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Trendy Boomers and How to Improve by Tom Matt

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Trendy Boomers and How to Improve by Tom Matt

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”Tom Matt’s “Boomers Rock” Radio Talk Show’ is heard every Monday at 6:00pm EST on the Variety channel right here on VoiceAmerica. Please like our Facebook fan page, ‘Boomers Rock’, or follow us on Twitter, ‘Boomers_Rock’ and post any questions comments reactions and suggestions to help us deliver the best content to all ‘MiddleLiving’ adults. You can email Tom- tom@boomersrock.us as well as join the family and collective at Boomers Rocks.

I have this thought on a series of articles about the thought and actions of “Looking Forward or Back”.

I talk about this on the talk show, and in my book, “Maximize Your Quality of Life”, so I thought what a great idea, a series of quick hitters.

So many of our quality of life issues revolve around a myriad of topics, so in building on how to look forward with positive energy let’s talk about different issues, today I want to cover some issues that can help our eating plans and taking back our future, here you go.

Think about these for a second:

Do you think people over-eat junk food because they didn’t get the letter about sugar?

Or we continue to eat foods that pack on the belly fat not because we don’t know how bad those foods are, but because we can’t resist them – and that’s by design.

Nobody smokes cigarettes because they didn’t get the note about lung cancer.

You see, there are powerful forces that are seemingly outside of our control that conspire to not just make us fat, but also to make us sick, tired and even depressed.

I call these forces “Life’s Small Troublemakers” and they inflict havoc on our ability to control our cravings, combat urges and avoid temptation and result in stretched waistlines, failed diets and drained energy.

But there is a series of simple steps you can take to send life’ small troublemakers scampering, take back control of your life and your waistline.

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Let me explain.
Life’s small troublemakers #1: Addictive Food

Big Food has learned how to layer their products with just the right, scientifically determined amounts of salt, fat and sugar to produce what they call “super-palatable” food – or what you and I would simple call “addictive”.

Brain studies have shown that these foods are just as addictive as drugs, alcohol and gambling are. It’s no accident that “you can’t eat just one”.

For example, your brain remembers the sensation of eating fresh baked bread; I know I love the smell, our neurons secrete a brain chemical called dopamine which virtually insures that when the basket at the restaurant is put in front of you magically in empties and the server is smiling and asking “need more bread”?

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“Uhm sure!”

The next time you feel yourself being hypnotically pulled to eat a particular food, just know that there is some mad food scientist smiling somewhere, eager to line his pockets at your expense, so turn the other way and don’t give him the contentment!

Life’s small troublemakers #2: Food Labeling Tricks

Manufacturers have to list ingredients used in greatest amounts listed first.

So when manufacturers don’t want you to know that the main ingredient is sugar, they deceive you by using a dozen different forms of sugar so they can list each one further down.

Underhanded, well what do you think?

For example, all of the following are sugar in disguise: agave nectar, barley malt syrup, dehydrated cane juice, dextrose, corn syrup, brown rice syrup, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, sucrose, maltodextrin.

You can avoid succumbing to food labeling tricks by, well, avoiding foods that have labels in the first place!

Shop around the perimeter of your grocery story and eat fresh, whole, real foods focusing on leafy green vegetables and grass-fed, pasture-raised or organic meats.

Life’s small troublemakers #3: The Gremlin in your Brain

The reward pathways in our brains are powerful motivators, and they will trick your conscious mind every single time. Personally I believe that my dopamine is the cause of my personal problems with being semi-OCD, it is ok to be differant, we all are. Frankly my children think I am a freak, so I am used to the feeling.

Whenever you hear yourself saying, “Aw, just one won’t kill me”, “I just don’t have time to cook” or “I can start my diet tomorrow”, you can be sure that’s the big fat ugly “gremlin” in your brain, doing the bidding of your dopamine reward system.

These voices can sabotage your willpower, but there is a way to turn the table: next time you hear this voice, think of it as coming from someone – or something else, like a gremlin.

By externalizing this voice, you’ll then realize something “else” is trying to manipulate you and you can train yourself to ignore these voices.

Life’s small troublemakers #4: Chronic Stress

Chronic stress may begin in your brain—but it ends up packing on packing on fat, especially around your belly.

