Aging Joyfully

by Carla Marie Manly

How does a woman embrace her maturity with joy and strength when her body changes year to year? Psychologist Dr. Carla Marie Manly provides an important and meaningful window into womanhood for those approaching fifty and beyond. A must-read book for any woman approaching the age of fifty, Aging Joyfully touches the sensitive reality of the transition from a life filled with new beginnings to a graceful process filled with freedom, beauty, and joy.

Includes chapters on:

Loving Your Changing, Maturing Body;
Your Health: What to Expect with Menopause, Memory Changes, and More;
Shifting Relationships: Understanding and Adapting to Natural Changes in Relationship Dynamics;
The Worlds of Work and Retirement: Facing Ageism and Retirement with Awareness;
Aging Parents, Caregiving, and Loss: Gracefully Caring for Others and Letting Go; and
Slowing Down as the Time Speeds Up: The Art of Transitioning into a New Life Role.

Genres: Self Help

256 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2019

About the author

Dr. Carla Marie Manly—clinical psychologist, author, and podcaster—is based in Sonoma County, California. With a refreshingly direct and honest approach—plus a dose of humor—Dr. Manly enjoys supporting others in the ever-evolving journey of life. Her novel self-development paradigm builds resilience, emotional intelligence, and self-esteem. Highlighting the importance of loving connection, her work also focuses on helping others create deeply connected and satisfying intimate relationships. Host of the captivating podcast, Imperfect Love, Dr. Manly offers uplifting guidance on navigating the messy road of life. Working from a transformative model that honors the body-mind-spirit connection, she also offers holistic relationship and wellness seminars around the world. In addition, Dr. Manly is deeply invested in her roles as a mental health consultant and speaker. An award-winning author, her books, The Joy of Imperfect Love, Date Smart, Joy from Fear, and Aging Joyfully highlight her empowering approach and profound expertise. Dr. Manly's expertise is also regularly cited in media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Forbes, Oprah, Newsweek, NBC, HuffPost, Reader’s Digest, Psychology Today, Parade, GQ, Women’s Health, Architectural Digest, Men’s Health, and more.

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The optimism I was looking for at 53. Inspiring and informative!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

p. 24 "your mind set is what matters most" "Your mind has this incredible power within it"
p.28 "Our attitude does make a difference"
p. 30 "..the power of wisdom and choice"
p.41"Positive actions breed positive thoughts, and positive thoughts breed positive actions" "the power of your own attitude"
p.53 "Self-esteem can be fostered and strengthen by consistently holding yourself to the ideals that support you in being the best version of yourself"
p.64 "your daily mind set really matters"
p. 65 "Take care not to judge yourself if old patterns try to take hold; just smile and continue to move forward with positivity"
p. 73 "It is never too late to create positive attitudes and habits that will help you love yourself and your amazing life"
p. 235 "It is not our challenges, but the way in which we respond to them, that makes the difference in our lives and the lives of others"
p. 239 "Life may not bring you exactly what you want, but you can give your life exactly what you wish to give...today is your day....make it count A loving-joyfilled life is yours to embrace no matter what comes your way...For this is true: today - this very moment - is all you have"
p. 240 "Find the meaning in life's little moments. Find the joys and opportunity within the challenges. Embrace your passions and your dreams. And then breath into your life - this very moment - as if it's all you have...for indeed, it is"

a very encouraging and empowering book

[Richard Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not the target audience for this book. Yet I have many women in my family who need this book. Perusing the sample of the Kindle edition left me thoroughly impressed with the advice that’s both clinically sound and easy to follow.

[Genevieve Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such precious insights for the aging journey!

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book to help the reader to embrace the process of aging with love, respect and dignity. This book was beautifully written and honors the journey of growing older. I would highly recommend this book to those that want to embrace the aging process gracefully.

[Eagle Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just a delight. So informative and reassuring that i wasn't loosing my mind as I age. it's only a number after all. I have become a new, younger and better thinker after reading Dr. Manlys book. It's time to live my life for me and not for others around me. They will be come closer to me when they see who I am.

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well the author goes through so much life stuff here that it really is quite an eye opener. There is so much to think about in your life & how things change when you get older. The interesting things is how she counsels so many people about how they need to change their way of thinking. There's lots of good advice for sure. There are various scenarios that you can relate to & stories that may resonate w/ you. Ultimately it's about what you can do yourself in order to be happy, which of course is easier said than done. The whole thing is to not be miserable, don't get comfortable in the same old, same old if it's not fulfilling. Makes total sense. Obviously, life happens & how she portrays getting things to where you want them to be in your life is worth paying attention to. We only have one life & loving it to the fullest is a major point. It's good to see things like this book directed at people who are over 50, as most of us will get there at some point.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Dr. Manly's first book, Joy From Fear, I was excited to hear another was being released! While billed for people that are 50+, this book is a useful shortcut for finding happiness (joy) even for those who are younger. We've all struggled with growing up, and this book helps guide us in area's where we haven't quite figured it out. Aging Joyfully is a brief glimpse into what life can be, and with some simple and common sense, you can get where Dr. Manly talks about. Change isn't easy, and in all honesty it's downright scary, but this is as close as you can get to living the life of your dreams in short order!

