Sharkie Zartman

Have you ever been to a theme park that had a Halloween Haunt?  I always wanted to go but my husband had no desire to run around a big park with monsters chasing him.  My friends thought it was juvenile and my sisters thought I was juvenile for wanting to go.  So when my daughter, Teri asked me to take her when she was ten years old, I was thrilled! Her best friend and mom wanted to go too! I was so excited! I’ll never forget walking through the opening gate shaped like a huge, black, furry spider.  We veered to the right toward Snoopy Land, since it seemed like the safest place to start. ... Continue Reading

“You’re going to love it!”   “You will be so happy you had it done.”  You’ll do great!  Just make sure you do the rehab.” These were the main responses received when I announced that I was having a full knee replacement late December of 2018.  I was excited to get so much support from friends and colleagues, but the best advice by far was: “Make sure you do the rehab.” To be honest, I never wanted to have this or any surgery.  I don’t consider myself to be a good patient and even had one doctor tell me that a while back.  But, my quality of life was beginning to go downhill... Continue Reading

Being married for any length of time is truly an accomplishment these days. Recently,  someone asked me how long I have been married and when I said, “46 years this July,” her eyes got huge and she said, “To the same person? How is that possible?” At our wedding, people were taking bets on how long our marriage would last.  The average bet was between two months and two years because of our age difference and personalities.  Let’s just say, he is calm, wise and conservative and I am the exact opposite.  I also got really nervous during the vows… “For better or worse, richer or... Continue Reading

There we were, laughing and sharing stories at a new restaurant when suddenly, my daughter, Teri, got a weird look on her face and appeared to be crying. Nothing prepared me for what came next. “Mom, you are going to be a Grandma!” She said excitedly. She looked at me with big eyes, raised eyebrows, and a frozen smile to wait for my reaction. In shock, I took a few seconds to respond. “Oh my gosh! Really? When?” I muttered trying to control my facial expressions. “April! Aren’t you excited, Mom?” She shrieked. “But of course!” I smiled and gave... Continue Reading

A fun, upbeat interview with Jack Canfield and Sharkie Zartman on how to step up to the challenges of aging and take charge of your life at any age.    Continue Reading

Women have always felt the pressure to be beautiful which often equates to physical attributes such as having perfect proportions, a super thin body, beautiful hair, and flawless skin.  We see these images all the time in the media and at times can feel that something is wrong with us if we don’t match up. This pressure usually starts when young girls start to mature and turn their awareness to their changing bodies and also try to fit into society’s accepted views of beauty. But at no time is the pressure more pervasive and persuasive than when a woman starts to notice the signs of aging.... Continue Reading

I know what you’re thinking.  How can anyone practice positivity in this day in age?  What is there to be happy about with all the political turmoil, violence, covid concerns, and negativity that we are bombarded with every day?  I realize that we can’t disconnect and ignore what’s going on around us.  However, we can change our focus.  There are more positive things in our lives than we realize. “Look for the good and you will find it.” This quote from the ancient Greeks is the cornerstone for living a happy, fulfilled life. Unfortunately, most people find themselves focused on... Continue Reading

I hate to admit it, but I used to think that yoga was just for the super-calm flexible people who floated on clouds and hummed.  Being an athlete, a hard core coach, and a person with a double-A personality type, it was not something I wanted to try.  My only exposure was my husband’s old yoga book that featured an anorexic looking young man with a pointed shaggy beard wearing a loin cloth sitting with his legs crossed behind his head.  Whenever anyone asked me if I wanted to try yoga, I visualized that picture and said “No Way!  I have better things to do than contort my body into strange... Continue Reading

Okay, I get it.  We are a society that idolizes youth.  What could possibly be good about getting older?  The terms anti-aging, ageless and fountain of youth have led many to believe that aging is something to be feared and somehow avoided. But the truth is, when we put another candle on our birthday cake, there is a lot to be thankful for.  As we know, every living being ages and no one lives forever.  But the cool thing is that we can control HOW we age with our lifestyles and attitudes. Instead of viewing the second half of life as a negative period of decline and disability, we can shift... Continue Reading

What if I told you that I had a pill that could relieve stress and depression, help you lose weight, regenerate brain cells, prevent both heart disease and type two diabetes, boost confidence, give you more energy, reverse most of the symptoms of aging, help decrease the chances of getting seriously ill from infectious diseases, and it had no side effects. Would you take it? Most people would for sure until they hear the directions: “Take one pill with an eight-ounce glass of water fifteen minutes before exercising for at least a half hour every day.” As you have probably guessed, it’s not... Continue Reading