As the author of a book written to assist women in remaining (or becoming) youthful, energetic and beautiful as they approach menopause, I always look forward to, and welcome correspondence and communication from my readers, updating me on the progress they?ve made.
Obviously, it thrills me to know that I?ve helped so many women re-gain their youthful appearance, and shown them that they can indeed be confident and beautiful, even as they approach menopause. I did receive a disturbing letter today, however, from one of my readers, which led me to write this piece, and hopefully discourage bad behavior on the part of grown women.
A woman on the east coast (I?ll call her ?Mary?) decided to take my advice and work on her outer beauty so that the inner beauty would shine, as well. Mary was pleased with the results of her determination and the compliments she had been receiving. Unfortunately, some of these compliments were received from male co-workers, one in particular showing a great deal of interest in Mary?s new appearance.
Mary and her new ?friend? started talking more and more at work, which led to private lunches, personal phone calls and eventually one-on-one meetings after work. Mary seems pleased with this new relationship and has indicated that this has inspired her even more to continue on her journey to fitness. It made her realize how ?stale and dull? her marriage had become. That?s where I say ?Uh-oh ? stop right there!?
I?m all for living a healthy lifestyle so that you may feel great and look your best as you approach menopause; after all, your confidence will shine, your attitude will be healthy and you?ll reduce so many risks associated with heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke and various forms of cancer. That being said let me remind you of the risks you?re taking by engaging in an extramarital relationship. If you?re not caught, you will be consumed by thoughts of your ?friend,? you?ll likely lose sleep at night ? either due to feelings of guilt or just lying awake thinking about this person, you won?t be able to concentrate at work or during social occasions and you will run the risk of becoming emotionally detached from your spouse, making it very difficult to mend your marriage.
And what if you are found out? You will destroy your family, you?ll cause a great deal of heartache and hurt to your spouse and your children and you?ll quite likely become estranged from many people you once considered your good friends.
My message is clear: If you want to look and feel great as you approach menopause and experience what can be the best years of your life, do it for you! When you start receiving compliments and the attention feels good, remind your spouse that you?re working hard to look good and occasional recognition or a little flattery can go a long way to strengthen your relationship.
By entering into an affair ? even if it?s just an ?emotional affair? and not physical ? you?re creating chaos and confusion that is likely to cause many problems, both physical and emotional. Yes, stay in shape, continue a healthy lifestyle and if looking good feels right to you, do it, but please, steer clear of allowing yourself to be swept away by something that is simply not good for you or your loved ones.
Susan Megge is the founder of http://www.40isbeautiful.com, a website designed to assist mature women as they approach and experience menopause. Susan, a health and fitness expert started experiencing symptoms of menopause several years ago and researched various avenues to deal with these symptoms naturally. This led to her discovery that menopause can be a very manageable, and even wonderful time in a woman's life. Susan Megge is the author of "Being Beautiful Beyond 40," a book dedicated to helping women to be inspired, confident and beautiful as they approach menopause. | |
