Healthy, Wealthy & Wow!

In all cultures people who help people are looked up to. I think most people want their work to help people.  Many people I know say they’re only working for the money –  but even if they’re not working at their dream job, I tend to think most people try to find something in their job that makes them feel as though they’re helping people.  People who are working at a job that’s helping them fulfill their life’s goal are especially blessed in that area. My wonderful hairdresser helps me present myself well and he should earn money for that. My hairdresser also has a radio show, “The Colin Lively Show”, and I’ve been delighted to guest star on it.  Someone who teaches you to better present a song, as David Friedman does so well, is helping his students and he deserves to earn money for doing that. I also highly recommend David’s “Thought Exchange” to deal with the body sensations that occur when you want to do perfectly acceptable things that scare you for one reason or another. The book is on Amazon.com. Through my book and workshops I help people have fun songs to sing and/or use at thei events and to present themselves and feel great and remain ever youthful and fit and forward thinking. Bill Quain mentored me in terms of publishing and, especially, marketing the book I wrote. He is a born helper.  I’m also very proud of my son, David Slone. I learned that the performers in his Variety shows get paid for having performed even one number. He paid me when I did a number in Le Squeezebox Review!  The performers deserve to get paid and David deserves to earn money for having produced the show.  That’s the way it used to be and I think this is one “used to be” in night clubs and I think this is one “used to be” that would do well to be reinstated.

Even if you’re an actor who is temporarily working as a waiter, you’re helping the people you serve and the owners of the place in which you work.  You are a contribution.

Think about the ways in which YOU help people. I bet you’ll come up with dozens! Guess what? You can be willing to give your all and know you’re allowed to get paid for what you contribute to people.

FREE IMAGE TIP

I find that a great thing to think of when dressing during the winter months is “layers”. They can be thin layers. Friends complain they’re freezing and I’m happy because I have many layers warming my torso.  If your style is even slightly dramatic a silk turtleneck will work beautifully. I recommend tees and knee socks made by a company called Wintersilks, because they come in great colors and they take up no space under clothing. I can put lightweight cashmere sweater over that and under a suit or sport jacket. These three layers, worn under a winter coat, should provide the warmth you need. I’ll speak of accessories in my next blog.

• If you’d like to be certain of your style, so you know whether a VNeck sweater or round neck sweater suits you better, a shorter suit jacket or a longer one is best for you, rough or smooth fabrics suit your style, etc. I will be giving “video-conference” workshops in style in the next couple of months. It will be on my website as soon as the first is scheduled.

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This year’s Nutcracker Rated R has only three performances left. The dates are next Thursday, 12/29/11 at 8:00PM and 11:PM and on Friday 12/30/11 at 8:00PM.   I was wondering how it would work in a “club” space. In past years it played in a “theater”.  I got my answer this past Thursday. It not only worked it outdid the well-reviewed performances of the past years. The room was packed!  If you are in NYC don’t miss it. It maybe sold out. Call (212) 505-3474. The Box Office opens at 5PM. I recommend Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street) in general. The service was great and guests felt welcomed.  It’s in the space that once held The Village Gate, famous for great shows for 38 years. I’m blessed to have known the owner, Art D’Lugoff.

Words and phrases we use are still flying into my head and I realize I don’t understand many I’ve been using for years. I dare say that very few people, if any, do understand these phrases they use. Why do people often say, “To be honest” before a remark? Do they often plan to not be honest?  In the past week, More than a few friends and acquaintances have started a sentence with, “To be honest”, I never thought much about this or that until this year.

I caught myself saying it, just the other day. I was asked about the types of gifts I would like to receive this holiday season.  I said, “To be honest I”… Wait a minute! I don’t usually lie  – or do I?  Do I try to sound like I think other people would want me to sound?  I might be doing that. It makes people feel like “insiders”. I bet people who say that to me want me to feel as thought I’m a close enough friend to know their “real” feelings.

We needn’t begin our answers by mentioning our honesty in the question at hand; especially if we intend to be honest. I finally got that it’s perfectly fine to ask for what we want for Christmas and Chanukah and Cuanza, etc.

