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It was a beautiful summer day on the beach. The beachfront teemed with kids building sand castles, bikini-clad teens, parasailers, and even a few dolphins. But what stood out to me the most were two middle-aged women who ran with all their might into the Atlantic, splashing and laughing as though they were 14 again. They were probably in their forties, but they didn’t look it. They were moving too fast, laughing too hard, and looking too silly to be women in midlife.
Or were they? Who says midlife has to be predictable, inactive, or boring? Your forties and beyond are a time to celebrate being comfortable in your own skin (even if it’s more wrinkly than it used to be). It’s time to step out into new adventures, embrace change, treasure your family, look and feel better than ever.
Women over the age of 40 are 78 million strong in the United States,1 but some are harder than others to spot. Celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, and Halle Berry aren’t the only ones looking ten years younger. Ordinary women are doing it too.
Well, you may think, those women have good genes. And personal trainers. And lots of money. Although that may be true, there are several things any woman can do to look and feel younger without spending any money. In the next 31 days, how would you like to:
• Be thinner and more attractive
• Wake up with excitement for life
• Have more energy to do what you want
• Update your wardrobe without looking as if you’re trying too hard
• Improve your relationship with your spouse, children, family, and friends
• Master daily habits that improve the quantity and quality of your days
All of this is possible if you’ll make the commitment to take an honest look in the mirror, both at your body and soul, and allow God to touch your life from the inside out.
If God cares only about the inner life, you may wonder why bother with makeup, haircuts, or weight-loss programs? In fact, why can’t you stay in pajamas all day if you want? One answer is found in a core value my husband read to me, “Excellence as the minimum standard.” As a beloved child of God, you don’t want to go through life with the opposite motto, “Doing the minimum is good enough.”
So why not dedicate your heart to God as the minimum, but then strive for excellence in other areas of your life as well? Give God everything, which includes your heart, mind, and body. I’ve met some people who believe if you care about your appearance, you’re vain and misdirected since God looks at the inside, not the outside, of a person. That could be true if you care too much about your appearance, but otherwise it can easily serve as a cop-out for laziness. Outward beauty and godliness aren’t mutually exclusive qualities. Think both/and, not either/or. It’s possible for you to be attractive and holy at the same time. No question that the higher priority should be placed on your inner life, but there’s virtue in taking care of your physical being as well. Your family will certainly appreciate your efforts to look your best—especially your husband if you’re married.
My friend Jane became a card-carrying member of Medicare this year, although she looks a decade younger. She’s a classy lady with a quick step and ready smile. Whenever I see her, she’s impeccably dressed and her makeup is perfect. When I asked about her motivation for putting her best foot forward, Jane said, “I am a royal princess in God’s kingdom. He has given me this temple (my body), and I must treat it well. If He really is my king and I am His daughter, I should look a certain way. An ambassador should bring honor to the one he or she represents.”2
Beauty does come from the inside out—but people see your outsides first. When you do all you can to look your best, you honor your King and Creator, and that’s why all the other parts really do matter.
When I was in my late twenties, I was single without a prospect in sight. I longed to be married and regularly asked God to send along Mr. Wonderful. My prayers were answered in an unusual place: smack dab in the middle of a nursing home. While in graduate school, I enjoyed participating in an outreach to the local nursing home on Friday nights. We would sing in the activity center, share a Bible story, and then visit individuals in their rooms. One Friday, a young man named James shared the Bible story. The seniors may not have been hanging on his every word, but I certainly was.
I’m happy to say James and I are married today. We laugh that we started in a nursing home, and we may end up there one day too. But between those two experiences, there’s a whole lot of living to do. We have three children under the age of six, so my kids are three major motivations for me to look and feel younger. I want to be able to hike together through the Grand Canyon when they’re young adults, or dance at their weddings someday. That’s why I’ve interviewed women in their fifties, sixties—and even a 100-year-old who still drives and lives on her own—to find out their secrets for longevity. In the coming chapters, you’ll get great advice from former Women of Faith speaker Thelma Wells, organizing pro Marcia Ramsland, bestselling author Pam Farrel, life coach Danna Demetre, and many more extraordinary women.
I’d like you to take a moment right now to consider your motivation for looking and feeling younger. Do you have it? Whether you want to turn your husband’s head, gain more confidence, live with less pain, try for that promotion at work, or look fantastic for your upcoming high-school reunion, this book can help you get there.
I must warn you that sleeping with this book under your pillow will do nothing for your crow’s-feet, and reading a chapter about exercise won’t make you lose an inch of belly fat. The transformation begins to happen when you do something about what you’re reading. This book is divided into three sections because these facets of your life are important components to looking and feeling younger:
Days 1–9: Your Personal Rx for the Heart
Days 10–16: Your Personal Rx for the Mind
Days 17–31: Your Personal Rx for the Body
Beauty is about much more than Botox and diets, but it’s not confined to the invisible places of the heart either. This book has been written with the busy woman in mind so you’ll be able to finish each daily reading and reflection in five to ten minutes. You may choose to read it in 31 consecutive days, or you may want to take a break on the weekends, and finish the book in six weeks. This is your personal guide, so do whatever works for you.
The only thing I ask is that you don’t skip the personal prescription (Rx) for change at the end of each chapter.
The R stands for Rejuvenation. Rejuvenation means to make young again, to restore to youthful vigor and appearance. In this daily feature, we’ll consider what would rejuvenate you in a particular area of life.
The X stands for eXpression. This section is about how you’re going to take the information in each chapter and use it in your life. Completing each daily action step is one of the most important components to your success.
My father is a family physician, so whenever I got sick growing up, I could always count on him to write me a prescription for what I needed. Of course that little piece of paper didn’t do anything for my cold. I had to take the medicine. In the same way, just reading the action steps at the end of each chapter won’t cure any of what ails you. To look and feel younger, do yourself a favor. Read this book with a pencil or pen in hand, and be ready for action. Don’t despise small beginnings; it’s the small, incremental changes that last.
One of my favorite motivational speakers, Zig Ziglar, says that many people are poor learners because they focus on acquiring more knowledge instead of applying what they already know.3 Did you catch that? There’s a life-changing difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it.
The ball is in your court. Be an optimist for the next 31 days and take action on what you read. If you do, you will look and feel younger, guaranteed. Some results will be immediate, others will take a few months, and still others may be fully enjoyed only in eternity.
• Short-term change = You get a new flattering haircut, outfit, or pair of hip glasses.
• Long-term change = You lose 20 pounds through healthier eating and exercise.
• Eternal change = You find new joy in the Lord and learn to let go of a critical spirit.
So are you ready for your 31-day journey? It’s time to turn back the clock and move forward as a younger, happier you.