When you’re stressed, one way body responds is by churning out a big dose of cortisol.

Cortisol “instructs” the body to preserve fat around the middle, stimulates insulin – the primary hormone responsible for storing the food you eat as fat – and it also breaks down muscle, slowing your metabolic rate and making fat storage certain.

And cortisol sends a signal to the brain to “refuel” for an emergency, usually with foods highest in fat, salt and sugar. The result? You walk around stressed and starving and you’ll eat anything in sight, particularly the stuff that makes you fat and sick.

Because it’s so hard to resist temptation when you are stressed, the #1 way to combat the effects of stress you can do is to take an inventory of your life, and figure out how to minimize stress as much as possible. Also consider doing some form of active relaxation, whether meditation, yoga, deep breathing or something similar.

Life’s small troublemakers #5: Cheap Food Available 24×7

The previous 4 life’s small troublemakers wouldn’t make much of a difference if the food that makes us fat and sick weren’t available.

But it is. Everywhere. And that’s little demon #5.

Hunting and gathering? Forget that noise!

Just go to the nearest drive through or pick up the phone.

Make that a double-double with extra double please.

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The easiest way to combat this toxic food environment is to remove temptation from your immediate environment so it’s NOT convenient.

For example, at home, get rid of all the sugary junk food that will tempt you when your defenses are
down. If an urge comes, you’ll have created a practical barrier that’s large enough to give you enough time for that urge to pass.

What to Do Next…

These 5 of Life’s small troublemakers conspire to make us sick and fat – but that does NOT mean we are all doomed.

Simply by reading this article and becoming aware of these life’s small troublemakers that silently influence you to get fat, you’ve taken the first step toward building a mental defense to withstand their assault.

More next time, looking forward as usual to your comments 🙂

Peace,
T

Try these thoughts, in your own way, and like I said if in one month you don’t see a change, you don’t feel a little bit better about things, send me an email to
Tom@boomersrock.us or see much more content at Boomers Rock

Matt-player-wide

Tom Matt is the host of the weekly talk show “Boomers Rock”, heard on WGHN 1370 AM Saturday mornings at 9:00 in Grand Haven, Michigan, and syndicated on the Internet here at VoiceAmerica. His show is also heard on the Spartan Sports network SSN/247. This is where he brings experts in to discuss all issues that enhance our quality of life.

Tom welcomes comments and feedback, on his site www.boomersrock.us, please join our family and change the world! Visit our website, sign up and become part of the solution, its free and always welcoming/

All aboard! –

Kirk Spano ‘Booming Financial Times’ by Tom Matt

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Kirk Spano ‘Booming Financial Times’ by Tom Matt

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”Tom Matt’s “Boomers Rock” Radio Talk Show’ is heard every Monday at 6:00pm EST on the Variety channel right here on VoiceAmerica. Please like our Facebook fan page, ‘Boomers Rock’, or follow us on Twitter, ‘Boomers_Rock’ and post any questions comments reactions and suggestions to help us deliver the best content to all ‘MiddleLiving’ adults.

You can email Tom- tom@boomersrock.us as well as join the family and collective at Boomers Rock

The talk show “Boomers Rock” has always needed a financial fitness segment, I mean one of the most debilitating thoughts for anyone, let alone boomers, is the stress that accompanies financial pressure. Heck it is no wonder with the way markets bounce, 401k, 403b, investment portfolio, stocks, bonds, real estate, just to name a few, I find it overwhelming and I am sure many others do as well. I just knew that finding a knowledgeable person in finance, someone with passion and energy would be a huge asset to our conduit of great information pipeline (the talk show).

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But alas I recruited, asked and tried to sell it to several people over the last year and a half no one would step up, basically they thought it would be too much work or something like that, however I was not to be denied!

As Will McAvoy of the HBO television show “Newsroom” (a new family fave) said:
“Americas darkest days are followed by its finest hours.”

Into our talk show came our guy from Milwaukee, Kirk Spano, and halleluiah! Finally someone who really gets our collective mindset of our extended family and sharing the knowledge. Finally someone who buys into our “Refirement Zone-Ignite Your Life” mentality. Finally, all I can say is welcome to the collective.

