Quite a few years ago, I was honored to teach a weekly Pilates mat class to a group of vibrant senior citizens who also happened to be close friends, and there were two couples in the group as well. They were quite a lot of fun to be around, and had many wonderful insights regarding life and many insights and pearls of Wisdom.

One afternoon, as they were walking into class and picking their spot on the mat, one of the women casually mentioned that it just happened to be her boyfriend’s birthday, which elicited a low groan from said boyfriend. I gave him a beaming smile and wished him a happy birthday. He responded with another groan, loader this time.

I asked him what was wrong. He rolled his eyes and replied, “Birthdays that come with a zero on them are exceptionally tough. I laughed, because I really did think it was funny.

When I turned 50, my life completely changed, all for the better. As a matter of fact, my 50s were so great that when I turned 60, I ran towards 60 with arms wide open, yelling, “Bring it on, baby!”

Fast forward to present day. I just celebrated another birthday this month. Which means that (gulp), a big birthday is looming ahead of me. In three years, I’ll have another birthday, and this is another one that comes with a zero attached to it. Now I understand what my client meant, and it’s not quite as funny as it was all those years ago.

But, I decided to do something about it. I’m not quite at the point where I’m ready to run towards 70 with my arms wide open, but I’m not going to turn a blind eye to it, either. I’m taking matters into my own hands and creating a 3 year plan so I can be the best version of myself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

I’m not exactly what that looks like right now, but I will certainly share it with you when I do. Because I don’t want to wake up one September morning saying, “Holy crap, I’m 70. How did that happen?” Instead, I want to go running towards it with unbridled enthusiasm, shouting “Bring it on, baby!” Don’t you think that’s a much better choice?

Originally Published on https://www.cherylilov.com/blog/

Chery lIlov PT, GCFP

Cheryl Ilov is an author, speaker, dancer, martial artist, and physical therapist. She is also a former chronic pain patient who began a journey of self-discovery and self-healing after her medical team informed her that she would never recover. They were wrong.

Cheryl fired her medical team and found her own path to health and healing, as well as a journey of life-long learning. Her areas of expertise include the art of healing through movement, personal empowerment, and fitness over fifty. She is also the host of The FemiNinja Project podcast, which focuses on overcoming obstacles, personal empowerment, restoring human dignity, and alternative health and healing.