Category: Uncategorized

Do You Listen With Your Whole Face?

Today I’m talking about what I believe is quickly becoming a lost art: Listening. I think it’s also the biggest gift we can give someone else. When we aren’t truly listening, it means that the person who is trying share something with us is likely not feeling heard. Feeling heard, is one of the most universal human needs, and when that need is not met on a consistent basis, it just doesn’t lead to anything good!

Whether we’re 5 or 85 we want to feel that someone is listening to us. Do you always ‘listen’ with your head down in your phone? While watching TV? In this episode I share some stories that might just make you never want to do that again. It may also change the way you look at listening forever. I hope you’ll listen. (See what I did there?!)

Not be missed take-ways:

1. No matter what age we are, we all need to feel heard and that someone cares enough to take the time to listen to us.

2. You can ‘hear’ someone, and not be truly listening.

3. If you know you want to talk about something that requires more attention from someone, say so, and pick a mutually good time to make it possible!

4. Life goes fast. Take the time to realize life while we have the gift of living it.

5. Listen with your whole face. It could change your relationships. It could change your life, and the lives of those you say you love. It could save lives. It could even change the world!

And your mission, that I hope you’ll choose to accept…

1) If you feel that someone isn’t hearing you, isn’t taking the time to listen to you, tell them. Tell them how it makes you feel and offer a solution.

2) The next time you’re in the middle of something (and it’s not terribly crucial), if someone you love or care about is trying to tell you something, stop what you’re doing, look at them, and listen.

3) Listen with your whole face. You never know when it may be the last time you can.

Thank you so much for listening! And until the next time, live passionately, vulnerably, and keep loving later life!

Download The First 5 Steps to Loving Later Life

Subscribe/Follow where you get your podcasts: 

And please…Rate and Review…if you liked it! 😊 A positive rating and review will help other women find us so they can become a part of our community.

It’d be great if you would like Loving Later Life on Facebook and Instagram!

Also: If you have a story you’d like to share for the podcast or have questions or comments for Nancy email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com

Last but not least: If you’d like to know more about having Nancy as a private coach, click here!

If you’d like to advertise with us, email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com

Techniques and Insights for Better Sleep and More Mindful Days

Join me and my special guest Kathryn Nicolai. Kathryn is the creator of the enormously successful podcast Nothing Much Happens and the author of the book of the same name. Nothing Much Happens is consistently ranked in the top 1% of all podcasts in the world and has received over 65 million downloads.

As an architect of cozy, she leans on her years of experience as a yoga and meditation teacher to seamlessly blend storytelling with brain training methods that build better sleep habits over time. And imagine …wait till you hear about this… doing all of this not being able to picture a person’s face or see things in her mind. Kathryn lives in Michigan with her wife and two dogs.

Not be missed take-ways:

1. Stop waiting to feel ready. There’s no time to wait to feel ready.

2. If there’s something you’re passionate about, something you’re excited about stop wasting time and go do it.

3. When in doubt, do what you were going to do first, especially if you’re a second guesser or an over thinker.

4. People aged 60 + have the most difficulty sleeping.

5. There’s an old zen saying: you open the front door and you open the back door you let thoughts move through but you don’t sit them down and invite them to tea.

6. Sleep affects everything. It’s so foundational to our health. If we’re not sleeping everything is endangered.

7. If you’re a little older and you feel like you have a dream that you haven’t pursued yet, it’s not too late! But get started, start making it happen.

And your mission, that I hope you’ll choose to accept…

1) Listen to Nothing Much Happens and see what happens!

2) Try telling yourself before bed that you’re going to have a restful sleep throughout the night.

3) Create a bedtime routine so that your body and brain know that it is time to relax and prepare to have a great night’s sleep!

To find everything from Kathryn including her podcast, book and more go to: https://www.nothingmuchhappens.com/

Thank you so much for listening! And until the next time, live passionately, vulnerably, and keep loving later life!