[Jasmine Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book dedicated to women! Like Chicken Soup for the Soul, this book is heartwarming and loving for one's heart and soul, and is specifically geared for women who are middle aged and older. Hence the title. It discusses how women often get caught up in the world of negativity and societal and cultural expectations, and how these things can affect us from fully living our happiest life. Dr. Manly discusses ways we can fully embrace our maturity and reframe negative beliefs into positive ones that will aid us in living our life with happiness and joy. A wonderful book! So glad I read it!

[Pam Lobley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book heartily! It radiates warmth and encouragement and is the perfect "stopping place" for women in their 50s or 60s to breathe and consider their lives. Here is one of my favorite lines: Whereas the aging process lead us to experience many losses in life, internal power is not one of them. A key benefit of aging is that one's internal power can grow wildly with each passing year.

The author is full of great advice for reflecting on and celebrating yourself and your life, and ways to imagine your joyful years ahead.

[Lorri Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why does no one tell you what happens to the female body as we age? Why is each new change always a surprise or sometimes even a shock? Now it doesn't have to be- this book gives us all the information we need to move forward into the next chapter of life. It gives you answers to both physical and emotional questions, as well as mental health and relationship questions. Thank you Carla Marie Manly for writing a book for people who are often overlooked and trivialized in our society- older women!!!

[Love2Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely and inspiring book about getting older. I learned so much about myself and what I want for my life. This book felt like a breath of fresh air--something I really needed as I'm facing so many changes in my body and life. Thanks for the warm guidance and support. It felt like a big hug!

[Caldonia J · Rating 5 out of 5]

How much better of a guide could I have in my quest to encourage fulfillment in my mom's life? Even without being the target aged reader for this book I feel like the information I took was easily applicable to relating to and better understanding many of the things I could not so easily grasp before. The perspective change for me was enlightening and I think that it was exactly what I needed.

[Martell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure, a warm offering from a brilliant woman.
Dr. Manly has thoughtfully and thoroughly created a guide for those of us navigating a sometimes tricky, and often empowering time in our lives. Her warmth and wit, charm and knowledge are a gift to her readers. Buy two copies, keep one, gift the other.

[Julie Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another great book to read about fear and how it comes into your life in so many different ways. As you get older and your body goes through changes, different fears happen. This book was great at making me aware of the current ones and helping me to see what's to come. I would defiantly recommend this book!

[Nancy Dearborn - Author Hugga Loula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aging Joyfully is a must read for women of any age. Dr. Manly offers so many practical tips on a wide variety of topics including taking care of your emotional, mental, and physical well-being. She shares how we can have joy at any age, embrace life, and live it to the fullest. Growing older can be a time full of hope, joy, positivity, and moving forward to pursue our passions and dreams.

[Jessica Speer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a beautifully written guidebook for women! Carla delves into all topics related to aging, from age spots to sexuality. After reading this book, you’ll feel better supported as a woman and better able to support your female friends.

[Ellie L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me reflect on the upsides of getting older. What a supportive and comprehensive guide to being mentally and physically on top of life. The exercises were really helpful in many ways including helping me get on track with my life's REAL purpose.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author's book is like the most wonderful desert....inspiring and so loving...thank you!

[Debbie DePilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent ! Must read for all women in their 60s

[Shanti M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Very gentle, straightforward, and supportive. A reassuring and uplifting book that I'm going to share with my friends.

[Susie Pettit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough research for women looking to begin their wonderful aging experience (w a positive attitude). She addresses it all in this book

[Mariwelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPLIFTING AND INFORMATIVE--I couldn't have read this at a better time. Hitting 50 was hard for me and this helped me over the hump for many reasons. I've read other books by this author and enjoy her supportive style. The exercises are also a big help. I recommend this for anyone struggling with aging or midlife issues.

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whoooa. What a thoroughly useless book about aging. The five stars must all come from kids afraid of getting old. I already knew all the good stuff in here ( which you would have to be a moron not to know by 40) and some of her crap is terrible to even suggest!

[Terri B'Hymer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must already be aging joyfully - I didn't learn anything, and found her assurances a little unsettling. These are wonderful years, even if my knees sometimes disagree.

[Michelle Good · Rating 3 out of 5]

A guide to change your outlook on aging.

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess you'd like it if you didn't know anything about aging, but if you've read about it, it doesn't say anything new.