The Dr. Laura Podcast

When Fighting Life Lessens With Age

7 min
Feb 6, 20264 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Dr. Laura reflects on aging at 78 and how accepting physical changes with age brings peace and reduces the constant fighting that characterizes younger years. She discusses how vanity diminishes with age and how prioritizing meaningful relationships, work, and health over appearance leads to greater life satisfaction.

Insights
  • Acceptance of aging reduces psychological stress and increases overall life satisfaction compared to fighting inevitable physical changes
  • Younger people expend significant energy fighting life circumstances, while older adults who accept reality experience greater peace and contentment
  • Appearance-based validation becomes less important when other life domains (relationships, work, health, purpose) are fulfilling
  • Gender differences in aging perception affect how men and women experience aging, with men's aging often perceived as more attractive
  • Shifting priorities from external validation to internal fulfillment is a natural psychological progression with age
Trends
Wellness and mental health focus on acceptance-based approaches rather than resistance-based self-improvementGrowing cultural conversation about redefining beauty standards and aging in place rather than fighting ageShift in consumer priorities from appearance-focused products to health, relationships, and purpose-driven activitiesGenerational differences in attitudes toward cosmetic procedures and anti-aging interventionsIncreased media representation and discussion of authentic aging experiences across age demographics
Topics
Aging and acceptanceVanity and self-image in older ageGender differences in aging perceptionLife satisfaction and contentmentPsychological impact of fighting versus accepting life circumstancesCosmetic procedures and anti-aging interventionsRelationships and social connection in older agePurpose and productivity in later lifeBeauty standards and agingMental health and peace of mind
Companies
Golden Crest Metals
Precious metals investment company offering gold and silver portfolio additions for retirement planning.
Quotes
"you're 78 this is what happens if you make it to 78 if you croaked at 30 this would not have happened but you would have missed 58 years so not a good plan"
Dr. Laura
"you're not when you're younger you're fighting life you're fighting not getting the things done you want done you're fighting not getting what you think you deserve in life"
Dr. Laura
"the one really good things about getting older is that you stop fighting it you start accepting it and that makes you more peaceful"
Dr. Laura
"nobody's gonna like you or me more or less based on our skin condition"
Dr. Laura
"as long as I have my work my friends my family Lily bug my health ways to be productive and I'm kind of a maniac for taking up new challenges all the time"
Dr. Laura
Full Transcript
Thank you for listening to my morning monologue brought to you by Golden Crest Metals helping everyday investors protect what they've worked so hard to build by adding gold and silver to retirement portfolios. Learn more at goldencrestmetals.com slash protect. Remember you can hear my radio program daily on Sirius XM Triumph and connect with me 24-7 at dr.ora.com. I decided this morning I had so many video things they forced me to do yesterday that I left that undone so this morning I said let's do them and so I rushed upstairs went to put some makeup on because it's video got close to the mirror and went good gracious me when did all that aging to my face happen I don't get that close to the mirror I don't think I'm going to anymore either I think three feet is a good distance it's a little hard to put on eye makeup at three feet from the mirror but and I had a little conversation with myself and I thought I'd share it with you because we did a deep dive about aging especially for women because men as they get sort of gritty and stuff they we see them as sexier yeah I mean you look at a number of even movie stars when they were young they were really pretty but when they got older they got more manly looking so that was nice but anyway so I'm having a little conversation with myself and I'm going you know you're 78 this is what happens if you make it to 78 if you croaked at 30 this would not have happened but you would have missed 58 years so not a good plan and I said to myself are you upset I was having a conversation like with Laura and Dr. Laura I was going back and forth from Laura to Dr. Laura are you upset and I said actually not anymore just no there too many important things going on in my life too many things I'm looking forward to and doing and this is how I look I don't care I am vanity has gone a lot of brush my teeth so not totally not vain but vanity is just gone so I clean myself up I get my hair done you know my friend for 30 years now keeps my hair short and cute sometimes I let go too long and it gets scraggly and dragging I like to wear nice pretty clothes but I'm going more toward comfortable than stylish realize I'm just morphing because I'm good with life now you're not when you're younger you're fighting life you're fighting not getting the things done you want done you're fighting not getting what you think you deserve in life you you fight it you fight the aging you fight the aches and pains you fight it we spend most of our young lives fighting life so the one really I mean there are a number the one really the one of many really good things about getting older is that you stop fighting it you start accepting it and that makes you more peaceful so I put on I didn't do the whole eyeliner stuff I put on a ton of mascara because my eyelashes are blonde looks like I don't have any my eyebrows are blonde looks like I don't have any so mascara and a little stuff on the eyebrows and then cheeks and lipstick and the rest of it I don't care I really don't care anymore and I didn't realize that till this morning it was like a whole revelation I came down to and the only thing I said do I look okay yeah good fine let's go you know I've let us between my teeth and now it's morning I wouldn't so I'd like to share that with a lot especially if you women who are still fighting you know nobody's gonna like you or me more or less based on our skin condition I mean if you only listen to radio and you don't look at anything else you don't know what I look like you make your judgment on listening you know your friends they don't care if you have really good friends even the ones who are still fighting I have friends who are still fighting getting the filler and this and that and the other thing and Botox from head to toe you know and yeah they look good they look better than they would if they didn't have it I don't care as long as I have my work my friends my family Lily bug my health ways to be productive and I'm kind of a maniac for taking up new challenges all the time and I'd rather do that than worry about my skin on my face and I will stand three feet away from now on when I do makeup then I won't be upset that's that's my backup to stand back from the mirror I've I look good now damn I look good especially before my eye drops my number 1-800-375-2872 check out my social media on Facebook and Instagram I post stories photos and videos seven days a week and feature some of what you sent me to there's always something interesting going on there you can find me at Facebook.com slash Dr. Laura and Instagram.com slash Dr. Laura program