Download The First 5 Steps to Loving Later Life

Subscribe/Follow where you get your podcasts: 

And please…Rate and Review…if you liked it! 😊 A positive rating and review will help other women find us so they can become a part of our community.

It’d be great if you would like Loving Later Life on Facebook and Instagram!

Also: If you have a story you’d like to share for the podcast or have questions or comments for Nancy email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com

Last but not least: If you’d like to know more about having Nancy as a private coach, click here!

If you’d like to advertise with us, email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com

I Have a Confession to Make

This is an unplanned episode. My efforts to be organized and plan somewhat ahead got thrown off course as I felt a little blindsided by some friendly feedback. So, I deviated from the plan, (heaven forbid) and this, My Confession, is now episode 6. It’s my reaction, my feelings, my introspection about how something many may consider morbid is my motivator; and a whole lot more. I hope you’ll join me.

Not be missed take-ways:

1) I am still figuring out (as a friend of mine said), just how much personal stuff, stripped down, naked and unashamed I wanna be.

2) I fucking swear. And I did warn you in the first episode!)

3) “I don’t want to go to my grave and my final thought is I was not brave.” (My thought and articulated best by Viola Davis.)

4) Start dating. Write that book. Take that trip. Start that podcast. Have sex. Try a sex toy. Move to another place. Put on the damn bathing suit. Ask someone out. If you’re married, and your spouse doesn’t want to travel with you, GO ANYWAY.

5) The #1 regret of the dying was I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying”

6) “A voice is a powerful thing. It can shine a light on something that is hiding in the dark. It can change the way people think, which can change the way people act, but it can’t do anything if you keep your mouth shut.” …The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

And your mission, that I hope you’ll choose to accept…

1. Tell your ego, and whichever monster is talking to you that you’ve got this.

2. Go do what has been pulling at you to do. At the very least, take the first step.

3. Tell us about it.

Thank you so much for listening! And until the next time, live passionately, vulnerably, and keep loving later life!

Download The First 5 Steps to Loving Later Life

Subscribe/Follow where you get your podcasts: 

And please…Rate and Review…if you liked it! 😊 A positive rating and review will help other women find us so they can become a part of our community.

It’d be great if you would like Loving Later Life on Facebook and Instagram!

Also: If you have a story you’d like to share for the podcast or have questions or comments for Nancy email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com

Last but not least: If you’d like to know more about having Nancy as a private coach, click here!

If you’d like to advertise with us, email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com

Ciji Ware: TV Emmy winner, Journalist, NYT Best-Selling Author at 80

I am honored and thrilled to share a conversation I had with Ciji Ware. Ciji is a Harvard graduate, New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist, Emmy award winning television producer, reporter for TV and radio, a DuPont award winner for investigative journalism, and sought-after event speaker.

In this episode, Ciji shares fascinating fun facts and stories you won’t believe. She grew up in Hollywood (and James Cagney was her godfather); as a married TV reporter for NBC, she was fired in 1971 because she got pregnant; just a few years ago she found out she had cancer with the help of a spider; and now at 80, she is writing her 16th novel. This book is the third in the series “American Spy Sisters” inspired by brave U.S. women secret agents who fought the Nazis in WWII.

Ciji has had many setbacks and challenges, and she persevered. Listen to this inspiring conversation and you will be reminded that you can make it through anything by accepting change, and staying both curious and grateful.

Not be missed take-ways:

1. Curiosity and gratitude are the two things that really, really, really save us from getting too down in the dumps.

2. Let go of the stuff that doesn’t matter.

3. Never say no until you know what they’re offering.

4. If you have something to do, do the hardest thing first and get it off your desk.

5. Find the joy! Why be miserable all the time?!

6. If you’re around long enough, you accept that change is the only thing we can count on and learn not to be so afraid of it.

7. We can choose how to think, and that’s the greatest give of all.

And your mission, that I hope you’ll choose to accept…

1) Look at your list of things you need/want to accomplish and pick the hardest one. Preferably one that will create change in your life, that makes you feel uncomfortable. Or if you are facing a challenging time, this also applies.

2) Write down all the positive things that doing this will create for you.

