Loving Later Life

Are you making choices and living your life based on what you think would be considered the 'right' thing to do by others? Or to get support from others? Are you staying open to the possibilities of life, or the "realities???" Are you willing to take chances against the 'norm' in order to live a life that will bring you love, fulfillment, happiness, joy and laughter? Is the path you are on, getting narrower as a result of your choices and your mindset? Guess what? It's never too late to live wide. Listen to this episode and hear more about what it means to live wide and how that can affect the quality of the rest of your life!

Stacey Johnson is a clinical therapist and soul aligned women's empowerment coach. Stacey guides high achieving women that have been cracked open by grief or other chaotic life disruptions to reconnect with themselves and have fulfilled relationships by feeling calm and in control, regulating their nervous system, and overcome overthinking. The goodies that Stacy shares in our conversation will be so helpful to so many listeners I am very eager to share this with you! So, sit back, relax or take time for a walk to listen, and when you think of a loved one who you know would benefit from this episode, please share it with them!

Relationships of all kinds are ending. We're tired, angry, and scared. A long time ago I wrote an article reflecting on the importance of how we see things, which affects how we respond, which ultimately affects what our lives will look like and who is or is not a part of our lives. The article was inspired by a melted piece of gum on the sidewalk that looked to me like a musical note. Well last weekend I was taking a walk and looked down and saw a small black circle next to a small hole and below that was a curved branch in the shape of a wide U. What I saw in total was a smiley face staring back at me. (See above!) Seeing that smiley face reminded me of the concept of my previous article which led me to current events, both personal and universal which I felt compelled to talk about. If you have ended relationships recently, want to, or you were the one who was left on the editing room floor...please join me.

Today is a first! My special guest is Frances W Greenspan and she is an animal communicator, author and teacher who speaks with animals both alive and to those who have crossed over. She is the author of five books on the topic "What Do Your Pets Want You to Know?", "More Messages Your Pets Want You to Know," "Lessons from the Animals," "Learn to Speak with the Animals" (a class she also teaches with the same name) and "Voice for the Animals" – all available on Amazon and Kindle. She is currently working on her next book "Voice for the Animals". Frances tunes in telepathically to the animal's spirit/higher self to ask questions and receive their answers. She is able to do phone readings as this connection is direct to the spirit of the animal for pets that are rescues, have behavioral issues or have passed on. Frances shares specific stories with us, how the language of the pet owner doesn't matter, and much more. And she is doing this while loving later life! Just click play to learn and be entertained!

What are you doing to get through this? There are studies that show being creative is a way to get through difficult times. Ironically however, in preparing for this episode, I wasn't feeling very creative…a bit of a catch 22 situation. So, I decided to ask Loving Later Life listeners what they are doing to deal, to cope, and to still enjoy life while there is so much chaos, divisiveness and fear around us. For those who contributed, thank you so much for sharing! In an effort to feel some love and happiness, I spent time this past weekend with some very important ladies in my life and also saw my mom. She and I went to a play that unexpectedly became an integral part of this episode providing much inspiration, which I'm excited to share with you. I hope you'll listen, enjoy and share if you think of someone who needs to hear it. Enjoy!

Did you know that listening is what makes you the funniest? And that the craft of learning comedy helps with many life skills and that it supports confidence, connection and trust?! My special guest joining me is Lynn Harris… a culture-shifting producer, award-winning journalist, and author/co-author of six books. Her comedy and campaigns for social justice and gender equity have changed laws and conversations from Capitol Hill to NASCAR. She is the founder and CEO of GOLD Comedy—the comedy school, professional network, and content studio where women and non-binary creators grow their comedy careers, build powerful communities, and make funny stuff. And here's the amazing thing: the classes are mostly available online! Also…Rachel Dratch is an advisor, and our guests + mentors have included Margaret Cho, Rachel Bloom, Patti Harrison, Paula Pell, Bridget Everett, Judy Gold, Ashley Nicole Black, Murray Hill, and staffers from The Daily Show, SNL, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Broad City, Search Party, Inside Amy Schumer, and more! Harris also co-created Breakup Girl (acquired by Oxygen), one of the first multiplatform internet success stories, and co-hosted, with Ginna Green, The Forward's A Bintel Brief: The Podcast. Lynn served as the first VP of communications at global human rights group Breakthrough, where her blend of humor and advocacy powered some of the team's most effective U.S. campaigns. She has also worked as a Tonya Harding lookalike, which is a long story. If you have ever been curious about what it would be like to do stand-up? Or just wanted to add more comedy to your life? This is a must listen!

