No More Little Old Ladies!: 15 Essential & Specific Proven Anti-Aging Strategies for Gutsy Women in Their 40s and 50s

I am technically a little younger than the target age for this book, but sine I'm a health-conscious person who is starting to think about "getting old," I felt that this would be a good book to read. I also work with "old people" as an in-home assistant, and so have seen some of the cultural and self-limiting behaviors and ideas that Barbara Morris talks about in her book. And that is one of Morris's main points: thinking about being/getting old makes you old. As she says, "aging in inevitable; being old is a choice." A lot of time is spent on showing how cultural attitudes and individual mental patterns limit us and push us into becoming the little old ladies mentioned in the title. According to the book, 70 percent of the aging process is controllable through wise lifestyle choices. 70%! That's the good news if you're willing to learn from people like Morris and commit to making "wise" lifestyle choices. I always figured it was a much lower percentage under my control and so could absolve myself with a, "Well, there's nothing I can do about it," attitude. She is very specific on how to go about motivating yourself - think of yourself as having an 'inner pit bull' - and encourages readers to keep their spark alive by thinking and acting like younger (but not immature) people. For example, telling yourself that you're "too old" to start a new career is thinking like an old person. A young person would just go for it if it was the right thing to do. Instead of thinking, "I'll be dead in X years so why should I have goals and dreams for the future?" Morris suggests that you "live each day as if you believe you will live forever." Morris advocates having an "ageless" attitude, and while it is not all about looks and outward appearances, these factors do come into play and she discusses things like cosmetic surgery in a non-judgmental way. However, she insists that diet, exercise and taking care of yourself from the inside out are essential. The free workbook that you can access on the web with the link in the book is a good resource as well, and it gets you thinking about the future in a constructive way. So if you're looking to improve your chances of living well for longer, or know someone who needs help getting out of the "Woe is me! I'm getting old!" mindset, I would definitely recommend "No More Little Old Ladies!"