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Kirk owns Bluemound Asset Management, in Milwaukee and is regularly published on Marketwatch.com of the Wall Street Journal Network and Motley Fool Personal Finance, the 1st and 3rd largest financial publishers in America. Kirk has appeared on Fox Business News Network, speaks at public and private events on all of the aspects of investing and now he is the go to guy for the “Boomers Rock” radio show financial fitness segment.

Some of Kirk’s blogs for Market Watch have been specifically targeted for information geared toward us, the boomers. Here is a quick synopsis of one of his articles and why we need to listen to our new brotha of finance, check this out, I personally fall into every one of these attributes, ugh!

Early in life, few boomers started an IRA (uhm, I did’nt even know what an IRA was, kinda thought it was an army in Ireland, whoops)

In young adulthood, many boomers overspent on cars (yep, been there done that for sure)
In mid-life, many boomers overspent on homes (but we are conditioned that they always appreciate in value and it is a great investment, whoops again)

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In general, most boomers overspent and under-invested for most of their lives (I wrote a whole chapter on this one, just read the chapter on the lost decade in “Maximize Your Quality of Life-The 200% Solution)

Getting the point here, I probably need his knowledge more than anyone, hence the segment, you see the method to my talk show madness.

Kirk sees the vision, he is there with us everyone and his input and energy will not only make the talk show better, it will help us all understand the nuances of the financial jungle, did I say HALLELUIAH. On Wednesday 9/5/2012 Kirk made his reentry into our orbit, (below is the podcast link), and here is a synopsis of our talk.

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We now live in a “Transitional Economy

What is “Asset Allocation”

If you are just a few years from your “Refirement” time maybe you should think about reducing financial risk.

Why “rates of return” is something we need to understand.

Get the whole story and lesson from our new “Brotha” in the podcast, and be aware that we have a new sheriff on the financial fitness segment of “Boomers Rock” and his name is Captain Kirk!

Until next time-

Peace,
T

peace,

Try these thoughts, in your own way, and like I said if in one month you don’t see a change, you don’t feel a little bit better about things, send me an email to
Tom@boomersrock.us or see much more content at www.boomersrock.us

Tom Matt is the host of the weekly talk show “Boomers Rock”, heard on WGHN 1370 AM Saturday mornings at 9:00 in Grand Haven, Michigan, and syndicated on the Internet here at VoiceAmerica. His show is also heard on the Spartan Sports network SSN/247. This is where he brings experts in to discuss all issues that enhance our quality of life.

Tom welcomes comments and feedback, on his site Boomers Rock, please join our family and change the world! Visit our website, sign up and become part of the solution, its free and always welcoming/

All aboard! –

Medicare Goes Bankrupt! by Tom Matt

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Medicare Goes Bankrupt! by Tom Matt

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”Tom Matt’s “Boomers Rock” Radio Talk Show’ is heard every Monday at 6:00pm EST on the Variety channel right here on VoiceAmerica. Please like our Facebook fan page, ‘Boomers Rock’, or follow us on Twitter, ‘Boomers_Rock’ and post any questions comments reactions and suggestions to help us deliver the best content to all ‘MiddleLiving’ adults.

You can email Tom- tom@boomersrock.us as well as join the family and collective at Boomers Rock.

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Not to be Mr. Doomsday-er or anything, but I interviewed my mentor Dr. George Bartzokis (I received permission to refer to him as my mentor) for the fourth time since we started my radio show, “Boomers Rock”. If you are not aware, Dr. Bartzokis (aka Dr. G) is an eminent neuroscientist and Professor at UCLA dealing primarily with brain health, specifically Alzheimer’s. Our conversations revolve around these topics and it is really interesting to hear his perspective on how the breakdown of Myelin is, in his opinion, based on the breakdown of this fatty substance that surrounds and protects the axons.

Myelin gives insulation to our nerves so the transmission of electrical impulses, from our muscles to our brain, works like a symphony in perfect tune. Really anything that has to do with cognitive (thinking) is determined by these impulses, so you could say it is pretty important timing.