Happy New Year!! So, here we are at the beginning of January. You might be feeling excited if you are happy to say goodbye to 2025. It might feel daunting, whether for personal reasons, or more widespread concerns for all that is happening in our country and our world. Before the holidays began, I read an article by Maria Shriver that included an exercise which resonated with me, and I thought it might for you, my Loving Later Life family. I found it to be a very helpful, different and fun way to get more in touch with what you want in the new year. My mom and I also collaborated on a creative project together which I'm excited to share with you at the end of this episode, so be sure to listen until the end! Happy New Year to you all, and let's get this new year started together!

I had planned to share one of my conversations with a special guest for this episode, but as I realized I didn't have all I needed from them to put it all together, my eyes landed on a book that I bought in 2018 on a trip to Kauai with my kids. I heard it calling me to look at it again as it stood upright on my side table where it has been for seven years. It was in that moment I knew it had to be the inspiration and source for this episode. The book is called, Lessons of a Turtle: (The Little Book of Life) and I share many of its special, simple, yet profound lessons along with my off the cuff commentary and a few personal anecdotes. I also have an announcement to share so please listen, enjoy, and share with someone you know would like to hear it!

When thinking about what to talk about for this episode, it was a long thought train that came to a screeching halt when I heard someone say, "When will they learn their lesson!" I'm sure most of you will remember hearing something along the lines of, "You're going to learn your lesson!" But I'm not headed down the track you think I am. I'm veering off and taking a track in the other direction to say, "When are we going to UN learn our lessons?! Please tune in and join me as I share the first 3 lessons that came to mind, in no particular order, which I believe are outdated and worthy of being unlearned!

Listen and learn to manage stress, grief, anxiety, worry, perfectionism, and separate fact from fiction! Judith Belmont is my very special guest. Judy has 40 years of experience as a psychotherapist in private practice, mental health and corporate trainer, as well as a wellness conference speaker. She holds an MS in Clinical Psychology from Hahnemann Medical College and a BS in Psychology from University of Pennsylvania. Judy is the author of 11 mental health and self-help books and two therapeutic card decks. All her books and card decks, as well as her keynotes and live and online trainings focus on offering "hands on" practical skills that promote mental/emotional wellness. Offering quick exercises, visualizations, handouts, self-help quizzes, worksheets and self-care practices, she offers tools to help others overcome self-limiting beliefs and improve resiliency. There will be something in this conversation that will resonate and be helpful in some way to anyone who listens!

This is an episode near and dear to my heart, and is one of the most listened to episodes of Loving Later Life. It's Up To Us is my second spoken word poem and it shares feelings of distress, concern, hope and encourgement about our current state of affairs. I'm told that more people need to hear it, so this is it's encore broadcast. The other reason that I am doing a replay is that my son is getting married two days before this drops to the very wonderful and talented Dylan Landau. For those of you who don't know, Dylan wrote a performs the theme song to Loving Later Life. I hope you'll listen/listen again, and share/share again. It's Up To Us!

Laurie Gerber is one of the most engaging and effective life coaches and presenters in the country. After holding several positions at Handel Group® over the last 20 years, including President of HG Life, Laurie is currently licensing The Handel Method® and running Laurie Gerber Coaching, Inc. focusing on LOVE coaching. Laurie has appeared on the Today Show, Dr, Phil, MTV and A & E and been the resident love expert at Match, Zoosk, Jdate, and many more. She has been presenting to and coaching individuals, couples, and groups, with a wide range of partners including: the dating sites above, General Assembly, She Tribe, BeSocialChange, IvyConnect, Ellevate, and many more. She has appeared on television shows, podcasts, radio shows, and all over the internet. Check out "The Secret-Free Diet", her TedX talk on the power of truth telling. When not working from her NYC townhouse, she's meditating, jogging, or attempting to get cuddles from her 10, 21 and 23-year old kids and husband of 27 years. We had SOOO much fun, even though she called me out on my own beliefs! You must listen and you'll want to share it with others!

