Lori: [00:00:00] Hey there. Thank you so much for being here today. If you've been here before, thank you so much for coming back. And if you're new to the podcast, welcome my new friend. I'm happy. You're here. I'm grateful to you for taking the time to listen to this episode today, I am honored to share my guest Eileen greene, who is here to talk about aging with grace dignity, and a sense of humor living life to the fullest.

And. She's gonna share some methods of improving your wellbeing. Despite health challenges, Eileen is an empowered and fearless woman who strongly believes that there's no age to achieve your goals and dreams. After raising her three sons, she went on an unrelenting campaign to educate herself and experienced life to the fullest.

She became one of the first people to be certified in NLP, by Tony Robbins. She became a Ted Talk lecturer, and she lectured about sex at high schools for planned parenthood. Eileen completed a two year program in volunteer work from the university of Judaism and became a certified hypnotherapist and was [00:01:00] certified in interior design.

She was Bat Mitzvah and Eileen received her master's degree in spiritual psychology much later in life. After reading about Eileen and watching her Ted talk. I knew that her achievements later in life would be an incredible reminder for all of us to go after what we want. No matter our age and no matter our circumstance.

I know you are going to enjoy this conversation with Eileen. Here we go. Hi Eileen. Hi, welcome to two 50 and beyond.

Eileen: And I am beyond

Lori: Eileen. I was thinking about you today as I was preparing for the interview for gosh, over three, maybe almost four years. I asked one question to all of my guests and I recently at the end of last year, retired this question, but I'm bringing it out of retirement for you.

Okay. What is your age and how do you feel about aging? My

Eileen: age is 93. And how I feel about it [00:02:00] is ambivalent because I am aware of the fact that I am closer because of age to going up to heaven or wherever we go. On the other hand, I have an incredible. Life. And as many times as I was knocked on the head, somehow there was somebody out there that could help me.

And so my determination was to become a, somebody that helps people. Then you are. I pray that I am, because I believe that as we become aware of relationships, And people and hardships, we need love lots and lots of love, lots of forgiveness, lots of acceptance and good intentions.

Lori: So it makes the world go around.

Eileen: Right. That makes the better world go around.

Lori: You are so right. [00:03:00] Oh my goodness. Eileen, after raising your sons, Three sons. You said you went on an unrelenting campaign to educate yourself and experience life to the fullest. What age were you then?

Eileen: Well, I was in my seventies and eighties when I was re redoing my life.

I was Bat Mitzvah with my granddaughter. She was 16. I was 73. I went back to various different credentials. So I became a hypnotherapist and I volunteered with planned parenthood and I went to anytime. And of course, as in my, my Ted talk, I said, I went to Tony. Robbins knew. That I could [00:04:00] take fear into power.

Lori: And you were in your late fifties when you did that, right?

Eileen: That's right. Mm-hmm yes. So it took me 25 years to get through my college. I don't know how many colleges I went to, but I probably have a list someplace and I've also lived without the Otis IES and ears. Now if you know what I'm talking about, well, just know that you can still have them and live to 93.

Lori: What are you talking about for those of us who don't know,

Eileen: okay, those are the diabetes. Those are the, the ailments. Those are all of the challenges that we are presented with in her life. And going back to the time when I was born, I was born in the depression and I teased that my father said. Brought [00:05:00] it on cuz I was born just a couple of months before so I lived through 10 years of depression and of course I was quite young and then I started out with polio, but I was lucky.

And then I went on and on and on to have all kinds of ailments and I have a list miles long. And the reason I call it otitis and E is, is because that's the ending of them. And the most difficult one that I am living with now is diabetes attached to a body that has very few parts left. I am very blessed.

I don't look forward to having to be challenged much more on many things, but I also know. That I have the ability to help people get rid of their

headaches.

Lori: So you've persevered through all of it.

Eileen: And I can tell you that my eldest son, Richard was quite

[00:06:00] responsible for that because when I brought up MSFI with my granddaughter, she said, by the time she was 16, her father was nagging and nagging.

And so she said, okay, I'll do it. If grandma will. And she thought I wouldn't and I did so anyway, that was that. But then another time I was going to do something and I said, oh, Richard, I'm going to be 75 when I, you know, graduate. And he said, mom, you're gonna be 75 anyway. So this is how this into the words, he guided me with his words.

And so my purpose now, Is to pay back.

Lori: When did you become a hypnotherapist? What age?

Eileen: I was in my seventies.

Lori: And you got your masters in spiritual psychology. I was

Eileen: 75.

Lori: It's such a great reminder for all of us.

Eileen: It's never too late [00:07:00] until it is . Yes.

Lori: Yes. I would love to get your take on longevity and how you age with grace and dignity and sense of humor through your challenges.

Eileen: Well, I believe the sense of humor. Inherit it, I don't think you can force one. You can open up to one. The difficulty is you need to want it. And then you explore the ways that it is possible. And my ways was like, if I do something really stupid and I'm not punished by it, I said, thank you, God, take care.

Whatever. Thank you because there could have been a bad happening. So it's attitude.