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Dr. G refers to the following factoids as the “impending tsunami”:

The total estimated worldwide costs of dementia were $604 billion in 2010, according to the newly released World Alzheimer Report 2010: The Global Economic Impact of Dementia from Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), which is a London-based, nonprofit, international federation of 73 national Alzheimer organizations including the Alzheimer’s Association (U.S.). Released on World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21st, the Report found that:

Dementia care costs around 1% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).
If dementia care were a country, it would be the world’s 18th largest economy (ranking between Turkey and Indonesia).

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If dementia care was a company, it would be the world’s largest by annual revenue, exceeding Wal-Mart ($414 billion) and Exxon Mobil ($311 billion).

By 2030, worldwide societal costs will increase by 85% (a very conservative estimate considering only increases in the number of people with dementia).
Worldwide, the costs of dementia are set to soar.

The Report finds that costs in low and middle income countries are likely to rise much faster than in high income countries because, with economic development, costs will increase towards levels seen in high income countries, and because increases in numbers of people with dementia will be much sharper in those regions.

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“Repairing our brain is the name of the game,” as Dr G stated. Since there is no cure and Alzheimer’s (and dementia) are age related conditions, the ½ trillion dollars that it will take to care for the patients in the future will bankrupt Medicare. The time is now for action.

Here is my action plan:

Incorporate the “Fantastic Five Percent” mindset.

Understand the benefit of movement and exercise in brain health.

Lose weight because excess body fat, as Dr. Bartzokis stated, is toxic.

Eat less red meat and sugar; eat more fruits and vegetables.

Know your three key numbers: cholesterol, blood pressure, and triglycerides.

Do brain healthy activities, dancing, reading, socializing. The bottom line: stay active and busy.

Give ourselves better odds to live a longer, higher-quality life
Weaken the approaching tsunami by reducing the number of individuals suffering dementia

And remember, please e-mail me if you have a question about my “Fantastic Five Percent” plan of action.

tom@boomersrock.us
Peace
T

Try these thoughts, in your own way, and like I said if in one month you don’t see a change, you don’t feel a little bit better about things, send me an email to
Tom@boomersrock.us or see much more content at Boomers Rock

Tom Matt is the host of the weekly talk show “Boomers Rock”, heard on WGHN 1370 AM Saturday mornings at 9:00 in Grand Haven, Michigan, and syndicated on the Internet here at VoiceAmerica. His show is also heard on the Spartan Sports network SSN/247. This is where he brings experts in to discuss all issues that enhance our quality of life.

He welcomes comments and feedback, on his site Boomers rock, please join our family and change the world! Visit our website, sign up and become part of the solution, its free and always welcoming/

All aboard! –

Self Improvement-Becoming a Better Boomer by Tom Matt

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Variety
Self Improvement-Becoming a Better Boomer by Tom Matt

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”Tom Matt’s “Boomers Rock” Radio Talk Show’ is heard every Monday at 6:00pm EST on the Variety channel right here on VoiceAmerica. Please like our Facebook fan page, ‘Boomers Rock’, or follow us on Twitter, ‘Boomers_Rock’ and post any questions comments reactions and suggestions to help us deliver the best content to all ‘MiddleLiving’ adults.

You can email Tom- tom@boomersrock.us as well as join the family and collective at Boomers Rock

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I am a better person now than I was 6 years ago, and better still than I was eight or twelve years ago, and I don’t want to even mention sixteen years ago. But at each of those points in time, I was happy, and doing what I thought was the right thing. I made a few good choices that led me down a happier path, and I’m better off, as well as a better person, because of those choices. The trick is that, every day, we have those choices. If you make good, fundamental choices every day, you will see positive effects in your life. Here are a few of the key choices I make.

1. Build Great Relationships
I want to have the best relationship I can possibly have with my family, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances. If you have that loving, caring consistency with your spouse or significant other, children, parents, and any other family, you will have a strong chance of having great relationships with everyone you come in contact with. For my spouse, I write what I call “Ambush Notes” and slip them in her lunch box or leave them hidden in the newspaper, or somewhere where she will find it. It costs nothing, means a lot and she has kept them all over the years. If we can do nice things we can be a better person, and it carries over to all of our friendships, try doing something small, a compliment, a hug or just notice a little thing and say something. Good perpetuates good.

