Guest Writers Blog

If you’re retired or looking forward to the time when you will be, you’ve probably said there are things you want to do “while I still have my health.” I’ve been retired for almost 12 years, and I’m still saying it. However, I recently learned that “We don’t know what we don’t know” can apply to the degree of physical health and stamina we still have, as well as to our mental abilities, especially when it comes to international travel.

There’s no shortage of positive thinking theories out there, but the one that has resonated with me comes from—no surprise—Brian Clark’s newsletter Further. In his July 6 newsletter, he writes “Positive beliefs can spark a placebo effect that helps us succeed. Conversely, negative beliefs and the accompanying thoughts can keep us “in our heads” and away from a state of optimal performance.”

Even before my husband passed away from Alzheimer’s 13 months ago, I vowed that I would be proactive in staying socially active for as long as I was physically and mentally able. I was aware that when a spouse dies, there are usually a plethora of invitations from friends and family members that can rather suddenly drop off after everyone has made at least one effort to get together, express their sympathy and see for themselves “how you are doing.”

I spend too much time on my computer. My wife tells me that and she’s right. As a freelance writer, I have to use my computer to get my work done. I choose to do more than half of it in a coffee shop. I don’t like sitting at home, either in my office or at the kitchen table, which is next to a picture window that affords me a view of the entire Salt Lake Valley.

What better time than now to discover more than 100 ways to bring more joy into your life and the lives of those you love and care for who are in any stage of Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia. I enthusiastically recommend this book whenever I get the chance. This is my chance to recommend it to you.