Lori: It's so much about attitude.

Eileen: It's [00:08:00] using your mentality to program your body. Negativity is a poison.

Lori: How do you stay positive?

Eileen: You stay positive by waking up every morning. giving gratitude. as I said before, what you had and what you still have going into forgiveness for yourself and others going into acceptance, going into intention one night, when actually one morning I woke up and I did it and I came to intention and.

I don't know. I don't know what my intention is today. So this little crazy run up there said, well, you're not gonna get outta bed until you find an intention. What came up my usual day of calling people, talking to people I'm pretty much stuck at home. [00:09:00] Fortunately, I'm in a position where I can afford some help cuz I've worked and my husband worked his life.

Anyway, he's gone seven and a half years. So it's up to me to maintain the home that we love because we've always had parties and parties and parties and weddings. And, and for me to learn how to ask for help. And know how to reciprocate.

Lori: I'm glad you brought that up. It's a challenge, right?

Eileen: To ask for help. Yes.

Lori: Sense of humor is really one of my favorite things about people and also about myself.

Eileen: I will say that well, don't you find that it, it levels off things. Yeah. It's. Okay. It can't be that bad.

Lori: Yeah. I wasn't always like that. Even though I've had the sense of humor, I used to take things really serious [00:10:00] and everything was really dramatic, especially when I was drinking.

But now yes, there is a lighter side to life. Definitely. What

Eileen: I feel is important. Who am I. What do I want my legacy to

Lori: be? It's more of a, and stepping into who you were born to be into your authentic self.

Eileen: Integrity is very important

Lori: to me than living with integrity and aging, with grace and dignity and sense of humor that is up to

Eileen: us and wanting it is just the beginning. Once you acknowledge the fact that your life would be better, that way find the methods that worked for you.

Lori: Did you always have a plan when you were raising your sons that you would, of course, you know, continue with your education and that you would go beyond this?

Eileen: Well, I wasn't sure.

Just how far I could go [00:11:00] considering my age and my health. It was when I entered my psychology class, it was like, oh my God, I'm really doing this.

Lori: You went to school. Were you surrounded by younger folks?

Eileen: My best friends are young people. that is so cool because I don't have too many of my elders nor my relatives.

I've lost. A lot of relatives had an experience with my husband that I believe. That there is something there for us. He was in bed, my husband was bed and we were sitting there looking at him shrinking, I mean, just toward the end. And all of a sudden he reaches up and Rick and I asked him bad, what do you, what are you reaching for?

And he said, he's coming to get me. Hmm. And we said, [00:12:00] who's coming to get you. And he said, Sam, Sam was my father been ambivalent, you know.

Lori: Did that impact your decision to get your masters in spiritual psychology or was that in the plan as well?

Eileen: That was the plan that was presented to me by my son. Is that the work

Lori: that you do with

Eileen: others?

Many of it is I help people go into, I am, as opposed to, I will try. Or I will think about it or I will, in other words, there are so many reasons why you're not going to do it, but then you have to slow, you know, swing over to, yes, I am going to. I am going to benefit by this. Yeah. The, it,

Lori: it hits a lot differently when you say I'm going to do something or I am doing something instead of saying, [00:13:00] I will try.

Cause I don't even know what that means anymore. will try,

Eileen: try, allows for failure, honey. In other words, yes. You're gonna try to climb Mount silver Espino, but whatever.

Lori: What you had said earlier, you gotta make sure what it is that you want and, and really why you want it. And then you decide, so how do we decide what we want?

Eileen: You have to give yourself permission to go into your heart. What are your heart feelings? What is your bucket list? Who are you? Who do you want to be? Are you happy with yourself? Is there a possibility you could be happier questions that only you can answer for yourself. Then you reach out to the world for the courses and the things that you want.

Can't do it right now. You make a bucket list, but more important than anything is to go into. I. [00:14:00] I

Lori: agree with you there. And you talked earlier about practicing forgiveness with ourselves and others and acceptance. I know there's a lot of women out there who, including me at times, you know, we get stuck in thinking that, you know, our past comes up and it's those moments of, oh my gosh.

I don't deserve to, to do anything else with my life because of what I've done in the past, or especially with women and their drinking. Yeah. So how do we take those first steps towards acceptance of our past and forgiveness?

Eileen: There are very, definitely a lot of lists that can be made. I find that one of the most important things is writing.

Write about what you're thinking and then. Once you have it all written down, you go item by item and look for the solution. You may have tried certain things that didn't come true. My belief is because you didn't think you deserved it. [00:15:00] Self-esteem making mistakes is a whole. Big issue and it would be necessary to go item by item and rewrite it.

I am capable. I am worthy. I am so grateful for the opportunity. I am ready to move into a different chapter of my life and learn how to accept myself as a loving. Human being

Lori: we're all human Eileen. How did you get through the challenges that you faced with your health while you were going to school and what are some methods for anyone out there who's faced with Health's challenges and, you know, we have to work.