3) Write down your biggest fears of what may happen.

4) Accept that all are possible. Take a deep breath, and say, “I have got this.” 

5) Along the way, every day write down three things that you are grateful for in your life. When we focus on what’s good, it affects our thoughts, which affects our behavior, which affects our results. Remember: we get to choose our thoughts!

Thank you so much for listening! And until the next time, live passionately, vulnerably, and keep loving later life!

Download The First 5 Steps to Loving Later Life

Subscribe/Follow where you get your podcasts: 

And please…Rate and Review…if you liked it! 😊 A positive rating and review will help other women find us so they can become a part of our community.

It’d be great if you would like Loving Later Life on Facebook and Instagram!

Also: If you have a story you’d like to share for the podcast or have questions or comments for Nancy email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com

Last but not least: If you’d like to know more about having Nancy as a private coach, click here!

If you’d like to advertise with us, email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com

Let’s Tweak the Golden Rule!

Are you more patient with other people than you are with yourself? Do you talk to (or about) yourself the same way you would a dear friend? Have you noticed what you’ll do for others but not for yourself?

I’m not going to give any spoiler alerts about how I’ve decided to change the Golden Rule! However, I will say that the main topic in today’s episode is about how we treat ourselves and how we talk to ourselves compared to how we do so with others.

 Please join me in tweaking the Golden Rule in a way you may not have thought about before, and let’s do it before we do any further harm to ourselves!

Not be missed take-ways:

1. Stop and listen to what you say to yourself.

2. Be aware: are you constantly putting other’s needs, wants, and desires, before yours?

3. Taking care of others and putting them first is like painting with watercolors. It can get out of control and run away from you, and you end up with an image that was not at all what you had in mind.

4. Let’s tweak the Golden Rule: (you’ve got to tune in to find out how!)

5. If you continue to treat others better than you do yourself, resentments will build and dock in your harbor.

6. Let’s not perpetuate a behavior that models not valuing ourselves.

7. Taking care of yourself is not selfish.

8. Compromising is different than neglecting yourself.

9. The irony is: the biggest favor you can do for those you love and care about, is to treat yourself well, and put yourself first. Then you are nourished and fueled up so that you can have a full tank to be there for those you care about.

And your mission, that I hope you’ll choose to accept…

1) When you notice that you’ve said something unkind or disrespectful to yourself: Notice it, Name it, Reframe it. You can read specific examples on how to do this by downloading The First 5 Steps to Loving Later Life on the home page of nancylanggibbs.com.

2) The next time you find yourself about to take the burnt or broken piece of something; or you’re tempted to say ‘yes’ to something you’d rather not do… Stop. Ask yourself if this is what you really want.

3) Let us know how it went! Write me at nancy@lovinglaterlife.com so I can share with everyone. When we share our experiences, it helps us all!

4) Share this episode with someone you think needs to hear it!

Thank you so much for listening! And until the next time, live passionately, vulnerably, and keep loving later life!

Download The First 5 Steps to Loving Later Life

Subscribe/Follow where you get your podcasts: 

And please…Rate and Review…if you liked it! 😊 A positive rating and review will help other women find us so they can become a part of our community.

It’d be great if you would like Loving Later Life on Facebook and Instagram!

Also: If you have a story you’d like to share for the podcast or have questions or comments for Nancy email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com

Last but not least: If you’d like to know more about having Nancy as a private coach, click here!

If you’d like to advertise with us, email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com

Important Tips from a Financial Advisor

I am so honored to have Cathy Brown as a guest on Loving Later Life. Cathy is a financial advisor and President of CB Wealth Management Group, which is a family-owned business in Palm Desert, CA. Cathy has her degree in Economics from the University of Notre Dame, has worked at Merrill Lynch, American Express, and Smith Barney until she realized her goal of creating her own independent financial planning company. She was also the financial analyst for the local CBS affiliate for 7 years, has received the Elite Advisor designation from her broker-dealer IFG for the last 7 years, and has enjoyed giving back to her community for the last 30 years. Cathy is also the proud mother of two sons and extra proud grandmother of two grandchildren. Last but not least, she is my financial planner, and I don’t know what I’d do without her!