This year I’ll simply ask for peace of mind and health and the ability to support myself through the work I love doing that helps people. I won’t put  “to be honest, I’d like” in front of it. I may feel “goody goody” saying that, but why should I? It’s a great thing to be able to do work you love that also helps others. I’m going to drop my thoughts about being a goody goody and ask for what I need. You can ask too!  I’m honest  I’m quite sure you’re honest too!

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When you visit NYC or a city that houses clothing design establishments try to get on the companies’ lists so that you can get notices of their sample sales.  This year, there are many holiday sample sales. You can often get jackets and trousers for less that a tenth of the retail price!  There are Sample Sales  for men as well as for women.

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It’s that time of year again!!!!!!! It feels like a week ago Nutcracker Rated R closed its 5^th season with F. Murray Abraham providing the opening number!  This year, it’s 6^th season, the show opens on December 22^nd at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC. (Le Poisson Rouge is in the space that for many years was The Village Gate.) The form will be slightly changed and the length will be shortened to fit the new exciting space. 158 Bleecker Street  -  (212) 505-3474.  To learn more about the show and read reviews from past seasons click on: http://www.nutcrackerratedr.com

I’m beginning to think I was really a philosophy major like my sister and my son were. My mind seems to be connecting into the universe these days.  I start looking for a topic to write a funny song about and whoosh there comes another philosophy lesson!

I’ve been working on helping people shift their thoughts about aging. To do this, as you know, I had to look at our culture’s thoughts about aging.    To me aging simply means getting more experience. The underlying “truth”, that I’ve come to realize, is that when we truly use our experiences to learn the benefits we’ve gotten from both the “fun” moments and the “dreary” moments this planet has offered us –  and when we unlearn the many falsehoods we’ve been taught through our years on Earth –  the “fact” may appear to be that we’re “changing” as a result these enlightening experiences. I see the “truth” being that we’re really learning to return to being the pure creation we were born as and truly are.

• Our body keeps the style it was born with. People will say the fact is that our body changes and becomes old.  I now see that the truth is our body may become a worn down version of the one we were born into this life with – like a worn out Cadillac Convertible or a worn out truck.” It also how worn down it becomes can depend on choices we make – and isn’t a worn down Caddy still a Caddy?
• As you may know in my book “Find Your mini-Qs(?): Reveal the Slim, Strong, Sexy Star You Truly Are! at Age 50, 60, 70, and Beyond” I guide you to design day-by-day choices that will keep your body (you can think of it as your vehicle to travel Earth with) in as good shape as possible for you.

So – the facts will support the view that if you’re older you’re supposedly less able to go out there and create a new career, be hired for a job, by healthy, etc. etc.  because people usually go along with what they’ve been taught.

• However, the truth is that there are people of all different ages who reinvent themselves. Therefore, you can too, when you’re older if you still have your mental facilities (and today you can even choose to take steps to better maintain your mind). A 70 year old can write and publish his/her first book. Hey, I did and other positive people over 60 years of age, that I’m thrilled to have been meeting of late, have either developed new careers, become helpful to a company that recently hired them as an employee or found their true love!

Free Image Tip

 It’s finally getting chilly in New York City and ‘tis the season for snows to begin in certain places. I’ve found it to be true that when your head is kept covered and warm, your whole body is warmer. I find that, in this kind of weather, I can do without the winter coat – if I cover my head.  I can wear lightweight wool or knit cape and a man can wear a sport jacket or my raincoat with a sweater that’s over a thin silk turtleneck, under it. There are soft fabric hats (that you can slip into a bag if it’s not that cold when you leave home) for both women and men. For women, I love fabric berets that are on the larger side. Berets are not everyone’s style. But there should be a soft hat that is in your style. The same goes for men.

Free Entertainment Tip 

Seasonal holiday entertainments are sprouting up all over the country. Now that Halloween has passed we head to Thanksgiving. If you’re in New York City on Thanksgiving and you’ve never experienced The Macy’s Day Parade – it’s worth getting to.  AND…the night before the parade, if you can, get to the site where the balloons are blown up. It’s quite an event! It begins around 4pm on Thanksgiving Eve in the area between 77th & 81st Streets and Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.  My mom, the late Selma Horowitz discovered and loved this event in her late 80s!  It’s great for all young at heart adults and kids.

It’s hard to avoid listening to the news. I usually feel like I’m getting someone’s negative opinion of what’s happening rather than simply seeing what’s happening. That said, it’s very hard not to hear about protests these days if you live in New York City.

