I know, I know. Sun-kissed California beauty. Gorgeous body as seen multiple times on the cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Supermodel.
What could Christie Brinkley have to say to mere mortals like me and possibly you?
Challenged and Still Thriving
It turns out Brinkley’s life hasn’t been all sunshine and roses.
Divorced 4 times. Highly public divorces, including one from a scandalously philandering husband. A helicopter crash. Major back surgery.
In spite of all this Brinkley, at 56, is glowing and optimistic, according to Christie Brinkley’s Secrets to Inner and Outer Beauty, an article in February 2011’s Prevention magazine.
Rules for Living Well
Brinkley works at staying healthy and happy. Here, with a few comments from me, are 7 of her “Healthy Rules to Live By.”
1) Smile.
“The mere act of putting your lips in that position tells your body to release chemicals that instantly make you feel better,” says Brinkley.
She’s so right about this and scientists have proven it over and over. You’ll feel better and the people you share your smile with will too.
2) Have friends.
Cultivate a circle of friends to talk with, to help you through the rough times, to laugh with, and to have fun with.
3) Move.
Brinkley says moving is good for more than keeping her in shape. It also lessens the aches and pains that come with growing older. She mixes it up with yoga, Pilates, and sports so she doesn’t get bored.
4) Never diet.
Brinkley cautions against extreme measures here — the kind of extreme measures most of us are all too familiar with in this arena.
Replacing “diet” with “healthy choices” gives you the gift of feeling good. Brinkley likes to make a “series of small decisions throughout the day that balance pleasure and moderation.” That sounds like a great approach to me!
5) Be in the moment.
Our lives are constantly changing and we’re better off if we learn to flow with the changes, rather than try to stop them.
Brinkley says, “Being in the moment is the most effective method she has found to deal with overwhelming shifts in her life.”
6) Be grateful.
Count your blessings all day every day. The perspective and good feelings you’ll get from this will help you deal with whatever tough stuff comes your way. Plus it feels good!
7) Help others.
When you’re stressed or sad, help someone else. Switching to something meaningful gives you a broader perspective and your pain, sadness, anxiety, and fear fade away.
Nothing New But Are We Doing This??!!
There’s nothing in Brinkley’s 7 Healthy Rules to Live By that I haven’t heard before. I’m guessing that’s true for you too.
We know these rules will help us stay sane, healthy, and happy at any age.
But how well are we living them?
Small changes can make a big difference.
What if you choose one thing from this list to do more of? Just one little change you’re willing to experiment with and then notice what happens. If you like the results keep doing it. If not, try something else.
I’m going to play with smiling more. Upping my smile quotient always feels good to me.
What about you? Let us know what you’ll experiment with and how it goes.
Photo courtesy of Rubenstein on Flickr.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Some great ideas here. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by everything we think needs to be done so do nothing. Making one small change; taking one small step is all it takes to get going; but which one to make? Decisions; decisions! Some people feel so paralyzed by having so many choices, but it doesn’t matter which one you pick; just pick one and run with it!
I completely agree w/ you, Ruth! We get overwhelmed and then do nothing. One small step is all it takes to get started. It doesn’t matter which you pick just pick something and do it! That philosophy would make a good blog post, wouldn’t it? Perhaps you’ll write on this or I will or we both will.