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Meagan Rigney

3 ways to think about aging

January 25, 2021      Leave a Comment

I hope your last week was a good one, mine sure was! I loved watching the Inauguration, mainly because I love history and I love to see history unfolding. I read a lot of biographies and have read a lot on the First Ladies as well as life in the White House, they are so fascinating to me. 

If you have been around here since the beginning, my blog was originally named ‘Because of Jackie’ after Jackie Kennedy;) I collect books and memorabilia about her and have a really nice collection. One of my most prized possession is a biography about Jackie that my husband gave me the first Christmas we started dating, back in 2000;)

AnYwAy… I was chatting in Instagram stories the other day about feeling peace as I get older and I got asked HOW to do that. I figured this newsletter would be a good place to write more in depth on that, so let’s get going!

3 ways to feel more peaceful with the aging process…

To begin, I turned 40 last year and realize I have a lot to learn about aging! I am in the beginning of seeing signs, but know further years will show me even more what I need to learn.

1) I think part one of aging and feeling peaceful is realizing the role that society places on us believing that looking and being younger is better. Basically, under 30 is best, and if you aren’t using a wrinkle cream at 25 then you are doing it wrong. We grow up seeing magazine covers mocking celebrities for aging and having cellulite or “letting themselves go.” We see mostly younger people in the media and in movies and on magazine covers, and older (basically over 40) women are praised only for looking younger (even when they do exensive work to do so.) Women are not allowed to age, we are sold creams and injectables and lazers and every other commercial is about finding youth again. It is easy to see when you notice, everything is marketed to sell us something, and anti aging products make big money. 

I’m not saying any of this is wrong, if you want to buy wrinkle cream or do Botox, go ahead! It’s okay. Just know, it is a losing battle. (I I mean, I dye my gray hair and slather myself in face oil…) We are slowing down the process, but not stopping it. Hard fact. All of us are aging daily and at some point you will not look like you do now. Your skin WILL wrinkle and sag. If you are lucky, you will age and get older. There is no 90 year old out there that looks 20 or even 50. It’s not possible. Are you holding onto the promises that these creams will stop time, or reverse time? Are you buying into the idea that younger is better, that your 20 year old self is somehow better than your 40 (or older) year old self? You couldn’t pay me to go back to a youger age, mostly because I have fought so hard to be where I am now, secure in my self worth. 

How can you resist aging less? Can you see how society values being young and makes aging seem like a crime or something to prevent? How much time and money have you invested in looking younger? 

2) If I let myself, I can stand in front of a mirror and pick apart every single part of myself.I can see the folds near my mouth, wrinkles in more places I’d like to admit, the gray hair that shows itself really fast, the cellulite and weight gain and sunspots. I am slowly seeing age creep up and change things and it is weird and uncomfortable.

Here’s the thing… I can either stand and stare and repeat negative thoughts till I die, I can buy the creams and hope to stop time, or I can notice what I am grateful for. I can notice that I am more than a freaking body and face, that my soul is here to do good in the world.You are more than your body and face. Someday nothing will look the same, and you will still be YOU. We have the power to notice negative thoughts and reach for the next best thought. Over and over again. I can see a beautiful, younger girl on Instagram and say to myself, “She is beautiful and so am I. I am safe. My body is a vessel for my soul. I love my body, I love my shape.”

Instead of viewing our worth solely on how we look, let’s be grateful for the millions of tiny ways we are here. Our bodies breathe and hug our loved ones. I hope to live to 100 and my body + face will be so different , but I will still be there, deep inside. My soul. As will yours. I hope I am lucky enough to see that. While I still think negative thoughts about myself, I am better at reframing them with affirmations and gratitude. I have fought to get here, this place of peace and love. I am lucky I have this platform to reach you. We are lucky to be in these bodies that see and hear and hug and laugh.THAT is what is important. Looks fade, bodies, change, but our souls are learning and growing. THAT is the joy of aging. It’s about reframing what we think is important into what really is important. 

3) Things change a lot as you age. You notice weird things and bodies hurt more and faces wrinkle and sag, but what I really like to focus on is, how do I want to FEEL? 

I want to feel joyful.

I want to feel peaceful.

I want to feel worthy no matter what my body or face looks like. 

I want to feel like I can do things with my body.

To do that I anchor in affimations and gratitude, and I also like to move my body. I like hard workouts and I like pilates. I like lifting heavy weights and I like gentle walks through my neighborhood. I always feel better when I get out of my head and into my body. I focus on my breath and the next rep, I focus on what my body is doing versus how it looks. 

I truly believe in the power of movement to help our mindset. It is kind of like mediation for me, a chance to stop my racing thoughts for a little bit and move. When I move my body I feel proud about what it can DO versus how it looks.I honestly feel the most beautiful after I have moved my body and made that commitment to myself. It is less about what I look like and more about how I feel.

