Latest / Aging ain't for Sissies / Fifty‑Four Tiny Ways To Reset Your Year

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Fifty‑Four Tiny Ways To Reset Your Year · Aging ain't for Sissies

• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, and welcome to Aging Ape for Sissies.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Marcy Backis, and I am your host.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Well, hello, my gorgeous people.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Aging Ape for Sissies, the podcast where we refuse to act our age, except for when it comes to bedtime.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: We may stay young at heart, but let me tell you, if I'm not horizontal by 9 p.m., I turn into a Disney villain, no lie.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: And especially right now, dang, dang, dang.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Dark, dark, dark.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Especially here downtown in the city of Chicago.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of people don't realize it, but because of the high buildings, we don't get a lot of sun down on the ground.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: There may be sun, and right now it's sunny out.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: There may be sun up in the air, but literally on the ground, it is dark most of the day.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: So I definitely, you know, seven o'clock, I'm like, oh, jammy's on in bed.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but uh it's been an interesting week here in Chicago.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: We've had a ton of snow.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: My son Alec flew in for a few days, had a great time, missed Kyle.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Kyle was in California doing a Kyle Thanksgiving.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: So um we just had Alec and really had a good few days.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: It was quick, it was fast, and we got a ton of snow while he was here.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: It was sure beautiful.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's still beautiful.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's on all the roofs.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's been so cold that it hasn't melted much.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: So it's still around.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: We're supposed to get some more snow Sunday, some snow next week.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: So starting out to be a very snowy December, first time since we moved here three years ago.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: This is our fourth winter here, and uh, I haven't had this much snow in the beginning.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: I will be cutting out of here in January.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: I am leaving for six weeks.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna leave uh January 11th, I think.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm gonna come back somewhere around February 23rd.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: During that time, I'm gonna celebrate my 65th birthday in Las Vegas with my sister and some friends.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna do uh Wizard of Oz in the sphere.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Then I'm gonna hang out for a couple of weeks in California and then go on a cruise with Lynn for a week down to Mexico, where we plan to not get off the ship and just do spa treatments and walk and talk and eat and have a good time.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'll get home from that and take off and head for a week in Arizona and then do my trick home.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's about a five-day drive.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: I'm driving.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: I love driving.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: I know everybody thinks I'm crazy.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: I've planned my trip.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: I am uh heading off for um from Chicago to St.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: Louis, St.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: Louis to Tulsa, Tulsa to Amarillo, Amarillo to Gallup, and Gallup to Las Gallup, New Mexico, and then into Vegas, where my friend Annette has a condo that we'll be staying in.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: So exciting, fun trip.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I'm driving.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: I enjoy driving.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and it gets me a few extra days away from Craig.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: So need a little space right now.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm looking forward to just all kinds of stuff and having fun and turning 65 and living my best life.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Today, today, what are we going to talk about today?
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: 54 Little Ways to Jumpstart 2026.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm going to tell you, we are going to have this exact same segment on Inside Marcy's Mind.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: So if you listen to both, sorry.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: Rarely do I do the same thing, but I think this is a fun thing to have on both.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so don't bother listening to Inside Marcy's Mind if you're listening to this one and vice versa.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think we've got some good information.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: The key word here is little.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um, little changes.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: We're not talking about running marathons and reinventing your life and all of that.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: These are just little things we can do to jumpstart that 2026.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: The lazy and brilliant, fabulous way.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: So hang in there, we'll get started on that.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: All right, what can we do?
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: What can we do to jumpstart 2026?
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: I found this information in Real Simple Magazine.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: So if you get it, you'll have the information.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: But I will tell you, one of the ways to brighten your year is to watch an old favorite movie.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: What's yours?
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'll tell you, my go-to favorite movie is Steel Magnolias.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: It always will be.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: It is just, I know what I'm getting.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'm getting a great movie with great actresses, all about women relationships.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: And there's not much more I can ask for in a movie.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: As a matter of fact, this afternoon I'm gonna go see Wicked for Good.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Haven't seen that one yet, so I'm gonna go see that.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: But I I love a woman movie.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: I love a movie about women relationships, and I think far and wide, Steel Magnolias is still the best.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Nothing heals the soul faster than revisiting a movie you've seen many times.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: You can quote it verbatim.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Come sit right next to me.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's just uh so many things.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I'm sorry, I didn't even tell that quote right.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit right next to me.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: And that was the great Olivia Dukakis.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, didn't do it much justice, but I can quote Um It's like emotional mac and cheese, right?
