F*ck Old Age

By Joan Maiden

You're not too old and it's not too late!

Take charge and change how you age.

 

"Every woman needs to read this book!"

"A story of strength and heart that demonstrates how anyone can live their best life at any age."

 

Discover what it means to finish strong, reject the limitations of aging and be your own hero.

Unearth your inner warrior, let go of what's been holding you back, renew your passion, pursue your purpose, and embrace your power.

You can still kick ass at any age. F*ck Old Age and Embrace LIFE!

Joan Maiden enjoys the power to embrace life at every age, encourages other women to do the same and realize that  It's never too late to be what you might have been.  --George Eliot.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joan Maiden
• Release date: Feb 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201462321

Joan Maiden

Joan Maiden lives on the Central Coast of California where she moved to pursue her life-long dream of writing and speaking to encourage women to live a full and vibrant life at any age and to dispel the myths of aging. She now enjoys the power to embrace life at every age, and encourages other women to do the same and realize that It’s never too late to be what you might have been.  --George Eliot.

Book preview

Copyright

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This material has been written and published solely for educational purposes. The author shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, damage, or injury caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help the reader in the quest for well-being. In the event the reader uses any of the information in this book for self or others, the author assumes no responsibility for the actions of the reader.

Copyright © 2022 Joan Maiden

All rights reserved.

Version II

Acknowledgement

To all the warriors who have crossed my path—the friends, mentors, writers, speakers, artists, musicians—who shared their journey, thank you for teaching me what it means to be a warrior and showing me by your example how a warrior lives her life.

To Rick and all who told me I could write a book and believed in me long before I believed in myself, thank you for helping me find the courage to go for it and take the leap.

I never knew why authors always thank their editors until I had the honor to work with Karen Wagganer Burton. Not only did her editorial skills help polish the book, making it a\ better, her guidance made me a better writer. Thank you, Karen.

When I asked Audra Martin to design my book cover, I knew she would come up with a beautiful, creative, and unique cover. Her concepts far exceeded my expectations. She knows my message and my heart so well, she came up with the perfect design. Thank you, Audra. Love you, girl.

To all the Warriors reading this book:

I hope you enjoy the book and find inspiration, enjoyment and motivation.

Do you have an image of your warrior?

What is your warrior’s identity?

Download the free guide to

IDENTIFY YOUR WARRIOR

Click on the link to download your FREE guide to help better identify and visualize your warrior.

Identify Your Warrior

Would you take a minute to leave a review?

It would mean the world to me.

Thank you in advance!

Visit my website for more information and signup for a free Ebook Joyful Aging.

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The Leap

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

– Helen Keller

Taking the Leap

Standing on the edge of the abyss, digging my toes in, trying to keep from tumbling over the edge: I’m scared! I shout into the wind, only to be greeted with silence. How did I end up in this spot, ready to take the leap, but scared shitless? I’ve been here before. I’ve even been brave enough to take the leap a few times, but still find myself with doubts and fears even though the net has always appeared and unexpected doors have opened.

Moving to the edge, once again, has taken me on a journey that’s been unpredictable. As I look behind me at the bags and suitcases strewn along the path–—at all the things I had to release and leave behind, I clutch tightly to the last small suitcase, but realize I must set this one down as well.

I can’t leap with luggage.

The plan was a good plan, or so I thought. Writing a book had been a dream since childhood. Senior fitness was my area of expertise, so writing a book about fitness seemed a safe choice. If I had stuck to that plan, I would have missed following a new path—one that turned out to be more beautiful and adventurous than I could have imagined.

Occasionally I got lost and took a different route which led to discoveries I would have missed, along with breathtaking scenery along the way. If I had always traveled the same roads, the ones that are predictable, I would have been comfortable and felt safe, but I had to move forward toward my destiny.

As I tiptoe to the edge, quaking in my boots, excuses run through my mind. I’m too old. I don’t have enough time. But, I ask myself: If not now, when? Will I be a wimp or a warrior? Either the net will appear and I’ll find my wings, or I’ll splat at the bottom and need to pick myself up once again.

What the hell.

Fuck old age!

It’s time to fly!

Journey to the Edge

This struggle to live my own truth is so difficult, so wearing. – Anaïs Nin

Another year gone by. My life feels like the movie Groundhog Day. Every day and every year the same. I wonder: Is this all there is? There are more years behind me than ahead of me, and that scares me. I haven’t yet scratched the surface of what I want to do. There are still places to explore, experiences to encounter, and accomplishments to achieve.

Does it all have to be downhill from here?

The depression settles around me like a thick fog. I can see no light at the end of the tunnel. As I enter my sixth decade, I realize that if I don’t act now, I may not have another chance. This is my third and final act of life. I need to do something. I knew there was a solitary retreat nearby, so I went to see if it would help me get out of my funk. I packed up and headed to the retreat center.

It was in the middle of nowhere—no phone, TV, internet, or even cell phone reception. I was totally isolated. At first, I felt guilty for neglecting all the things I should do—be available in case anyone needed me, respond to messages, take calls—not to mention housework, laundry, and the never-ending list of shoulds.

To have nothing to do was unimaginable, so I arrived loaded down with reading material and journals. There were lovely hiking trails, and I felt I needed to hike for the exercise. It was so uncomfortable to be isolated that I even hiked to the top of the highest hill to find cell phone reception. There was no one to talk to and no way to connect with the outside world.

In time, I gave myself permission to nap when tired, eat when I felt like it, and sit on the porch and do nothing. Instead of hiking for exercise, I enjoyed a leisurely stroll and rested on the bench by the stream. The shoulds kept rearing their ugly head, but they had grown quieter. Solitude was calling.

To make the right choices in life, you have to get in touch with your soul. To do this, you need to experience solitude, which most people are afraid of, because in the silence you hear the truth and know the solutions. – Depok Chopra

Voices and words had drowned out the message that called to me in the silence. As I became quiet, I began to hear. While packing, I had thrown in some paper and crayons at the last minute. Drawing was never my medium of choice. One evening, even though it felt uncomfortable, I drew. Emotions flowed, and a message emerged. The voice I had suppressed for so many years was shouting to be heard. It was time to unleash that voice.

Over the years, I’ve had a recurring nightmare. I’m in danger or someone is chasing me, and I’m trying to scream for help, but no sound will come out. I wake up, usually sitting up in bed, trying to scream, only able to get out a strangled little cry. My ex-husband would wake up and wonder what in the world was wrong. The image that emerged from my drawing was my voice blocked, unable to get out.

As a child, I was labeled the shy, quiet one. Did I lose my voice or did I ever have one? It was the old dilemma: if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? If I spoke and no one listened or acknowledge what I had to say, did I have a voice? I learned at a young age that if I spoke up, if I was acknowledged at all, there was a good chance I would be ridiculed.

Being the youngest in the family, it was easy to be ignored. My brother was the eldest, only son, and also the sickly one that mom pampered. He relished that role and became overbearing. After school one day, I was upset about something that had happened and asked my mom to