While walking home from an appointment today I couldn’t get the word “Protest” out of my head and, lo and behold, I had one of those Aha Moments!

• It dawned on me that we use the word protest to mean “standup against” or “fight” something. However, the word is made up of
  •  “pro”, which means “in favor of” and
  • “ test”, which means to “take action see if something works or doesn’t”.

This implies that the word means to be in favor of examining whether or not things are working (testing them) – and that could imply coming up with solutions that would work – if the method or action being tested shows negative test results. This would mean that it doesn’t do the job that’s needed to serve everyone.  Wouldn’t this be a much better way to look at things?

When people work together to find the best solutions that will serve as many people as possible (hopefully all people), instead of the unhappy group “fighting” the group that put in the system that’s being used – we’ll have more time to enjoy things!  If two groups of people want two different things (for reasons other than power or ego – there’s the rub) I’m PRO (in favor of) TESTING different solutions to find the one that best gets both groups what they need.

I understand that human history makes it difficult to accomplish this – However, while it isn’t “easy” it is simple. Again – it’s about unlearning. We need to unlearn what people throughout history – well meaning as some may have been – have wrongly taught us.   Oscar Hammerstein said it in South Pacific’s, “You’ve Got To Be Taught”.

Free Image Tip

 It’s finally getting chillier in New York City and ‘tis the season for show to begin in certain places. I’ve found it to be true that if your head is dept covered and warm, your whole body is warmer. I find that, in this kind of weather, I can do without the winter coat – if I cover my head.  I can wear a lightweight wool or knit cape and a man can wear a sport jacket and with a sweater under it. There are soft fabric hats (that you can slip into a bag if it’s not that cold when you leave home) for both women and men. For women, I love fabric berets that are on the larger side. Berets are not everyone’s style. But there should be a soft hat that is in your style. The same goes for men.

Free Entertainment Tip

 Seasonal holiday entertainments are sprouting up all over the country. Now that Halloween has passed we head to Thanksgiving. If you’re in New York City on Thanksgiving and you’ve never experienced The Macy’s Day Parade – it’s worth getting to.  AND…the night before the parade, if you can, get to the site where the balloons are blown up. It’s quite an event! It begins around 4pm on Thanksgiving Eve in the area between 77th & 81st Streets and Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.  My mom, the late Selma Horowitz discovered and loved this event in her late 80s!  It’s great for all young at heart adults and kids.

The August 1^st Switch was great for me. I loved contemplating the phrases I heard about ages. Oddly enough – or should I say, “As usually happens” I didn’t get what I’d expected.

I’ve listed  the rest of the one-liners I’d originally planned to send you one at a time at the bottom of this post in place of the fashion and entertainment tip. Those return with my next post.

I’m sure you quickly figured out that I was pointing out that all ages have their joys and challenges, but of late it’s older people that get the gaff about their age.

I’ve spoken about some of the things that have bugged me in this area and I will take a stand (or a computer) to stop them. I refer to hardly being able to find a kind birthday card for someone over 50 and trillions of articles talking about having to look younger. Looking well and gorgeous is great by me, but why younger? I still like the looks of all ages, however I find I’m now more attracted to the looks of male contemporaries than the younger fellows.

What did I get from contemplating the phrases re age?  I was truly listening to more live conversations – on the bus, at meetings, etc. – than reading writings about what people were saying about a group to each other, I made it a point to listen for this.

• I totally got that be it deriding the age group, or applauding it – the phrases mean absolutely nothing!
  • For one thing, you can’t talk about people as a group – unless they chose to join the group.  Each person is a person. Within the “group” everyone isn’t alike. Plus, each person’s perception of what they’re seeing in the group they’re referring to is different.

What did I get about the phrases re age that were totally unexpected?

• I heard much more kvetching about Infants and Toddlers than I heard about any other group!!!! Can you believe that?
  • I could write a whole post about the joy that Infants & Toddlers in my building bring to me. Those screaming and crying sounds people were objecting to are what I call “delicious attempts at communication!.

Here’s the list of the rest of the One-Liners

• How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to praise and applaud “The 20 Somethings”, affected your thoughts?

• How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to disparage and/or make fun of  “Teenagers”, affected your thoughts?