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: Seeing a movie that just fills your heart with goodness.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: So, what do you think about that for a way to start?
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: So at our age, what rewatching a movie is great because half the time we've forgotten the plot anyway, which is true.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: You ever re-watch something and thinking, oh my gosh, I didn't remember any of this?
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I have, and it's crazy.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Congratulations.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: You've just created your own cinematic multiverse.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, I'm gonna tell you, rewatch that movie.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: Make a shower playlist.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now, yes, a specific playlist for shower concerts.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Because if Beyonce can have an arena tour, you can have a tile and steam stadio experience.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Here's a pro tip: don't choose songs that require choreography.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: We don't need anyone doing hair flip moves and throwing out their neck.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely for sure.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm gonna tell you when I um I have a um one of those Amazon, I don't want to say her name.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: You know her.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: It starts with an A in my bathroom.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I just tell it to put on 70s music when I get in there, and it plays all the feel-good songs that uh I don't know about you, but songs help me reminisce.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: They bring back times, they bring back experiences, they bring back places, and they bring back people.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: I think music is magic that way.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: So start yourself your own shower playlist.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: Try a recipe you've been saving.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: How many cutouts do you have?
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: How many saved Instagram recipes do you have?
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: How many things do you save thinking one day, one day, one day?
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna tell you, this is risky behavior.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Every time I save a recipe, it requires 42 steps, six bowls, three hours in a grocery haul, but costs the same as a weekend in Cancun.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: So when I'm telling you to try a new recipe, try something simple, something easy, something that sparks joy.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: Don't remodel your kitchen.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: Don't buy all new pots and pans.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Create a new recipe.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: You know what?
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: Make your own homemade salad dressing.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: I will tell you, nothing changes a salad more than making your own dressing.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: My mom always made all her dressings.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: My favorite place to grab a salad here in my neighborhood is paisano's.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: And the reason is the salad is fabulous.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's a chopped chicken salad with all kinds of goodies in it.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: But they make all their dressings in-house.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: And my favorite combo is take a little Italian, a little blue cheese, mix it up, and chef's kiss.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: So try a recipe.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: Make your own salad dressings.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: Do something easy.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Don't remodel your kitchen.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Find something that sparks some joy in you.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: All right, the next thing we can do to spark some joy in 2026.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: Kindness that actually makes you feel better.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: Kindness that actually makes you feel better.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: You know, being kind makes you feel better.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: If you're grouchy and you're out in the world, it doesn't help anyone.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you can find that little part in you, even on a bad day, that can smile and make somebody's day better, do it.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: My friend Shane is great at that.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: He showers people with compliments.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: He he just is a ray of sunshine that way.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I I've tried to take his lead.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'll walk down the street, and if I like something somebody's wearing, I'll tell them.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: And you should see how it lights up their face.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: Do something simple that way.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Another thing you can do is write a thank you note, not a text, not a thumbs up emoji, but a real note on paper with handwriting.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Remember how to do that?
