“Sexual energy…is more a function of health than age.”

Archive for partnership – Page 3

Pre-Approved

From the minute we enter the world we look for approval.

We expect it from our parents, grandparents, family and friends. As we become toddlers, we look for approval from our siblings and our playmates. As pre-teens, we want approval from our teachers, coaches, and everyone else. Throughout our difficult and challenging teen years we only want approval from our peers. During this stage we aren’t interested in what our parents or family think.

Suddenly, it happens. We become young adults. All of a sudden everyone wants to approve us. We get flooded with mail pre-approving us for almost everything. We are pre-approved for every credit card

imaginable. We get pre-approved for auto loans and home mortgages. We are even pre-approved for life insurance with no questions asked and no physical examination required!

All this pre-approval got me thinking. Have you ever been pre-approved for good health, happiness, great relationships, financial security, or success?

The fact is, in life there are many areas where pre-approval is not possible. You can’t be pre-approved for good health unless you make good choices. This means no smoking, choosing to monitor your eating habits, and a regular schedule of exercise.

What about happiness? Do you know anyone who has been pre-approved for happiness? You can’t buy happiness at your local shopping mall. It can’t be prescribed by your primary care physician. Happiness will not show up on your doorstep neatly wrapped in a UPS package. Happiness is found within you and is created by you.

Great relationships are built on respect and trust which each person earns. A successful marriage is built on mutual respect, honesty, commitment, intimacy, and shared goals and desires. No pre-approval possible.

Financial security is a choice we make. Check out your economic well being. Are you living from paycheck to paycheck? Are you drowning in credit card debt? Plan for the future and begin to pay yourself first. Only you can pre-approve yourself for financial security.

What about success? No one other than you can pre-approve yourself for success. Success takes work. It is a mixture of desire, energy, attitude, courage, risk, imagination and vision. It is a reflection of your belief system. An unstoppable belief in yourself is the only way you can pre-approve yourself for success.

As we continue to journey through this New Year with new resolutions, new goals and renewed hope for the future, I’d like to pre-approve you for good health, prosperity and continuing happiness.

Stay Tuned…Sexy Grandpa

The Laundry

I sure would welcome some feedback on this topic. Do all men hate to change linens or is this just a Sexy Grandpa issue? For years now, 27 to be exact, every time I announce ‘Let’s strip the bed so I can wash the linens’, I get the same response. “You just washed them.” Well, linens do need require laundering and I do my best to have some reasonable schedule for when. To avoid this continuing saga, I asked Sexy Grandpa, “How often do you think we should do this? He finally agreed to twice/monthly on the 1st and 15th. Given that we decided this was a do-able compromise, I didn’t expect any resistance. Guess what? Today, when I announced, “It’s time to strip the bed” I got an argument. “Let’s wait until the weekend.” Knowing that would now throw off the schedule we had created, I simply wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

I got up at my usual time. I took off the cases on both of my pillows, lifted the 2 contour corners on my side of the bed and drew back the linens half way to his side. I then went on my way to get ready for LA Fitness (my every day water aerobics program). Sexy Grandpa was still half asleep when I kissed him goodbye and headed on my way.

I knew when he did wake up, the choice was his. Would he remake my side of the bed OR strip the remaining side and put all linens in the laundry room? If I were to wager, and again, knowing that everything he does for me works in his favor (remember, it’s all about benefits) I figured the total pile would be waiting for my return. And, guess what? I was right. Here’s the rest of the story, however. On top of the pile, my loving husband had left the following note: I do love you very much! The handwritten message, brief though it was, literally made me smile so much. Sure, he may have had an ulterior motive. Sure, he knew he had lost the battle over laundry. Or, and I believe this to be the reason – Sexy Grandpa DOES love me very much. And, the note was another way of sharing how he feels in spite of the task he hates to do.

Well, of course, the first of next month will be yet another laundry day issue. Or, maybe – just maybe, I’ve won the battle forever and THAT would surely put a smile on my face. I do, however, have to add one more point to this story. And that is, we BOTH hate to make the bed once the linens are fresh and clean. At least we agree to do this part together!

Stay tuned. We’re counting on you to keep us young at heart!

Sassy Grandma

Competing for Steps

Sassy Grandma wears a Fitbit. It’s the tiny one that fits in a pocket, on a waist band or hooked to a baseball cap. I’m a big water aerobics fanatic, so I wear it on my UCONN cap and log 10K steps every morning for the hour I’m in the pool. That time is a great start to my daily goal.

Sexy Grandpa tried to talk me out of the purchase and not because of the cost. “You are already motivated” was his comment and couldn’t figure I could do anything else to increase my commitment to health. Well, once I began bragging, he decided to step up his game (maybe less time in front of t.v. watching sports?) and was willing to make the attempt to get to his daily goal also, 10K which is the same as mine.

Not long ago, we experienced a wonderful vacation/adventure during a cruise in Southeast Asia. Of course, both of us wore our Fitbits every day on land or sea. Let me tell you, when you log 15K+ steps in a day and on some outings close to 20K, THAT’S motivational. We had fun comparing stats and did more walking than we might ordinarily (skipping cabs or buses) to offset heavy cruise eating!

When we returned, we have continued to ‘compete’. Some days I’ll ask Sexy Grandpa to do an hour of mall walking with me. If his Fitbit number is low, I get a “Yeah, sure.” Can you imagine? He is actually willing to go up and down between levels just to keep up with my success?

It’s so easy to fall into a rut. I suspect the same thing every day seems to be the norm for most couples. (and, sometimes for us as well.) Even this small change of behavior has enriched our lives. While I’m not willing to say Grandpa’s walking with me earns him benefits, I will go on record that he looks great, feels healthy and has increased his energy. Will leave the rest to your imagination.

Stay tuned. We’re counting on you to keep us young at heart!

Sassy Grandma