The key thing is, do we wallow in what we are losing or do we embrace what IS? We will all learn what it is like to age (hopefully) and doing so with less resisting and more allowingis the key. Can we allow our bodies to grow and change? Can we allow our faces to change? Can we allow the wisdom and peace that comes from aging to come to us? Can we allow our souls to live their purpose with our bodies as its home? Can we let go of having our self worth be anchored in youth and how we look? 

I think we can! 

Whew, this got long! I think aging gracefully is along the same vein of loving yourself and believing in our self worth. Knowing that we are good as is, right now, no matter what we look like or weigh or do. YOU matter and are enough and deserve happiness where you are now. I truly believe that. 

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Hi, friend! My name is Meagan and I like to overshare on Insta-stories, LOVE finding the best stuff for everyday life, and I truly believe that life is more fun when you feel good about yourself, both inside and out.

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meaganrigney

When that sunshine hits in the afternoon and you f When that sunshine hits in the afternoon and you feel like a new person. 🤩

Is it Spring yet?
Whenever the world seems crazy, just know that the Whenever the world seems crazy, just know that there are teens out there that are awesomely good people and they are so inspiring to watch! I get to coach and teach them on a daily basis and not a day goes by that they don’t make me laugh, and also feel good knowing that these cool people exist in this world. I can’t wait to see what the future hold for all of them. 😊
Happy 15th bday to my firstborn baby, Molly! Being Happy 15th bday to my firstborn baby, Molly! Being your mama is seriously the best-you keep me on my toes and make me so proud. You are so amazingly talented and wonderful and from the moment I knew if your existence I have loved you more than words can say. I love you to the moon and back ❤️
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My kid is so much cooler than I’ll ever be ❤️
I’ve been coaching our high school powerlifting I’ve been coaching our high school powerlifting team (along with a few other awesome people,) and we had our first meet of the season this weekend. Working with these kids has been so freakin’ fun-they work hard and they make me laugh every 5 seconds. I feel lucky I get to mentor them both in and out of school each day.
Rolling into 2023 with a full heart. This past yea Rolling into 2023 with a full heart. This past year brought big, beautiful, years in the making changes to the Rigney family (we all decided ‘22 was was pretty amazing when it came to reaching big goals!) Looking forward to settling in and enjoying our accomplishments, and soaking up each moment with these kids of ours and this awesome life we have full of friends and family. Each year I think it can’t get better, and then it does. 💫
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Work looks-teacher edition! I’m a Resource Room Work looks-teacher edition! I’m a Resource Room teacher in high school and like to be comfortable (but still sorta cool? Lol.) I teach freshman-seniors and everything from Language Arts to Econ to Learning Strategies to US History. It’s fast paced and fun and I’m never, ever bored 🙃

Most of my stuff comes from Old Navy at this point, they are honestly killing it! I am a size 8/medium in most things. You can shop my outfits here…

https://shopltk.com/explore/meaganrigney/collections/11ed52d1acbbb795b3720242ac110004
⭐️FORTY-TWO today ⭐️ Grateful for…my hu ⭐️FORTY-TWO today ⭐️

Grateful for…my husband (he makes me laugh everyday and is my best friend), my kids (the funniest, kindest, most awesome kids on earth), my family (who always make me feel loved), my friends (can’t live life without you,) my co-workers (I’m obsessed with you all, how else do I teach without you lol), and just feeling settled after 20 years of moving. 

Looking forward to another year teaching high school (I hope all my students know, Mrs. Rigney adores you!) and just another year of being grateful for this beautiful + amazing life I’ve built. ❤️
Happy 13th birthday to my baby boy! He’s loving, Happy 13th birthday to my baby boy! He’s loving, affectionate and always willing to lend a helping hand. He talks extra loud on his video game headset with his friends 🫠, grew approximately 6 inches this year, and his voice has deepened so I keep thinking another man is in the house(!) But still, he’s my baby and always, always will be. I love watching his dedication to playing all the sports, being his mom is just the best. From the second he was born and they placed him on my chest, my heart burst with love for him. He’s pure magic and also currently taller than me and I don’t know how 13 years have passed but I have loved every second of them.
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I’ve been loving this oval Amazon ring since it I’ve been loving this oval Amazon ring since it came in the mail last month. If you know me, you know I like to switch up my rings often. I have a lot that I like to play around with. Life is too short to not have fun with jewelry 😊
Also, an ombré mani that I can’t stop staring at. I feel like in the winter I like nail art and in the summer I like simple neutrals. 

Follow my shop @meaganrigney on the @shop.LTK app to shop 🌈

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This weekend…. Picked up our oldest after 11 da This weekend….

