How to grow old disgracefully

As you will see from my profile picture, I am a forties something woman with what I call Peter Pan Syndrome. Basically, I just never grew up! In my photo, I am in a hardware store, posing with a cardboard cut out! That's me though - I like to have fun and have a laugh. My motto is live, love and laugh. Growing older doesn't mean that you have to dress frumpy, behave or act your age. Read on for my A-Z of how to grow old disgracefully:

"A" is for - age is just a number

Just because you're getting older, this doesn't mean you are done with fun. Don't get too hung up on your age, be proud of the fact that you're another year older and another year wiser.

"B" is for - behaviour

Act your shoe size and not your age. Your behaviour is what keeps you feeling young. I don't mean be bad, but as long as you're not hurting anyone, whats the problem?

"C" is for - clothes

So you have reached middle age or beyond, that's not reason to don derry boots and twin sets. Wear what you feel comfortable in and don't dress old.

"D" is for - don't give in

Life is for living, so don't just sit around in sensible slippers waiting for the grim reaper to pay you a visit. Get on with life and get out there. Join a few clubs, take up a new hobby, learn a new skill - do what you want to do.

"E" is for - enjoy

Every new day that dawns is your chance to make things happen. Enjoyment will make you happy and give you a positive outlook on life.

"F" is for - fun and friends

Fun, fun, fun is what it is all about. Stay in touch with your friends and meet up with them once a month or so.

"G" is for - growing up is overrated

No one says that because you are middle aged or beyond that you have to be responsible and be grown up all the time. Let your hair down and really go for it.

"H" is for - humour

Laughter is the best medicine and will do you so much good.

"I" is for - ideas

Come up with lots of ideas of things that you still want to do. Write out a list and work your way through them.

"J" is for - journey

Life is a journey and the path you choose determines how you live. Do you want to stay on the same course or do you want to meander all over the place and have different life experiences?

"K" is for - kiss

Put your lips to good use rather than using them to suck pureed food from a straw. Give it a try! Kissing is good for the soul, as well as being good exercise for the mouth.

"L" is for - live,love and laugh

Live life to the full. My late grandfather once told me "live each day as though it is your last." Love doing what you do and have a laugh along the way.

"M" is for - me time

Take some time out to pamper yourself and relax.

"N" is for - naughty

There is no fun in being good all the time. Reveal your naughty side occasionally, go on...... be a devil!

"O" is for - obeying rules

Rules are there to be broken. Obeying rules means that you miss out on all the fun.

P is for - party

Parties are for everyone, so let your hair down once in a while and dance the night away. Don't sit at home being a couch potato - get out and live it up.

Q is for - question mark ?

Don't leave anyone in any doubt about who you are. Be yourself, and not who you think you should be.

R is for - regrets

Try not to dwell on past situations that you have no control over. What's done is done, so move on and do what you need to do in the future. Don't create more regrets by not living in the present.

S is for sex

Just because you are in the middle of life or creeping towards your twilight years doesn't mean you have to become a nun and cover up. I'm not suggesting that you become promiscuous, but seize the moment.

T is for tattoos

So you're in your fifties and want a tattoo, there's nothing wrong with that if you want one. I've always wanted a smallish shooting star on my shoulder, but my fear of needles has always put me off. Who knows - maybe I will get one for Christmas!

U is for uneventful

Don't lead a boring life. You don't want to look back in 30 years time and say that your life was uneventful. Fill your life with the people you love and the things that you love to do. If you want to go sky diving at 70, then go for it!

V is for - viagra

One for the men - sometimes nature needs a helping hand in later life. That's all I have to say on this matter!

W is for - what if?

There's no use looking back and saying "what if." Try everything once and don't be afraid to try it. You never know the outcome until you do it. I never want to think back and imagine that things could have been better if I had tried harder or done things differently.

X is for eXercise

Being active is great for mind and body. Taking regular exercise will improve your mood, keep you fit, give you more energy and keep your weight down. This is especially important to combat the dreaded middle age spread.

Y is for - youthful

Your outlook on life has a big impact on how you feel. Just because you are approaching middle age or beyond, doesn't mean you need to think older. A positive mental attitude will do wonders for your mind and keep you feeling young. I feel like a 30 year old trapped in the body of a 46 year old! Help, let me out!

Z is for - zest

Have a genuine zest for life, grab it with both hands and embrace the changes you are faced with. This is one of my favourite quotes:

I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.

~Eleanor Roosevelt