no one ever seems to hear about.
Today, I'm still modeling (you've probably seen me in ads for Oil of Olay and J. Jill catalogs, among other things). I live in a big, old Dutch Victorian overlooking the Hudson River north of New York City. I have two grown children living near me in New York City, and a wonderful, diverse circle of friends.
I have had many and varied interests throughout my life. However, nothing on this planet is more compelling to me than my fellow man.
I will never tire of the many different lifestyles, view points, philosophies, skills, talents, melodramas and chaos we create and experience on this planet. Oh, the fun and troubles we make for ourselves! It's a never-ending topic of discussion and exploration. And I think a lot of it will make for great blogging.
I've shared some of my viewpoints on aging, health and living well in previous interviews with Experience Life magazine. And now, I'm delighted to have the opportunity to share more of my perspectives through this blog.
If there's something in particular you'd like me to address, just let me know! (You can post a comment here or email me at cindyjosephis@mac.com.) Otherwise, I'll just keep writing about what I know and love.
Which brings me to one last point: I'm not a doctor or scientist or nutritionist or fitness expert. I don't pretend to have all the answers or a monopoly on what's right and true.
I'm just me. But I take my health and happiness pretty seriously. And I have learned a great deal from living, studying, experimenting and figuring out what works -- at least for me. That's why I'm calling this blog "Just Cindy."
I hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to hearing about your thoughts and experiences, too!
I was on the cover of Experience Life twice. The first time was for the Power Aging issue in July/August of 2004. I was 54 at that time. The second cover was for their "Best Of" issue about a year and a half later (December 2005).
For that first cover shoot in 2004, I flew out and met Pilar Gerasimo, Experience Life's editor in chief, at the Minneapolis airport. By the time we got to the location for the photo shoot I had fallen in love with her and what she told me about the magazine.
I thought, "Wow, finally a health magazine with integrity! A magazine willing to do the research and really test what they were reporting."
Of course, I was also delighted that they were acknowledging the whole concept of power aging, and giving baby boomers some visibility in their pages.
The boomer generation -- my generation -- is 76 million strong. That is a huge audience. And certainly a large percentage of people in our generation are living lives very different from the previous generation. We have pioneered the way to new health and vitality, among other things -- embracing natural foods and exercise, seeing the mind-body connection, and more.
From our teens through our so-called old age, we boomers have redefined every decade of our lives. Never accepting the status quo, we have been rebelling, inventing and reinventing our lifestyles, discovering new and better ways to keep both our physical and spiritual vitality. We are running marathons, teaching yoga, going back to school. You name it, we're doing it!
We're certainly not letting any idea of age hold us back from doing what we want.
The experience I've had at this time in my own life has been very different from what society has presented as a model of "normal" aging. The message most of us have received throughout our lives indicates that "old" is something negative -- something ugly, unpleasant and to be avoided.
The word "old" is practically synonymous with tired, sick, bored, cranky, close-minded. But the truth is, "old" just means you've been around more years. Simply that.
Society illustrates life in a graph with an upward line during our youth, stopping at a peak and then falling in a sharp downward motion until death. No wonder people have such a negative viewpoint about being over 30! And with advertising continually selling youth, youth, youth, we have no indication of what the real possibilities are.
My experience of aging has been so much better and more rewarding than what I was led to expect. As I've aged, my life has become more interesting, more exciting and richer in experiences. My life graph seems to just keep expanding outward to encompass more and more. I have more knowledge, more curiosity, more health, and more strength and vitality than ever!
So I think it's time to redefine what aging is all about. If we choose, we can make "old" translate as wise, mature, sexy, vital, energetic and discerning.
I am 58 1/2 years old, and for me, life has never been better. I've been working as a model since I was 49, an age at which most models have long abandoned their careers.
Ten years ago, about the time I was "discovered" as a model, I was just closing a career in the fashion and beauty industry as a makeup artist, working around the world with the celebrities of the time.
I worked with a lot of famous fashion models. But it never occurred to me that I could end up modeling myself. When I was younger, I would have been way too self-conscious to even consider it.
It may seem strange that I gained self-confidence and comfort about my appearance as I aged, but that's just another one of those positive things about aging no one ever seems to hear about.
Today, I'm still modeling (you've probably seen me in ads for Oil of Olay and J. Jill catalogs, among other things). I live in a big, old Dutch Victorian overlooking the Hudson River north of New York City. I have two grown children living near me in New York City, and a wonderful, diverse circle of friends.
I have had many and varied interests throughout my life. However, nothing on this planet is more compelling to me than my fellow man.
I will never tire of the many different lifestyles, view points, philosophies, skills, talents, melodramas and chaos we create and experience on this planet. Oh, the fun and troubles we make for ourselves! It's a never-ending topic of discussion and exploration. And I think a lot of it will make for great blogging.