We, we wanna go to school, we wanna do other things. What can we do it

Eileen: all? Truthfully depends on the amount. I mean, if you're in an iron lung, you know what you're capable of doing, but if you've always liked sport, if you've always been [00:16:00] in between the pneumonia in between whatever illness. Took you and you are no longer on a pity party, so you don't want to pity yourself either.

You want to just move forward in increments, you're in bed with the pneumonia you recouped. Thank you, dear God. I'm here. Whatever happens to me. He a comedian. Who says first thing in the morning, he wakes up, he looks at the newspaper and he looks at the obituaries and he says, if my name isn't there, I go have breakfast.

We Jewish people grew up with so many, so many deprivations, so, and being sought after and killed. But the one magical thing we all have is a sense of humor. Think of most of the comedians. Why? [00:17:00] Because that's the best pill you can take. I agree. When I wake up in the morning, I give gratitude for what I had and what I still have go into the.

Acceptance. I go into the, the acceptance is the last I go into the forgiveness because I know that I haven't always been the brightest bulb on the lamp, and I've been privy to doing some dumb things, but it it's the forgiveness of my, to myself and to others. because I grew up very, very judgemental. It was black and it was white.

There were good girls and there were bad girls. That was the life I grew up into. So the forgiveness to yourself is important. And of course, to others, because those relationships, you don't really know how and why they happened. Acceptance is very important. Humans are human. [00:18:00] And then the intention, that's the morning ritual.

Lori: Do you keep a journal?

Eileen: I have one on my computer. I have a calendar in my big black book. I'm from the old school. I have the dates written and a comment or two. I have pages and pages of letters that I wrote. For a book and I'm still in that process, cuz it's a long life. Yes. We need a book. I'm doing memoirs.

I encourage everybody to write whatever is on your mind. I want you to be able to get it out. And one way is to write about it. Another way is if they wanna talk to me

Lori: I love that. Eileen, do you have any regrets? Oh, of course. How do you deal with your regrets?

Eileen: Those were decisions. Then I made that when I was doing the best I could, [00:19:00] I thought.

Lori: I'm glad that you said that. Cause I, I think that's a, another reminder we all need, we're doing the best that we can right now.

Eileen: And if we have the integrity and the desire to improve yourself to be a happier person or more fulfilled person, I encourage

Lori: that. Do you have a daily routine as far as exercise or anything that you do?

Eileen: Fortunately, I am able to get home health. So I have an occupational therapist coming and a physical therapist coming.

Lori: That's great. You're getting your exercise at home. Yes, you look incredible.

Eileen: Thank you. . I see, I have a Tramor so I couldn't put the mascara on. Oh, you look

Lori: beautiful.

Eileen: thank you.

Lori: You look absolutely beautiful.

Is there any final words that you can share with the gal out there who is Laine that [00:20:00] may feel like she is in that mindset? Eileen? You know, we all get there. It is too late. I should have done this before. My

Eileen: Ted talk says this shoulda coulda, woulda do it. Now. It is never too late until it is. And when I say that I'm referring to the fact that, oh my God, why didn't I go to college?

Or why didn't I do this? All right. So you can't go to four years ago to two years, you make a deal with yourself.

Lori: Yeah, it sounds like you really chunked those big things down into small pieces, which I have found is very helpful, cuz I wanna do the whole thing. Right. It's just starting with the smallest things.

Like when you decided to go back to school, I

Eileen: didn't the first I could, I went at night. You get it done. It's what is it that you want out of life? What is it? If it's a pity party, either you are gonna have to part ways. Or [00:21:00] you'll always be a pity

Lori: party. Well, you've done an incredible job. What's next for you?

Eileen what's

next

Eileen: for me is the possibility of going into some kind of a business because I've worked all my life and I'm not working now. So it's like a combination of things that I will do for people because they can't afford help, not the kind of psychiatrist or that says. Mm-hmm mm-hmm I talk and I give as much as I feel the person is ready for.

How

Lori: can women get ahold of you?

Eileen: Egreene321@aol.com

Lori: I love a good AOL email address. I have one

Eileen: too. Oh yeah. I just have to mention that I have three sons, six grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. And two more on the. Oh, [00:22:00] congratulations. I am blessed. You are honest. I'm aware. .

Lori: Thank you, Eileen.

We are blessed to have you here today. Thank you so much for joining the podcast.

Eileen: Lovely lady. It was my pleasure.

Lori: Thank you again for listening to the podcast. I hope that you enjoyed this conversation with Eileen. As much as I did after we wrapped up the interview, she had some very kind words to say, and I have to say that it was an honor to meet Eileen and to hear.

Her stories that she shared with me outside of the interview. And if you are interested in her life coaching services, please use her email. I will have it linked in the show notes below again. I'm so grateful to you for being here. If you are interested in joining my group coaching program, the alcohol-free habit for the late summer fall session, go to the alcohol free habit.com and join the wait list. Early enrollment starts August 24th. And if you want first [00:23:00] I want you to be on that email list and I will be back next week with a brand new episode for you. In the meantime, take care of yourself. My friend, you are important to me.

Eileen: Peace.[00:24:00]