This week I am diverting again from regularly scheduled programming. Instead of sharing another inspiring conversation with one of my special guests (in two weeks it's another a super great one!), a thought came to me as it often does, when I least expect it and in the most unexpected places, which would be TMI! Anyhow, it is one that has to be done now at this time, and I'm in charge so I'm going to do it! And that's all I'm going to say about it, because it's short and to the point, and if I were to write more here, you could have already listened to the episode! See you there?!

For this episode I am breaking with my normally scheduled programming because this is episode 111. The number 111 has a special meaning to me, and come to find out in recent years, not just to me! Please join me in this episode as I discuss the meaning of the number 111 and how it carries profound significance for me personally and for all of us universally. Spiritually it carries a powerful lesson, encouraging us to embrace the power of your thoughts and beliefs. It is often associated with unity, new beginnings, and the interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit. It serves as a messenger for a transformative journey of self-discovery, inviting you to embark on a new path of confidence, motivation, and independence. And much more. Even if this seems a bit wooey to some of you, listen anyway! You never know what you may hear that will change the way you look at things. See you there!

The inspiration for this episode came from writing my bi-weekly email to my list of those of you who have signed up to receive it. I was thinking about how many of us have yearnings and desires that have been put on pause, pushed aside or forgotten…or abilities, talents and skills that have yet to be discovered. What are we waiting for? Time is going to keep tick-tocking no matter what, so what exactly are we afraid of happening? Who cares if we try something and we don't like it or discover we're not good at it? Time is going to pass regardless, so why does the outcome matter so much? I also share something I'm going to be doing (to practice what I preach), so I hope you'll join me…in more ways than one! If you're looking for a sign, this is it.

Vicki DeArmon is the founder/publisher of Sibylline Press; a publisher of the brilliant work of women authors over 50, and a revered 40-year veteran of the book industry. Vicki started Foghorn Press in 1985 at age 25 in San Francisco before selling it fourteen years later. Her novelistic memoir about this era, Foghorn: The Nearly True Story of a Small Publishing Empire, was published in the Spring of 2025. A lifelong writer of memoir, she also previously worked as the marketing and events director at Copperfield's Books and as a consultant to the California Indie booksellers. Sibylline publishes 60 plus books a year in memoir and fiction and this Fall, will introduce a new imprint, Sibyl Writing Craft offering books and classes for writers. Vicki and I had so much fun talking (and laughing, and laughing) about her adventures in publishing and in life. You don't want to miss this conversation! To learn more about Vicki: www.sibyllinepress.com Sibylline Press social: @sibyllinepress Substack: @publishingwithVickiDeArmon

For those of you who are Loving Later Life regulars, you know that I began this podcast to connect us all so that we feel heard, seen, inspired and also entertained. My hope is that you'll be inspired by my guests and perhaps even through my experiences that it is not ever too late to go for what you want in this precious life we have been gifted. There are also times when I am compelled to express a point of view that I am passionate about. This is one of those times, and the way it manifested was in a spoken word poem. Some of you may have seen my YouTube video of this already and if you haven't, after you listen to this episode, I invite you to go watch the video. The link is in the show notes page for this episode, if you go to nancylanggibbs.com, click on the arrow next to podcast in the top bar and then click on Show Notes. Then click on this episode entitled It's Up To Us and scroll down for the link. Or you can go to YouTube and search Nancy Lang Gibbs, It's Up To Us. (Or below if you're reading this on the Show Notes page!) I ask if perhaps you are not on the same page as I am, that you listen anyway to open the aperture of your lens. For those who are on the same page, please forward the link to others and ask them to do the same. The message, I believe, is so very important to share. Thank you for listening and until the next time, Live Passionately, Live Vulnerably and Keep Loving Later Life. YouTube Video Link: https://youtu.be/vLdDCUKrRc0?si=PlC9V3Em1_658kU3