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's that thing we used before Siri started taking dictation with an attitude, and that is a factoroo.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: When you send someone a thank you note, it not only brightens their day, it makes you feel like a classy lady from a bygone era, like Eleanor Roosevelt, but with arthritis.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: That's a fact and a half.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um I talked about it a little bit earlier, but give someone a compliment.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Tell them something.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: Tell them their hair looks great, their sweater is a whole mood, your energy today is giving main character.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's important.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Hold the door for someone.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: You know, find those tiny bits of kindness, and it's not only gonna change their day, it's gonna change yours.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: Trust me on this.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Living in a big city, I ride an elevator four or five times a day.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: Hold the door for someone, it makes them feel good.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: Somebody's hands are full, push the button for them.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: These are things I do in my daily life that make a difference.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: They make a difference to me, but they also make a difference to the person that I help.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Tiny kindness, big heart shift.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: Good karma.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: Banked.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: Not that we're trying to bank karma, but you know, it never ever hurts to bank a little karma.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: Nature and animals, free therapy.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so for me, the greatest thing of living in a high rise is getting in the elevator and seeing a dog.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: I love to talk to the dogs, I love to talk to the owners, but I'm always very respectful.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: I got in the other day and there was an Irish setter, some Irishy looking dog.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, I could tell the owner was training.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I looked straight ahead and I just said, I can see that you're training.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: I said, even though it's crushing my soul, I will not talk to your dog, but I just want you to know I want to.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: And he appreciated that.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: Because when you move into a high rise and you've got to take your animals up and down an elevator, they have to have some decorum and it takes some training.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: So I always, as much as I want to talk to that dog on dog and pet it, I am very respectful of that.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: So petting dogs is great.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure petting dogs is instant serotonin.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: And the dog is thrilled.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: They're like, oh, human's touching me.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: They're telling me I'm pretty.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: The tag is wailing, waggling.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't have a dog, find a dog.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: Walking down the street.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: If you're afraid of dogs, sorry, I don't have anything for you.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: I guarantee if you go to Starbucks, you'll find one sitting outside.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: Not in Chicago, but in California, you will.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: Plants.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: House plants.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: That house light that you've been plant that you've been gaslighting for a year saying you're fine, take a look at it.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's not.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: Repot something.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: Look at your plants around your house, make them happy.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: Get a new pot.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: Go to home goods.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: Y'all know we love to go to home goods.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: Go to home goods.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: Pick out a new pot for your sad little plant in your house.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: I happen to be really good at plants.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: And my friend Joan sent me an orchid.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: Four orchids to be exact.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: Huge orchids in this beautiful oh, she sends me the most gorgeous orchids.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: I can't tell you.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: This one is the most stunning.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: Just stunning.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: And it makes me so happy.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: She made me happy.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: She sparked a little joy in me.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: So save your plant, fix them, read what's wrong with them, do something, help your plant.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: That'll bring you some joy.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: How about some little joys for no reason?
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: Just because.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: Do something spontaneous and fun.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: But spontaneous at our age may mean something different.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: Not planned 48 hours event, not requiring orthopaedic shoes, not involving a surprise bill, but something spontaneous.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: Last night I went to the Art Institute with my friend Mary, and we sat in on a lecture.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I thought we were just going and coming home.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: And she goes, let's go down to Remington's and get some dinner.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, I wasn't expecting dinner, and it was just fabulous.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: We walked in freezing cold weather, I might say 10 degrees, but it wasn't windy, so it wasn't bad.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's dry, it's a dry cold.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my God, I can't believe I'm saying that.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: We hustled our bustle down Michigan Avenue and stepped into a beautiful restaurant, had a lovely meal and a good conversation.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: Again, not expected.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: It was fabulous.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: So what are some things you can do spontaneously?
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: Eat dessert first.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: Or eat dessert and don't eat the meal at all.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: Call a friend just to laugh.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: Taking a different route to the grocery store or to the bank, or if you're still working to work.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: Take a different route.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: You might see something new.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: Dance in the kitchen like no one is watching because they aren't.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: They're all on TikTok.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: That's a fact.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: You know, this one's an interesting one, but I, you know, I gift myself a lot.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: But if you're not into gifting yourself, I am.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um give yourself something small just because.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: Pick out a beautiful candle.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: Get a fancy soap.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: If you're walking down the street and you pass a Ghillelli's, I did this the other day.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: I went in and had a hot fudge Sunday.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: Middle of the day, middle of the week, for no flipping reason at all.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: Our Ghia Deli here on Michigan Avenue is overlooking the river.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: I sat on a stool, ate my hot fudge Sunday, and looked out at the beautiful river.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: All the river cruise tours are, their boats are decorated for Christmas.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: It was so fun.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: Do something unexpectedly nice for yourself.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: Lastly, reconnect with something you used to love.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you painted.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you baked.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you did yoga until your knees filed a formal complaint.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever it is, go back to doing something that made you feel like you.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: We spend so much time involving, evolving, that sometimes we forget who we were before email mortgages and whatever decade the rise of genes tried to ruin.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: Think about it.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: Go back to your younger self.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: Did you play the guitar?