2. Build Structure Into Your Life
With the busy-ness of our 21st century, will all need to give to ourselves more of the quality of life tools that can make us improve our own self-esteem. Make it a priority to give to yourself the time you deserve as a reward for all of your hard work, anything you enjoy doing, and do it daily. Don’t let busy-ness steal your personal time; busy-ness will drag you down. Whether it’s 10 minutes of stretching and walking, or 15 minutes of reading, or 20 minutes of meditation, the point is that it must be a gift you give yourself. Before you can share love with others you must love yourself first.

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3. Create A Vision
If you had a magic wand, what would you create with it? Planting the seed of improvement, or dreaming of that goal that you have in your mind is hugely important to our future successes. If you can imagine it then you can achieve it; that may sound far-fetched, but take it from a guy who is living the dream, if you can’t see it, you will never achieve it.

4. Positive Mental Attitude
I truly believe that the law of attraction is a viable force in our universe. If you carry yourself with the feeling that life is a beautiful, and that we are the capable of achieving our dreams, then a positive attitude will draw those dreams to you (even if you merely convince yourself to make the necessary changes, then that is the mystical force driving the attraction). Be willing to build on all of the positives in your life, take this from the guy who did spend many years in the dark hole of alcohol and substance abuse, living with an upbeat demeanor will spill over into all that you come in contact with, and that it is completely possible without the temporary feelings delivered by drugs and alcohol. Practice gratitude thoughts and appreciate your positives. Do not diminish the small inconsequential normalcies of life.

5. Give To Others
In today’s society we are in need of all of the knowledge and assistance that people can donate and deliver. Take your special skill set and share it with another person, be a good listener, mentor others and share your abilities with groups in need. By becoming engaged you will reap such rewards that you will be amazed at how it can not only impact the lives of others but impact your own as well. Part of improving my life has been through finding what I am good at and sharing it. Which is why I love doing the talk show so much: it is a verbal outlet to helping many, bringing knowledgeable people together to share the goodness of life. I call it the “Refirement Zone” for a reason, igniting our lives takes thinking about what we truly want, by giving back we do.

peace,

Try these thoughts, in your own way, and like I said if in one month you don’t see a change, you don’t feel a little bit better about things, send me an email to
Tom@boomersrock.us or see much more content at www.boomersrock.us

self_improvement_4

Tom Matt is the host of the weekly talk show “Boomers Rock”, heard on WGHN 1370 AM Saturday mornings at 9:00 in Grand Haven, Michigan, and syndicated on the Internet here at VoiceAmerica. His show is also heard on the Spartan Sports network SSN/247. This is where he brings experts in to discuss all issues that enhance our quality of life.

Tom welcomes comments and feedback, on his site Boomers Rock, please join our family and change the world! Visit our website, sign up and become part of the solution, its free and always welcoming/

All aboard! –

Boomers Worst Nightmare-Unfunded Liabilities by Tom Matt

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Boomers Worst Nightmare-Unfunded Liabilities by Tom Matt

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”Tom Matt’s “Boomers Rock” Radio Talk Show’ is heard every Monday at 6:00pm EST on the Variety channel right here on VoiceAmerica. Please like our Facebook fan page, ‘Boomers Rock’, or follow us on Twitter, ‘Boomers_Rock’ and post any questions comments reactions and suggestions to help us deliver the best content to all ‘MiddleLiving’ adults.

You can email Tom- tom@boomersrock.us as well as join the family and collective at www.boomersrock.us
I want us all to improve our quality of life! Everyone, you, me, the lady down the street, the guy changing your oil, everone!

I listen to talk radio a lot. Being a talk show host leads you into the talk show world and I always want to improve not only the vocabulary, find new issues to talk about and I just enjoy the learning process. So I have been hearing this term “Unfunded Liabilities” quite a bit and I know it is election season so we hear all kinds of issues. This one, however, is something I want to talk about in depth, as it really gets my motor firing. I am convinced that the best way to deal with our nation’s unfunded liabilities is for each and every one of us to deal with our own, personal, unfunded liabilities of health, fitness, happiness, and finances.