Cathy has guided me over the years to create a nest egg for myself that I wasn’t able to start building until later in life because of my life’s circumstances. In this episode we cover many important topics including: how to choose a financial advisor and what to be leery of; what the most important things are for us to know and be prepared for; what to do given the stock market today; what if you don’t have a retirement portfolio—is it too late? What are some safe ways to invest our money right now? What are the most important things we should all have in place…and lots more! (P.S. this is for informational purposes only.)

Not be missed take-ways:

1. You need to know your budget. Understand your options, know what risk means to you, match your goals (short and long term) with the investing opportunities for those goals, diversify, and stick to your plan.

2. Don’t ever write a check made out to your financial planner or their DBA.

3. What, in her opinion, you should and shouldn’t do in general, and in this market.

4. The scoop about Long Term Care Insurance.

5. How to know when you can stop working.

6. Get your estate plans in order. Living Trust, Health Care Directive, make sure your beneficiaries are up to date, and plan for the unexpected.

7. The fastest growing segment of the working population are people over the age of 65.

8. How she handled re-entering the dating world after the death of her husband.

9. Life is too short to be around people who are cranky!

10. Don’t be afraid to take some risks, don’t take things too seriously, laugh as often as you can, and give back whenever you can.

11. Don’t be afraid to ask about things you don’t know.

AND MORE!

And your mission, that I hope you’ll choose to accept…

1) If you don’t have a financial planner/advisor, find one you can trust so you can be prepared.

2) Figure out your budget if you haven’t yet. (Know your number!) Many of us don’t want to look under the hood to see how much we spend each month because it can be a scary reality. However, if we don’t know, we can’t prepare for anything.

3) Make an appointment with an advisor to get your plans in order. It can be scary to talk or think about, AND we need to do it. Let’s do it together and keep one another accountable! Let me know when you do and what it was like for you! Write me at nancy@lovinglaterlife.com and I’ll read your experience on the podcast…anonymously of course!

If you have any questions for Cathy, you can email her at cbrown@ifgrr.com, check out her website at https://www.cbwealthmanagement.com/, find her on Facebook @cbwealthmanagement.

Thank you so much for listening! And until the next time, live passionately, vulnerably, and keep loving later life!

Download The First 5 Steps to Loving Later Life

Subscribe/Follow where you get your podcasts: 

And please rate and review…if you liked it! 🙂 A positive rating and review will help other women find us so they can become a part of our community.

It’d be great if you would like Loving Later Life on Facebook and follow on Instagram!

Also: If you have a story you’d like to share for the podcast or have questions or comments for Nancy, email, nancy@lovinglaterlife.com.

Last but not least: If you’d like to know more about having Nancy as a private coach, click here!

If you’d like to advertise with us, email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com.

How to Give Up Perfectionism

Do you feel that everything needs to be ‘perfect’ before you start something, do something, or even think about it doing something? Perfectionism. How often do you allow this ‘ism’ to keep you from enjoying your day-to-day life by making perfect the enemy of progress?

To be honest, it almost kept me from doing this podcast. The perfection monster likes to take up space in our heads telling us things like: if you can’t do it perfectly don’t do it at all, don’t even think of trying something new because you won’t do it perfectly right away, just wait until the ‘perfect time’ when you feel ready, or don’t date or buy new clothes until you get to the perfect weight. If we allow it, this monster can rob us of doing what will bring us joy, fulfillment, fun, and from living whole-heartedly. I hope you’ll come with me to kick this ‘ism’s’ butt!

Not be missed take-ways:

1. Perfectionism is a thief and will keep you from being seen and from living a fulfilling life.

2. Stop caring about what other people think! As Brene Brown said, “You can’t ever do anything brave if you’re wearing the straight jacket of what will people think.”

