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Forbes
4 minutes ago
- Forbes
An Another Way To Downsize After Retirement
It is amazing how much we can accumulate. I don't have just a junk drawer, but I should clean out all my drawers and closets. Stuff seems to multiply. Maybe we are collectors or maybe we inherited possessions passed down to us. Regardless, once we have lived in a house for decades things can pile up—even if we keep stuff in tubs. After people retire, they often think about downsizing—moving to a smaller place. But another way to view downsizing is to edit or curate. This is an intentional practice of deciding what to keep and what to let go of. In other words, a cleaning of our internal inventory, which can include curating our relationships, practices and habits, activities and involvement, and beliefs. This process can be as challenging as letting go of physical items because our internal inventory is embedded into our lives. For instance, while decreasing our possessions is important, most of us don't think about downsizing our relationships—the time we spend with people. Curating Relationships I tend to be a 'best friend forever' (BFF). Over the years, I have accumulated lots of friends and acquaintances. But it has been hard for me to learn that not everyone is a BFF or has the same definition or expectation of what it means to be a friend. Someone said to me a few years ago, 'Think of relationships as a tapestry. Some threads are meant to last and deserve to be mended if broken. Other threads break and it is time to let them go. Together the threads weave a tapestry of your life.' As we get older, we usually have more people in our lives who need time and attention such as grandchildren. Since we only have 24 hours in a day, it is challenging to maintain all our relationships. We need to prioritize. On the other hand, it is important to maintain your real friendships because it is harder to make friends as adults. Retirement is a great time to take stock of your relationships and focus on the ones that matter most. Recently, one of my friends had a detached retina in one eye. Healing was a longer process than she imagined. When I asked her how she was doing, she said, 'My eyesight is fine now, but my clarity is perfect. I am clear about how I want to spend my time and with whom.' Another friend has had several serious health issues during the past year. She told me, 'I had a lot of time to think and process life. I discovered who my real friends are and who makes me feel better in their presence.'[EP1] The political and polarizing environment in which we are living and working has caused rifts among families and friends. 'According to the American Psychological Association, 30% of adults limit time with family members because they don't share the same values, and 77% describe the future of the nation as a major source of anxiety.' One of the great gifts of getting older is discernment. We can decide our level of engagement and with whom we associate. In my coaching practice, I advocate how important it is to make intentional choices and decisions—particularly about how you spend your time and with whom. Choose to surround yourself with positive people of all ages. Since retirement is often consists of unstructured time, it can be a time of boredom or isolation. I have known people who buy second homes on the beach or near the mountains and every night can feel like a vacation and a cocktail party. Cocktail napkins about drinking tell the story such as 'Friends are just therapists you can drink with.' It can be easy to fall into bad habits with good friends as their behaviors are reinforced within the friend group. It might be time to downsize some of these unhealthy relationships. Sahil Bloom, author of 'The Five Types of Wealth,' is a thought leader in the field of personal development. In one of his recent newsletters, he uses the Biblical Parable of the Sower to emphasize the impact of relationships. Bloom says it is critical to 'plant yourself in the fertile soil necessary to grow. Make no mistake. Relationships are critically important as we get older. And making friends as an adult isn't easy. We want to nurture and sustain the relationships that lift us up. But we may need to discern our friend and family groups to make sure the relationships are healthy for us at this stage in life. While relationships matter, Bloom says to choose wisely. 'Your environment creates your reality.'


Vogue
34 minutes ago
- Vogue
5 Best Brow Lamination Kits for Fluffier Brows
The best brow lamination kits are my secret to bold, lifted brows—no salon appointment required. Every time someone says, 'You've got beautiful brows,' I give myself a silent pat on the back. In reality—my natural brows grow straight down—thick, stubborn, and fondly nicknamed my little mustaches. I've worked hard to recover from spot alopecia (thank you, brow serums), but no amount of brushing with a spoolie keeps them up for long. What I really needed was a lash lift, but for eyebrows instead—but lets circle back for a moment on what laminated brows even are—and no, it's not your in-office supplies laminator for plastic coated pages. Brow lamination is a process of restructuring the brow hairs to keep them in a desired shape (and appear slightly fuller),' Natalie Piper, international trainer at the Eyelash Design Company, previously told Vogue, of the brow lifting treatment. 'It's the perfect treatment for anyone whose eyebrow hairs are irregular in direction, who has any gaps in between said hairs, or who wants that groomed, brushed-up look.' The result? Feathered, Cara Delevigne-ish brows. Vogue's Favorite At-Home Brow Lamination Kits In This Story As someone who's shelled out $150+ for salon laminations more times than I care to admit, I adore the results of 'I woke up like this' combed up brows—but my wallet and calendar are considerably less enthusiastic. Enter the at-home solution: brow lamination kits that lift, fluff, and shape with nearly salon-level results, all from the comfort of your couch. While there aren't one-size-fits-all directions for brow lamination kits, per se, generally the steps tend to be pretty similar across products—cleanse the brows, apply the treatment, wait, wipe off, repeat. The key is in paying attention to each product's recommended processing time to keep your hairs lifted sans over-processed crunch. Think of it as 'similar to a keratin treatment for your brows,' esthetician Liz McKay, previously told Vogue. As with other semi-permanent hair treatments, experts generally recommend getting them done by a professional, however, if you have a penchant for DIY (and the common sense to follow an instructional manual while playing with chemicals), then look no further that our top five favorite eyebrow lamination kits. In an effort to make your 'add to cart' experience easier, we scrolled through countless options to round up the top rated picks.


News24
an hour ago
- News24
Trump wants 250% tariffs on medicine - but will start ‘small'
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