• How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to praise and applaud “Teenagers” affected your thoughts?

• How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to disparage and/or make fun of  “Pre-Teens”, affected your thoughts?

• How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to praise and applaud “Pre-Teens” affected your thoughts?

• How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to disparage and/or make fun of  “Toddlers”, affected your thoughts?

• How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to disparage and/or make fun of  “Toddlers”, affected your thoughts?

• How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to disparage and/or make fun of  “Infants”, affected your thoughts?

• How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to disparage and/or make fun of  “Toddlers”, affected your thoughts?

Your Line for the week of September 4th

• How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to disparage and/or make fun of attributes of “ The 20 Somethings” affected your thoughts?

How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to disparage or make fun of “Middle Age”, affected your thoughts?

How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to revere or praise the ages of “50 plus”, affected your thoughts?

How have phrases you’ve heard or read, that were being used to disparage or make fun of the ages “50 PLUS”, affected your thoughts about those ages?

Beginning with my next post, I’m going to switch the way I present my blog.
I’ll send out a one-line – once a week post.  
(A Slim, Sexy Spotlight – for seniors of all ages.)

Here I am in my 70s now (wow!) and with August coming up all I can think of is the August 1^st Switch that was such a big deal at Camp Reena in the 1950s, when I was a pre-teen & teenager. The August 1^st Switch was about camp dating partners switching their dating partner! It happened like clockwork every summer on August 1^st!

I went to Camp Reena in Palmer Massachusetts from 1948-1957. I loved it, at least after my first summer. I couldn’t make head or tail of what to do that first summer. I guess I did know what to do because I, somehow, won The “Best Midgie Camper” cup. “Midgie” was the name of the youngest group. REENA was a sister camp to CAMP MOHICAN, the boys camp which was situated across beautiful Lake Aladdin. This is where I learned to write songs, as a very small girl. Well – I lie! I was never a “small girl” and that’s why August 1^st Switch always hurt me so.

People say being a senior is so hard. Every age has its blessings and it’s hardships. I wouldn’t trade being in my 70s for being miserable about not getting a boyfriend in my teens during my pre-teen years.  I’m re-writing a book I began 20 years ago called, “You’re Lookin’ At a Winner!” for pre-teen boys and girls. I was the lead in the joint camp musicals and won a couple of additional cups in my years there –  BUT, I had a hard time getting a boyfriend – no less switching one for another!  That became an important element in my life. I believe we need to teach young girls and boys that they are each a work of art and beautiful. If they walk into the room “believing they are beautiful” people will “get” them as being beautiful.

Did you have trouble getting a dating partner when you were a kid? If you’re not married now, do you get that scary feeling you got as a youngster when it comes to meeting a possible love?  Guess what? So do most people. I’ve actually asked them! The best way to handle it is to talk to your little scary feelings! You might say,  “This s all make believe anyway and the way I feel has nothing to do with today’s reality. Having you just means I’m in the right place. Give yourself a big hug and cuddle and welcome those scary feelings!  Hug the feelings as though you were their mommy or daddy and say “Sweet little scary feelings – I know you come to me from years ago. I know you’re telling me I’m heading for what I really want – so I’m going to keep you around and we can be best friends. The person who’s looking for me might well have scary feelings too.  I’ve found that the scary feelings  (or body sensations as David Friedman calls them) can apply to many areas of life. Some people are afraid to get into their optimally sexy shape. They’re unconsciously (or consciously) afraid it will mean now they can’t blame being fat or skinny for not having love in their life. Some people are frightened to make that “business decision” they know is right and some people, with great talent, are afraid to appear on stage.

This August let’s all make an August 1st Switch in our lives. Let’s only think great thoughts about ourselves – even if the scary feelings come up  or we’re thinking: “Yeah right – I’m a star! Ha ha!”   Guess what? You are star!

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Click on: http://www.bobbiehorowitz.com/?page_id=17

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I’ve been getting several emails touting presentations for upcoming fall openings. Granted New York may have a larger theater industry than most towns – however many states are now offering viewings of plays that hope to open in the fall. Some of them offer great prices. I’m on lists in the theater community, so I get several; but I bet if you “google” theater presentations in your area. They may even want to fill the seats or to get audience feedback and you can get excellent deals.