3. We are all worthy and enough and deserve to live life whole-heartedly.

4. Don’t wait to do something you’ve been wanting to do. There is no perfect time, except now!

5. Love yourself, as is! Our belief in ourselves, just as we are, will be like water was to the wicked witch of the west and the Perfection monster will lose its power.

And your mission, that I hope you’ll choose to accept…

1) Think of 3 things that the Perfection Monster in your brain is keeping you from doing and write them down.

2) Pick one from that list.

3) Write down the worst-case scenario if you were to do it. And if it isn’t dangerous to you or anyone you know…

4) Come up with 3 baby steps that feel comfortable to start doing to get you closer to it.

5) Start with the first baby step—and let us know what happens!!!

Thank you so much for listening! And until the next time, live passionately, vulnerably, and keep loving later life!

Download The First 5 Steps to Loving Later Life

Subscribe/Follow where you get your podcasts: 

And please…Rate and Review…if you liked it! 😊 A positive rating and review will help other women find us so they can become a part of our community.

It’d be great if you would like Loving Later Life on Facebook and Instagram!

Also: If you have a story you’d like to share for the podcast or have questions or comments for Nancy email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com

Last but not least: If you’d like to know more about having Nancy as a private coach, click here!

If you’d like to advertise with us, email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com

Finding My Voice Again; My Story

Welcome to the first official episode of Loving Later Life! Please join me, Nancy Lang Gibbs, Later Life Coach and published writer, as I share Who I am (I tried to keep it from sounding like a combo of my resume and dating profile), What this podcast is all about, Why the heck I’m doing it, When you can tune in on a regular basis, Where you can find it, and How the idea for this podcast was born.

You’ll hear how I’m finding my voice again. I share an overview of my journey including how, after the implosion of an abusive relationship I landed in a seat at Disneyland for a life changing ride, which led to traveling thousands of miles to begin a new life adventure only to be cut short by Covid. I also flashback to some other twists and turns along my path including my divorce, and then losing my home and moving in with my mom in my 50’s. I’m now 62 and it’s not too late for any of us to live our best Later Life! I hope you’ll come with me on this journey!

Not be missed take-ways:

1. Loving Later Life is a safe, fun space for women 50, 60 and older to feel heard, understood, valued, and connected. A place to ask questions, get answers, and be inspired.

2. I’ll be sharing personal stories that will relate to the topic of each episode. I’ll also be talking with experts on topics we all want answers to, and with wonderful women telling their compelling stories.

3. Each episode will have the main story/content, then a recap of the not-to-be missed take-aways, followed by some action steps to take regarding the topic that day…I call it, “your mission should you choose to accept it.”

4. There will be some 4 letter words, bad puns and direct and honest thoughts and opinions!

5. I knew I wasn’t the only woman at this stage of life experiencing some challenges and changes like feeling stuck, ruminating about regrets, worrying that the best of life is in the rear-view mirror, staying healthy, financial concerns, re-imagining life, re-building personal connections, traveling alone, navigating dating, helping aging parents, grown kids telling us what to do!

6. A new episode of Loving Later Life will drop every Monday.

7. Brene Brown defines vulnerability as “uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure.” That is what starting this podcast is for me. I hope you’ll join and support me in growing a community of and for women in later life!

And your mission, that I hope you’ll choose to accept…

Moving forward, this is where  I’ll give some action steps to try regarding the topic that week. This week my action steps are to please do any and all of the below to help me get the word out about Loving Later Life!

Thank you so much for listening! And until the next time, live passionately, vulnerably, and keep loving later life!

Download The First 5 Steps to Loving Later Life

Subscribe/Follow where you get your podcasts: 

And please rate and review…if you liked it! 🙂 A positive rating and review will help other women find us so they can become a part of our community.

It’d be great if you would like Loving Later Life on Facebook and follow on Instagram!

Also: If you have a story you’d like to share for the podcast or have questions or comments for Nancy, email, nancy@lovinglaterlife.com.

Last but not least: If you’d like to know more about having Nancy as a private coach, click here!

If you’d like to advertise with us, email nancy@lovinglaterlife.com.