The below advertisement in the form of a newsletter really got me thinking about my middle age life. 

Things have got to change and I have to be responsible to make those changes.

Sometimes it takes really getting mad at myself to spur those changes, like deciding to get serious about losing weight.  Right now, I really don't care enough to do what it takes to get rid of about 50 pounds of extra me.

My "inner child" as my fat doctor calls it, is saying "I want that chocolate.  I deserve that chocolate and besides people ::hands on hips:: my dad just died!"    

Other times it's that 50-year old body of mine that finally does a little something to sorta get my attention.  At first I will just contribute "it" to stress, depression or menopause and I just pretend that if I ignore it long enough, it will all go away soon. 

It doesn't.

It revolts. 

I take notice. 

This time it's female problems.  And....they could be very serious female problems.  Biopsy results are pending.  A hysterectomy may be the least of my problems, depending on those results. 

So, yesterday....for the first time in about 5 years, I got a mammogram.  Now, I could make a million excuses on why I haven't gone in all that time.  But the truth is, I had the referrals in my hand, had appointments I "couldn't make" and just flat (pun intended) out didn't wanna go! 

I am considered "high risk" since I lost a sister to a very rare form of breast cancer.  I've also had two rather large lumps removed from one breast in the past 20 years.  You'd think I'd make those mammograms a priority.  Nah. 

But, now that I know that I am all that Ab has anymore......I am going to start making all of this stuff a priority.  Plus, I wanna live a mid-life like the one's described below.

But, please, will someone give me a swift kick in the rear to get me started?

September, 2004

What's the Secret to Making Midlife the Best Time of Life? Look around you. Today, millions of midlife women are looking, feeling and living better than ever before.

After spending much of their lives taking care of other people, they are finally free to focus on themselves, and are discovering that midlife can be a time rich in self-discovery, joy and transformation.  (color change and emphasis is mine!)

Chicken Soup to Inspire a Woman's Soul shares the true experiences of midlife women who are having the time of their lives--women who are feeling more confidence, freedom and greater self-acceptance. Their shining examples offer inspiration for others who are revitalizing their lives and dreams, and will help women greet these years as the celebrated rite of passage they're meant to be.

These stories convey the pleasures of enduring and unexpected friendships, the familiarity and fire of romantic relationships, the changing dynamics of family connections, and the endless possibilities that new adventures bring.   (bring them on!)

Chicken Soup to Inspire a Woman's Soul will help you honor where you have been, appreciate what you've accomplished and realize that the best is yet to come. It's the perfect gift to give yourself or another woman you love.

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen are the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthors of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. They have dedicated their lives to the personal and professional development of others. Stephanie Marston is the coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul Life Lessons and the author of If Not Now, When: Reclaiming Ourselves at Midlife. She is a speaker and the president of Life Quality Seminars, a company that supports women in balancing life's competing priorities.