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In our efforts to build the American dream, encourage people to work hard and be good law abiding citizens our society invented the safety net of social services and financial back-ended rewards such as pensions and social security. Great motivators, and I am all about motivation, however when you put in the time and then the reward is not there when you need it creates the “great consternation”, this my friends is called “Unfunded Liabilities”.

If you borrow money from a bank, you are expected to pay it back. If you gamble at a casino on your credit card, you are expected to pay back your losses. If you promise a friend to help them in the future, your friend expects you to help. If you don’t have the cash to pay back the loan, squander your credit on gambling, or have no intention of helping your friend, those are “Unfunded Liabilities” which will damage your relationship. A bank can harm your credit rating, and you might lose the friend; the gambler may bring some real hurt to collect the debt.

Ignoring debt can only make matters worse, putting your head in the sand will not protect you when the tsunami hits the shore. Unfunded liabilities, entitlements, pensions and the like started as great ideas. However moving forward into the future they have become the albatross around our country’s neck.

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We don’t have to do it alone. We can help each other solve our own problems… together. Friends help friends, neighbors help neighbors, and, ultimately, citizens reach out to each other to improve our collective health, fitness, and finances. That will make a lot of us happy.

It is time to step up and fix things. Through adversity grows opportunity I like to say.

I call this idea the Boomers Rock 21st Century Deal.

We need to become engaged in the process of improving our QOL (quality of life), because our road trip is just beginning and we need all of the tools and supplies that will make this a memorable road trip into the future, so what are these “tools and supplies”?

Here is the start of our list, and I would like everyone to contribute their own thoughts. No idea is a bad idea; that’s why it’s called “Boomers Rock”, not “Boomers Die”!

Live in the moment and look forward to the future. Reminiscing is Ok but we have way too many cool things coming to dwell.

Take small steps to improve your QOL. Great road trips take planning, making changes in your life takes time. Use your imagination, set goals, adopt a positive mental attitude. Now we are talking!

Accept the fact that to worry about unfunded liabilities and entitlements is a waste of time. Strategize, find your passion and don’t sweat the small stuff.

Build your foundation for the roadtrip by equipping the bus with all of the tools that will empower us to have a blast. Whether it’s education, training, or volunteering, nutrition, fitness and rest, all of these tools need to be in our toolbox.

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I have been building our collective mindset on the talk show to think in the present and our futures in regard to our finances with anticipation not dread. I do not like to do negative talk radio, so focusing on our family of listeners and knowledgeable guests, our collective is in the light of positivity. So that is where the concept of “Refirement” came to life.

The “igniting your life” and kicking “Retirement” to the curb is the mindset of all of us at the “Boomers Rock” nation. Jump on the proverbial bus, make our voices strong, and find your seat! There are plenty available on the bus, welcome aboard!

peace

Try these thoughts, in your own way, and like I said if in one month you don’t see a change, you don’t feel a little bit better about things, send me an email to
Tom@boomersrock.us or see much more content at www.boomersrock.us

Tom Matt is the host of the weekly talk show “Boomers Rock”, heard on WGHN 1370 AM Saturday mornings at 9:00 in Grand Haven, Michigan, and syndicated on the Internet here at VoiceAmerica. His show is also heard on the Spartan Sports network SSN/247. This is where he brings experts in to discuss all issues that enhance our quality of life.

He welcomes comments and feedback, on his site Boomers rock, please join our family and change the world! Visit our website, sign up and become part of the solution, its free and always welcoming/

All aboard! –

MiddleLiving- Your Second Adolescence by Tom Matt

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MiddleLiving- Your Second Adolescence by Tom Matt

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”Tom Matt’s “Boomers Rock” Radio Talk Show’ is heard every Monday at 6:00pm EST on the Variety channel right here on VoiceAmerica. Please like our Facebook fan page, ‘Boomers Rock’, or follow us on Twitter, ‘Boomers_Rock’ and post any questions comments reactions and suggestions to help us deliver the best content to all ‘MiddleLiving’ adults.

You can email Tom- tom@boomersrock.us as well.

On the radio show I talk at length on the subject of “looking forward” to our future years. Looking backward, in my case, being such a self-absorbed user during the dark years, that focusing on being 25 or 30 years old again would be frankly a nightmare.