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: Did you sing?
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: Did you play the cello?
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: Did you play the violin?
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: What did you do?
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: Go back.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: Find that.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: And you know doing it's gonna bring back that joy that you had when you were young.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: Make life easier with tiny systems.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: So here's just some ideas.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: You know, there's nothing I love more than an organizational hack, a time saver, something like that.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: So here I'm gonna give you a few little things.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: Create more playlists.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: We talked about creating the shower playlist.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: Create a happy playlist, all your favorite songs that spark joy, a chill playlist, a playlist that brings you down in a good way, not in a bad way, but takes that mood from high up here and your energy going to relaxed and chill and ready to just slide into the night.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: Create yourself a couple of playlists.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: Write yourself a note.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: Future, you will appreciate it.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: Especially if you reach the stage in life where you walk into a room and immediately forget why you're there.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: A note can save lives.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: Notes are great.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: Put them around the house if there's something you're forgetting, or just a note to tell yourself you're great.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: Revisit something you've shelved.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: Is there a book that you're halfway through that you never finished?
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: Go back to it.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: A cookbook.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have have you bought some cookbooks and you've never cooked anything out of it?
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: Go back to what we talked about earlier.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: Pick something in that cookbook and cook it.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: A project, half done project.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have any of those?
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: Go back and finish it.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: A hobby that you used to do, start it up again.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: The book you pretended to read for book club, read it.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: Just a reminder: little sparks relight big parts of us.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: All the things I've talked about today are small tiny sparks.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: But these sparks can ignite flames.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: I can remember years ago, gosh, probably 15 years ago now, Debbie, Mary, and I took a cookie, uh a cake decorating class.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: Mary and I were fine.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: We managed to get through the class.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: We made a couple of decent-looking cakes.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: We learned how to make a rosette and a shell border.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: But in our friend Debbie, it sparked a new hobby.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: And damn, is Debbie artistic and Debbie good at it.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: Debbie made beautiful cakes for our birthdays.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: Debbie made beautiful cookies.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: I used to do a cookie, Christmas cookie exchange at my home.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_00: She made beautiful cookies.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: Who knew that that little class over at Joanne's Fabrics was gonna spark the artist artistry that came out of Debbie.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_00: She started making jewelry, she started knitting.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_00: There wasn't anything craftsy or artsy that Debbie touched that she wasn't fabulous at.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: And she didn't know it up until then.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: I think we were just turning 50.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: So you never know what's hiding inside of you until you try something new.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_00: So let those little sparks relight big parts of us.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: Do something great for 2026.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to leave you with that, and I'm going to come back in just a minute with a final thought.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: The holidays are coming.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_00: The year is coming to an end.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_00: This is one of those times where you start contemplating, thinking about things, looking forward, looking back.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to tell you not to be hard on yourself.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: Be kind.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: Don't be so judgmental about your last year.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: And don't put so much pressure on the year to come.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_00: I've had one intense medical year.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: I've survived cancer, cancer surgery, chemotherapy, radiation.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: I tripped and fell on my head in the street.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: Ended up with 14 stitches.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: I blew out the veins in my throat.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's been one hell of a year.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: But through it all, I stayed positive.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: I stayed focused.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: I put one foot in front of the other.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: Where I found joy, I had joy.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: My friends were there with me.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_00: I did some traveling once I got well.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_00: You can get through any year.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_00: No matter what life throws at you.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: I've got one more scan a week from today.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to scan my thyroid and my liver because I have something on it.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_00: Could be nothing, could be something.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going for nothing.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I'm going to find.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_00: Nothing.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to move into 2026 and do my best, like I do every year.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: I expect you to do the same.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_00: All we can do is our best.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: We can be the best version of ourselves that we try.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: Don't put expectations on yourself.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: Don't be hard on yourself.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: If you're starting to feel hard on yourself, listen to one of my podcasts.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: No reason to be hard on yourselves.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: We're in that third act of life, most of us, and we have a finite time left.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_00: Make that time count.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: Hug your kids, hug your grandkids, love your family, travel, be with the people you love.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_00: Don't waste time on things that don't matter.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: And certainly don't be hard on yourself.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: You matter, you're important, and thanks for listening.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: Go out and do something positive.