Maggie Rose Crane - Guest Author Post

Here is a topic that every person can relate to - no matter their age, sex, health, race, etc - growing older. Author Maggie Rose Crane has written a delightful book titled Amazing Grays: A Woman's Guide to Makingthe Next 50 the best 50 *Regardless of your hair color! Be sure to check out her book, if you haven't already.

I want to deeply thank Maggie for taking the time to stop by and leaving us with an excellent guest post. Ms. Crane delivers a wonderful message in a very refreshing way!

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The Key to Aging Gracefully

Like it or not, time keeps marching on. I finally came to understand that when it comes to growing older, I had only two choices: to accept or resist. This is the crossroads that every woman will eventually come to, and your choice will determine your quality of life, and ultimately affect your peace of mind, health, and depth of connection with others. It’s a choice not to be taken lightly. I chose acceptance.

I’m not saying we should roll over and play dead. Far from it! Acceptance simply means to acknowledge what is: "Yes, I’m getting older. My days on this earth are numbered (which has always been true). My hair and body are losing some of the luster of youth. My face has wrinkles." None of those conditions are good or bad – they just are. It just is the way it is – and it has nothing to do with my value as a woman, unless I say so. I get to decide my experience of these conditions – putting my precious energy into the things I can and am willing do something about, and accepting those things I either cannot or am unwilling to change.

Midlife is not the end, but rather an opportunity for a fresh start. A chance to reframe your life, redefine yourself, embrace your years of wisdom and experience, let go of the pieces that no longer serve you, and decide what you want to do next! It’s time to make a conscious decision to move forward without keeping an eye on the rearview mirror.

I noticed that when I accepted and embraced my maturity, I felt vital, more authentic and excited about the possibilities that lay ahead. When I resisted the process and focused on trying to recover the look of my youth, I felt tired and depressed (‘cause no matter how you try to erase them, the effects of time and gravity just keep showing up!). Instead of being the woman I was and living my life fully and authentically, I kept comparing myself to a standard that I’m not meant to live up to – and falling short. It was exhausting. Since I stopped trying to regain my youth, I actually feel more youthful. Go figure.

It seems that when we accept responsibility for our experience of the aging process, we gain the freedom to redefine it.

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Product Description:

Balanced somewhere between a memoir and a how-to, AMAZING GRAYS is a uniquely refreshing and candid look at midlife for those unwilling to become feeble old women with boobs in their laps, dreams on the shelf, and Memory Lane their only destination.As a leading edge boomer, Maggie uses her own journey through midlife to shatter stereotypes about aging. At the core of her message, she exposes the fears and anxieties that often haunt maturing women and reveals how to mindfully navigate the turbulence with wisdom, perspective and practice. She encourages women to relish their roles as Amazing Grays and not waste time and energy trying to hang on to the past.

For women who are entertaining the possibility of life without hair dye, Maggie shares her story of going gray. She outlines several strategies to take you from colored to natural and includes photos and stories of women who have taken the plunge.

Hers is not an anti-aging message. This book is a little about going gray and a lot about aging mindfully and joyously (with a healthy dose of kicking and screaming) from an everyday woman s perspective.

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A Bit about the Author:

I was born on the leading edge of the Baby Boom generation, and have had the quintessential boomer experience: I worked my way through college, married, had a child, divorced, thrived in a few careers, survived as a single mom, remarried and struggled with blended family issues. Perhaps you can relate.

After traveling the country for nearly a decade delivering leadership and life skills workshops for women, the demands of my travel schedule and the onset of menopause collided with the big 5-0. I was moved to press the pause button on my life and reassess my priorities.

Questions whispered in the background of my mind. Who am I becoming? What does this all mean? Will I still be loved, valued and respected? Is this the beginning of the end?

I watched in astonishment as my skin began to lose its elasticity, and was mildly horrified when my tummy morphed into a permanent flotation device. Smile lines etched in deeper and I found it necessary to color my hair more often. When I made the decision to stop dyeing my hair, the whispers became urgent, unavoidable.

And so began my not-so-graceful quest to age mindfully.

Gradually, I learned that my frustrations, fears and anxieties about aging grew quiet when I faced them directly. I learned to refocus my energies on the people, things and activities that brought a smile to my face and a song to my heart. By letting go of old identities and rediscovering new passions, I have gradually (but not always gracefully) hitched my rope to a growing movement of Amazing Grays.

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*bio compliments of Maggie Crane's website. click here to visit this great site.

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Tour stop provided by Pump Up Your Book Promotions