Picked up our oldest after 11 days away at summer camp (with no phones/no contact!) and it was amazing. Love this kid!
Travelled 3 hours across state for a lacrosse tournament that even included an afternoon at the beach 🙌🏻
On Sunday drove 1.45 hours to pick up Molly from camp, then drove 1.45 hours back to watch the boys play in the championship game (lost by 1, boo…), then drove 3.15 hours back home. 
But! My babies are back home and all is well. 
Our hotel had Direct tv so I was reunited with my beloved Hallmark and watched a few Xmas in July movies 🙏🏻

Anyone know how to steam Hallmark? I need it back in my life 😞
A little over two years ago my family started watc A little over two years ago my family started watching wrestling together. It kinda became our thing, following the story lines and becoming invested in each character. My husband grew up watching it, and he wanted to share that with the kids. Then, slowly but surely, I got a little bit invested myself. 🙃What I love the most is that we all watch this together, and anything that we can all enjoy as a family is what makes me happy. 
Anyway... @allelitewrestling came to Detroit and we knew we had to get tickets. We went the other night and it was awesome! The lights, the music, how invested the crowd was, I kept looking over and seeing huge smiles on all of our faces. This was what we did during the pandemic, in the uncertainty of quarantine and the world, we watched a lot of movies and we watched wrestling. Getting to see it live sort of felt like a full circle moment. We had survived, moved across the country, and settled into this new life of ours that we love. If you had asked me 3 years ago if I would have enjoyed a wrestling match I would have rolled my eyes, but sitting there the other night in an arena full of magic and energy, it was just magic. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
*Also, is this what one wears to wrestling? Bodysuits? Wedges? lol 😆
When the looser jeans of our youth (long live the When the looser jeans of our youth (long live the 90's!) came back, I resisted. You weren't going to pry my Madewell black skinnies off of my body! Those of us who have lived it already know how bad low rise was (2" rise, baby), or how our pants used to be shredded and dirty b/c they dragged on the ground, or how the fit of everything was just off. 
 But then I got sucked into buying a pair of "dad jeans" (which is funny because I use to borrow my step-dad's jeans in high school), and after I got used to styling them I like the look! First of all, my legs can breath lol. The key is to show of your waist in some way and just not take yourself so seriously. The older I get, the less I care about wearing what other people think looks good and wearing what *I* want. Are my skinny jeans more flattering? Yes. DO I feel more comfortable in these? Also, yes. Life is too short to wear anything other than what YOU want, end of story. Wear the skinny jeans, or the baggier ones, buy the cropped tank or the oversized flannel. Forget about what is "right or cool" or what you think you *should* wear and just wear what makes you happy.
My mom sent me a package filled with old pics and My mom sent me a package filled with old pics and report cards that are hilarious and embarrassing! 

My faves....skiing in jeans in the 90's?!
The leaning my chin casually on my hand school pic. 

The fact that I have maybe 10 pictures of myself in high school but took probably 20 selfies of myself yesterday.

Report card comments..."A great worker, sometimes I need to interrupt her independent reading to call attention to the next class discussion." 😆
"Meagan needs to "buckle down" a little more on her studies and a little less on her artwork." 🤩
Turns out, my independent reading has turned me into a Language Arts teacher, and my art has turned into an Etsy shop. 

(There’s still no reason for skiing in jeans.) 🙃
A few self care things I do on the regular... *eve A few self care things I do on the regular...
*every two weeks I get my nails done. I get gel on my real nails and often get designs or fun colors, and seriously have a Pinterest board and a special album saved on my phone with ideas. It just makes me happy to have pretty nails. 
*I schedule in workouts. I don't do well with "winging it," I have to be really intentional with my time. I work out after work on Tues + Thurs and also on Sunday, and will sometimes add an extra day. I feel my personal best when I am active.
*A couple of months ago I finally started the habit of flossing my teeth. I just started at night and for some reason it has stuck and I am on a streak and I feel like a real grown up. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks at 41:)
*Every Sunday I cook a lunch for myself to bring to work, and I pack it into 5 pieces of Tupperware. I find a simple dish and will eat it all week. That way when I get up I just throw it in my lunchbox and I have a healthy option to eat. 
*I research affirmations and have them written in a word document. Typically during my lunch break I will open up and read the document, and then I have a running list of things I am grateful for that I type out. I also have a couple fave self help books at my desk and I read a chapter or two. 
*Every Sunday after my workout I apply a face mask and let it sit, then shower and apply a hair mask and exfoliate. Then after my shower I put my self tan on. Love starting the week feeling refreshed and with a little color on my skin. 
* I have days I do certain things that make my life easier. Saturday I meal plan and order my groceries. Sunday is for picking up groceries, meal prep, and laundry. Tuesday and Thursday I work out when I get home and wash my hair. Linking certain days to activities takes the thinking/anxiety out of running my life.
*Reading daily, lots of sleep, lots of water, painting, writing, etc.
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