I've shared some of my viewpoints on aging, health and living well in previous interviews with Experience Life magazine. And now, I'm delighted to have the opportunity to share more of my perspectives through this blog.
If there's something in particular you'd like me to address, just let me know! (You can post a comment here or email me at cindyjosephis@mac.com.) Otherwise, I'll just keep writing about what I know and love.
Which brings me to one last point: I'm not a doctor or scientist or nutritionist or fitness expert. I don't pretend to have all the answers or a monopoly on what's right and true.
I'm just me. But I take my health and happiness pretty seriously. And I have learned a great deal from living, studying, experimenting and figuring out what works -- at least for me. That's why I'm calling this blog "Just Cindy."
I hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to hearing about your thoughts and experiences, too!
Welcome, Cindy! As one 50-something Boomer to another, I'm delighted to have you in our stable of bloggers. And I agree completely that age is just a number (though there are days when it seems like a really BIG number).
Hello! What a GREAT blog to start - I myself was born in 1956. A Minnesotan all the way. I would like to know if you have any ideas on what to use on older /sagging skin. We females love to look young don't we? You are beautiful inside and out. Keep up the good work!
Hi, Cindy! When I read about you writing a blog for Experience Life, I was anxious to read it. I was particularly happy to see you were close to my age. I have been having my challenges with getting older and have been really into Experience Life. They have been such a help, with food and exercise and yoga and mind/body. They've kept me going. Like you I have enjoyed the years since 40 and have experienced much more than my parents ever guessed I would. I've travelled & returned to school, just to name a few things. So I look forward to reading your blogs & thank you for giving everyone another opportunity to grow.
Hi Cindy
You are such an inspiration. I love your fitness videos. I was looking to see if you have a website and came across this Blog. I hope to see you here again. I think you really have a lot of wisdom to share. Yes, any tips you can pass along on skin-care, motivation and style would be welcomed.
Cindy,
You are refreshing! What an inspiring and grounded outlook on life. I too feel as though the best is ahead and appreciate the higher levels of self-awareness, acceptance and empowerment that each year brings.
Thank you for sharing your insights into life. It's easy to feel the truth in your words...and that you live it.
Always expecting the best,
Maryanne
cindy ,you are inspiring ,amazing ,and so multi-faceted!! look forward
to reading ALL you have to say. smart editors have given you a voice
and it's as beautifully executed as your outer being! thanks! can't wait for the
next installation of 'just cindy'!!
Cindy, You have always been an amazing person and friend.Glad I found this on facebook,Love K. I look forward to future articles!
Cindy,
Loved reading your blog. I am 56 and could not agree with you more about our interesting lives and the power to create MORE.
I like that. I am re-entering the job market and am hoping that my energy, vitality, enthusiasm along with my killer resume will out shine any "grey hair" resistance that may be out there. Thank you for being a pioneer and changing the grey hair stigma...now it can be sexy and beautiful to have grey hair. I love the idea of accepting the changes...though skin elasticity is one thing I really don't want to accept! Any tips? I look forward to more.
Dianne
Hello Dianne,
Loved hearing from you. Love your attitude. Younger women AND men will learn from us.
Every stage of life is an adventure. Experiencing the loose skin is part of this stage. I think its a matter of getting used to it and realizing that our negative judgments are learned. We can just accept it as a point of view and consider other options. We may not have control over our skin again, however we DO have control over our point of view
I never saw my grandmothers loose skin and wrinkles as bad. I loved touching her, and looking at her. She was just her.
Women are judged so heavily in the area of looks, and then told that their looks fade or get worse as they age. The message is that we will be less valued if we look old. Well, that's a bunch of nonsense. If we buy into that point of view, we are doomed.
Our value does not come from looking young. Our value comes from how much we value ourselves.
Love yourself, love your life. Live according to what pleasures you. You will be attractive to others if you are enjoying yourself. Truly enjoying yourself.
Thats my story and Im sticking to it!
Cindy
Hello Craig,
You are a sweety! Thanks for welcoming me to the site. It took a while for me to learn the process of using this system. I apologize for not responding sooner.
I am proud to be in a "stable of bloggers" with you.
So far so good. I will be checking yours soon to see what your up to.
I hope we meet one day.
cheers
Cindy
Hi there Jae,
Thank you for your compliments. Very encouraging for a first timer at blogging.
I have sagging skin. I believe all 58 year olds must, unless they get a full body lift. I get surprised by it sometimes. A little more shows up each year. Certain lighting or body positions has it come out more.
I cannot change that. What I can change is my point of view. I just wrote to someone about my grandmother and how I loved her wrinkles and sagging skin. I found it fascinating, soft, entertaining and it was her, just her. I loved her and everything she was.