Not everyone had the past that I had, halleluiah! I realize that some people were conscientious, non- abusers who could enjoy life without alcohol or drugs to cloud the moment. So maybe your younger years are worthy of wistfully reminiscing, if that is the case that is perfectly cool. Let’s use that as our launching point or a goal to reach for.

I will make a deal with you, I want you to really consider this plan I am about to lay out. Stick with it for a month and if you can honestly say you don’t feel better, or have a better outlook then I will email you a free copy of my book.

How does that sound?

Ok, here we go:

Adolescence-
Definition – (from Latin: adolescere meaning “to grow up”) is a transitional stage of physical and psychological human development.

Middlescence-
Definition – the middle-age period of life, especially when considered a difficult time of self-doubt and readjustment.

So in my opinion our ‘Second Adolescence’ is the combination of the teenage type feeling of growth and wonderment combined with solving the difficult time and self-doubt of readjustment that middle age can bring on. Do you like the thought? Ok so here is the key.

I believe we have a major significant item in all of our lives, one thing that is the numero-uno as far as importancy, and that is ‘Time’.
Embracing this concept will change your life, it did for me.

Time is a finite resource. We all may come to that critical point of self-reflection, be it an illness, an injury, a loss of a loved one, whatever, that we realize that it is time to belly up and become accountable, it certainly did for me, actually a couple of times to be honest. We take time for granted, but it never pauses to do tomorrow what you could do today.

Multi-tasking and procrastination are the norm in today’s fast paced world, which is kind of strange because with all of the technology you would think we are more efficient with our time, we aren’t. Playing ball with our kids, or attending a game or recital for our grandkids today cannot be recaptured tomorrow.

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Building a stronger personal relationship with our families, those quality moments, the quality of time and life moments must be taken or the moment is lost, because tomorrow never comes, and yesterday is over. We live in the now and today is the day to accept time for what it is, a gift.

Embracing that our ‘Second Adolescence’ is a combination of growth and wonderment, where we embrace our self-doubt and insecurities, it is the fuel to increase( perhaps expand is a better way of thinking, but you probably see where we are going with this) our time, it incentivizes us, it glows like new found energy, and it is available to anyone who wants it, it costs nothing (but is so valuable) and bears tremendous return of your investment.

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Our aging process, our maturation into “Second Adolescence’ is sometimes like looking into the fog, if you keep looking hard enough and the fog clears, there are many items we may be afraid to embrace, they make the murkiness of the fog sometimes thick. Other things we fear could be drivers to self-improvement.

Failure for example is one of those drivers.

Failure in our lives can be used as a useful impetuous to improvement, trying new things and keeping that focus on the abundance of our future is the key.

Embracing failure as a reason for continuing a goal can build self-confidence, failure earlier in our lives can empower.

When I founded Boomers Rock I saw a need , and I needed to build a team, it is helping me to achieve things I never dreamed of accomplishing, and giving back is therapeutic to me, it motivates me to stay energized and be an example of how change and improvement is possible for anyone and everyone.

Maximizing our time is the key, focusing on your dream is the goal, working together is our mission.

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Middle age has unlimited potential, the possibilities are overwhelming and exciting, embrace our legacies and we can do a better job of leading and teaching, let’s show our younger generations we care about their futures, because if we do that our futures will be exciting, lively and joyous!

Try these thoughts, in your own way, and like I said if in one month you don’t see a change, you don’t feel a little bit better about things, send me an email to
Tom@boomersrock.us

Put in the heading book and it will be on its way, my gift to you! Read, enjoy, join the movement, it is all good!

Peace!

Tom Matt is the host of the weekly talk show “Boomers Rock”, heard on WGHN 1370 AM Saturday mornings at 9:00 in Grand Haven, Michigan, and syndicated on the Internet here at VoiceAmerica. His show is also heard on the Spartan Sports network SSN/247. This is where he brings experts in to discuss all issues that enhance our quality of life.