I can find my wrinkles and sagging skin right. Its a matter of shifting my our attitude. Life is an ever changing experience. I want to experience all the nuances of my whole life. If I only experience youth I will not have it all.
So the answer to your question is use the power of your mind on that skin. Love yourself just the way you are.
Read my post valuing ourselves.
all the best
Cindy
Hi Josie,
Thanks for posting your comments.
Nice to hear from another Boomer!
Read my last few responses to other comments and you will get and ear full.
I will be putting up a website this year. Thanks for looking for me.
I will be introducing some products you may like.
I'm all about skin cremes that are so safe they are almost edible.
However, I believe healthy skin comes from the inside out.
Exercise and a plant based diet. Those are my practices.
And finding my aging skin as a right thing, not something that needs to be different.
It's a part of life to be gently embraced and loved.
All the best
Cindy
Hi Kathy,
Fun to see you here.
Thanks for checking this out.
CJ
Hey Palmer,
Thanks for checking this out. Love your enthusiasm.
Im enjoying this quite a bit.
Cindy
Thank you very much!
Feels great to get feedback.
And so specific.
You sound like a very conscious woman.
Awake and aware!
This is a response to a question about my diet "secrets." I thought I would share it here.
No secrets with my diet. I am vegan. I indulge in pizza or fries sometimes, sweets, chips etc. However, that is not food or nutrition. Those things are pure entertainment!!
I have what I call the "birthday cake theory."
We all eat birthday cake once in a while. We do not eat it three times a day.
I eat a plant based diet three or more times a day. Lots of raw fruits and veggies. That is my basic diet. And I have the "birthday cake" foods about as often as most people eat birthday cake.
Pleasure is vital in a healthy life! Look for my point of view on that subject next month.
Hey Cindy,
Whooo-hooo! Your first blog! I've heard you say these things so many times, so believe it, everybody! This is the real Cindy. Confident, happy with her life, happy with herself, and trying to help us all accept who we are, right now. I love the idea of that line on the chart NOT going downhill, but expanding, evolving, reaching into ever more glorious experiences! Life is good if you let it be!
cindy.
iam so happy that you have a blog. I have seen you in a lot of magazines that i get. i love your video for women over fifty i do it at least twice a week. keep the advice coming.
Hey Mickey,
Yahoo! So happy you like the fitness videos. Anything that keeps you moving and having fun while you do it is fantastic. Thanks for visiting my blog. Hope you hear from you again.
Cindy -
It's amazing how life works. I'm a 40 year old woman and have seen you in J.Crew catalogs and Oil of Olay advertisements. I've always wondering, "Who is that gorgeous mature woman?"
Imagine my surprise and delight to find your blog recommended in Experience Life magazine (and it was the first time I had ever read it!)
I just want you to know that not only do you inspire the more mature women but you inspire us 30, 40 year olds as well.
It's very easy to tell just by looking at your that you are definitely an amazing, happy and "life-experiencing" woman!
I just want to thank you for your inspiration to ALL women and I look forward to reading more on your blog.
YOU are a sweety! Love your admiration and enthusiasm. Thank you so much for writing.
I want to share something with you.
I have come to know that when you see something of value on someone, you see it because you recognize it. You recognize it because you already know it. You know it because it is in YOU. In other words, it takes one to know one. Those are true words in my experience.
So thank you, and thank yourself as well!
As a creative lifestyle coach helping women in and around mid-life create time, space and fulfillment for themselves, I'm always on lookout for inspiring stories about women in and around the mid-life years, and yours is a great one. You are obviously beautiful inside and out, and know a thing or two about living a personally fulfilling life. I believe all women deserve to revel in their own mid-life oasis (so much nicer than a crisis!) and stories like yours help spread the good word. Keep up the great work!
All the best from my oasis to yours,
Jill
Cindy,
So, glad to have this avenue to be able to communicate with you. I live in a small town and ten years ago when my mother died, I decided not to color my hair anymore. My friends gave me a hard time. Although, looking back I'm glad I made that choice. You were one of the few people who helped me along the way and I thank you. Now at 63 years old I would like to know if you would share what products you use on your own gray hair to keep it looking beautiful. Thank you so much.
Sylvia
Hey, I missed your post! So sorry.
I need to be more diligent in checking my older articles.
I use USANA products. Shampoo and creme rinse.
Thats it other than every once in a while I use one of the shampoos like Clairol Shimmer,
to stop any build up that can dull my white hair. Just once a month or so.
Too much can make the hair kind of lilac. : )
Have fun. Enjoy your silver locks!
Just found this blog through Facebook.
Bravo to you and the way you live.
Looking forward to watching this forum unfold.
Hi Cindy, Im so glad I came across you in experienncelife mag on face book
You touched on so much of what I yearn for but am waiting for what? something or someone else out there to magically appear..Thankyou sooo much I LOVE what you are sharing..
..xoxoxox!!!!!