He welcomes comments and feedback, on his site Boomers rock, please join our family and change the world! Visit our website, sign up and become part of the solution, its free and always welcoming/

All aboard! –

The ‘ReFirement Zone’ by Tom Matt

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Variety
The ‘ReFirement Zone’ by Tom Matt

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”Tom Matt’s “Boomers Rock” Radio Talk Show’ is heard every Monday at 6:00pm EST on the Variety channel right here on VoiceAmerica. Please like our Facebook fan page, ‘Boomers Rock’, or follow us on Twitter, ‘Boomers_Rock’ and post any questions comments reactions and suggestions to help us deliver the best content to all ‘MiddleLiving’ adults.

You can email Tom- tom@boomersrock.us as well.

To retire is to end something. It does not necessarily mean we have completed that something, or that something is over. We retire at the end of the day to go to sleep, but the day is not over. Our bodies use that time of sleep to re-energize, to heal, to prepare for the next thing – which is to begin again in a new day. Many people look forward to retirement from their work so that they might do nothing ever again.

But if you took that approach with sleeping, I bet you’d stay awake.

I dislike the word “retirement.” The AARP recently dropped “retirement” from its acronym (in fact, it’s not an acronym at all, but is now on echoic of a tiny dog barking “arp! arp!” to match their new mascot, a Malt-York-Shitz-Poo-Terrier with fleas). This is the 21st century and the concept of retirement needs a major facelift–I call it entering the “Refirement Zone”.

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As host of the radio talk show “Boomers Rock” it is my passion, my mission and my zest for all things fun that drives me to build our social collective, keeping us boomers active and socially integrated and on top of our game. Once you enter the “Refirement Zone” it is all about igniting your life, finding that “thing” that brings joy, keeps you active, and connects you to friends. It’s learning from each other and loving our lives.

Igniting your life is not about looking back; it is about living in the moment and building a successful future that holds an exciting, empowering energized state of mind unparalleled in its force. It is the collective state of mind that drives us into the “Refirement Zone.”

Baby Boomers have an unprecedented opportunity to rebuild the perception of retirement. We have access to medical care, access to knowledge about nutrition, fitness, and psychological well-being, and convenient access to new ideas about our world. If you are 65 years old, you potentially have another 35 years to go; the quality of those years are influenced most by your attitude, approach, and habits!

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At 65 you are way too young to do nothing, and at 45 you still may have young children to put through elementary school. You could have softball and soccer games in your future, bake sales and football rallies, teaching kids to ride a bike or how to swim. Your future will be limited primarily by your beliefs. Your imagination and initiative can open a new world of possibilities.

It is use or lose it, that is my message to all of us!

I like to talk about this tipping point in our society when all of us enter the “Boomers Rock” collective, join the “Refirement Zone” movement, ignite our lives and lead. Take our collective knowledge, passion for life, wisdom and experience and change the world, just like the 60’s and 70’s, there was no sitting around, it was time for expansion of creativity, thought and energy.

Creationism at its finest and a collective mindset that changed history; that is where we find ourselves again, our collective is going to be known as the “Boomers Rock Generation”, where giving back to society, helping others and looking forward to our future is the collective mindset, we are not going to allow entitlement programs bother us as they shrivel and disappear. We are going to be self- sufficient, empowered, enlightened and have strength in our collective voice. That my friends is my view of the future. Join me for an exciting ride.

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As far as I’m concerned, the word “retirement” is now officially retired, put away, discarded, no longer used. I don’t want anything to do with anything even remotely similar. What I need, what you need, and what our world needs is to live life to its absolutely fullest, to go all out in capturing our dreams, fulfilling our potential, living life to its full potential. Goodbye retirement, hello ReFirement!

Feel that energy, grab on with all you’ve got and let’s get this started! Feel the difference already? You bet!

Try these thoughts, in your own way, and like I said if in one month you don’t see a change, you don’t feel a little bit better about things, send me an email to
Tom@boomersrock.us or see much more content at www.boomersrock.us
peace,

Tom Matt is the host of the weekly talk show “Boomers Rock”, heard on WGHN 1370 AM Saturday mornings at 9:00 in Grand Haven, Michigan, and syndicated on the Internet here at VoiceAmerica. His show is also heard on the Spartan Sports network SSN/247. This is where he brings experts in to discuss all issues that enhance our quality of life.

He welcomes comments and feedback, on his site Boomers rock, please join our family and change the world! Visit our website, sign up and become part of the solution, its free and always welcoming/

All aboard! –

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