Captain Janeway - A Powerful Older Woman From The Future

Captain Janeway? Really? OK, I am giving myself away as an unrepentant female geek and Trekkie. While I do not attend conventions, or dress up in Enterprise (or Voyager) uniforms, I have certainly re watched a lot of Star Trek episodes and movies with my Nextflix account.  Isn’t that why people subscribe to Netflix, anyway

Not only is Captain Janeway a powerful woman, and Star Fleet Captain, she is obviously of an age – where if she was alive now – she would be a baby boomer. I did post an article about today’s powerful women, and that discussed real life individuals. But now, I’m turning turning to TV for role models.

What I love about dear Katheryn, is the fact that her being a female, was just incidental. Sure, she could be feminine, but she could also be tough. I believe the word to describe here would be post-feminist.  She played a very direct person who was trusted and respected by her subordinates, even if they did not always agree with her.

Favorite Captain Janeway Quote

I embedded the video, so you can see the quote in context. But I love this!

“I don’t like threats, I don’t like bullies, and I don’t like you!” — Captain Janeway (State of Flux)

How many women feel like they need to be indirect, or even sort of passive aggressive, in order to get their way? I guess my favorite thing about the good captain is she just tells people what she wants, what (and who) she likes, and what she is going to do.

The Captain Janeway Bully Quote Video

Get the quote in context with this video of the captain on the deck of Voyager.

Are You Too Sleepy?

Most of us spent our early parenting years reminding our kids to get enough sleep. When did we forget to remind ourselves? It must have been some time between breast feeding, juggling kids and a job, and the present day. Maybe it’s time to catch up on that date with Mr. Sandman. As we age, our bodies do not seem to forgive a lack of sleep as well as they did in our younger years.

Are You Starved For Sleep?

The National Institute of Health reminds us about the importance of getting enough sleep. It is not really normal, and healthy, to have that 3PM feeling that we hear about on advertisements for energy drinks. Apparently going without sleep is similar to going without food. Rats, for example, will die if deprived of sleep for a couple of weeks – about the same length of time it would take them to die of starvation.

Junk Food Sleep?

Most of us do not totally go without sleep. We just may have irregular or insufficient sleep, which could be compared to a junk food diet instead of a healthy one. I thing the comparison is pretty valid. I know that a lot of times when I felt like I needed to eat something, what I really needed was a nap. A lack of good food, or sleep, can make us feel lethargic and induce cravings.

Even losing one hour of sleep a night creates a sleep debt. Of course, different people always seem to require different amounts of true sleep every night, but the generally accept norm is about eight hours. If you go to bed and midnight and wake up at seven in the morning, you are going to have to replace that hour of sleep at some point. Do you frequently nap late in the afternoon or after dinner? You could be making up a sleep debt. If you have no time to nap, you could be suffering from some symptoms of sleep deprivation that are hurting your mood and your health.

Do We Need Less Sleep As We Get Older?

It is not true that people need less sleep as they age. What is true is that sleep disruptions may mean they get less sleep. If you have ever watched your teenager stay up for three days in a row, and then make it up over a long week-end, you will probably know what I mean.

Symptoms of Sleep Deprivation

There are some surprising symptoms of sleep deprivation. Some of these may be mistaken for other problems. In fact, a study at the University Of Pennsylvania demonstrated that people are not very good at recognizing these symptoms at all. These can include cognitive impairment, mood disorders, and weight gain.

If you suffer from symptoms of sleep deprivation, and cannot remedy the problem on your own, it is time to visit a doctor.

Are You LInked In?

One of the most common questions that I get from less Internet savvy friends is how to use LinkedIn effectively for job searches or business. The giant business social networking website can be a very useful tool. But if you do not use it well, it can also be useless, or even worse.

How Can You Use LinkedIn to Find A Job or Grow Your Business Or Get A Job?

Pay attention to your LinkedIn Profile. That is how you will represent yourself to other members so be sure you like the picture it paints of you. Other members will go view your profile.

Grow your network. This is no time to be shy. Start by adding personal connections. Then you can see who they are connected to that you may have missed. It is easy enough to request more recommendations from this list.

LinkedIn Groups. A good way to grow your own network beyond your personal group of friends or coworkers is to join some groups. These are smaller groups within the whole large network. Some are bound to be centered around your areas of interest. These groups have message boards. Try contributing to discussions or even starting your own discussions. This will get attention from other group members.

This way, you may get some others asking you for connections, information, etc.

Get Recommendations. Ask some connections, that you have worked with, to recommend you. Hiring managers actually do read these.

Use Your Network

Now go figure out who can help you, and what you can do in return. Once you have connections, and a face in some groups, you can start asking for what you want.

• If you need a new job, figure out who may be close to a hiring authority in a field you want to work in. You can approach them with questions about open jobs, requirements, and the application process. Having an actual conversation with somebody who is already in the company is a lot better than having an unsolicited resume sitting in an inbox.
• You can use LinkedIn for other business uses too. Groups are a great place to promote your own projects, or even find people you may want to hire. If you have questions about the right way to accomplish something, you can find plenty of experts willing to give advice.

How Have You Used LinkIn Effectively?

I would like to take this opportunity to ask readers to comment on ways that they have used LinkedIn effectively in business or a job search. Go ahead and register – for free – and help other members. This is also a good way to get your brand out t

What Really Trims Belly Fat?

After my kids were born, so many years ago, I made an effort to get rid of the post-pregnancy bulge. How was I to know that it was still lurking there, ready to come back, just when those sweet little babies were all grown up and ready to leave home? I miss the kids, but I do not need this particular reminder of my pregnancies.

I see a lot of advertisements for products that help women get rid of belly fat. Some of them look tempting. After all, nobody my age wants to walk around looking pregnant. But I am not a new person, and for real advice, I figured I would turn to the WebMD Page that promises to tell me – How To Lose Belly Fat.

Of course, when I read the article, I had to read one page about how dangerous belly fat is, especially as we get older. I guess I knew that, but really, I am vain enough to just want to pull in my gut to look better.

The advice I got is probably sound, but there are no quick fixes.

• Lose Weight
• Exercise

But you already knew that, right?

Less Well Known Cures For Extra Belly Bulges

If you are patient, and you read past the first couple of pages, you may get more interesting news.

Calories Are Not Just Calories

Fiber – Research shows that eating 10 grams of fiber a day, or more, helps stall the build up of visceral fat. A small cookie and a a large apple may contain the same amount of calories. Guess which one you should eat if you want to pull your tummy. Most of us do not eat enough fiber every day.

Fiber also tends to fill us up. If you eat an apple, serving of beans, or a few figs, you are more likely to feel satiated than if you opt for the white bread or candy bar. In fact, when you stop eating processed sweets, and start eating more fruit, your tastes change. Fruit really is nature’s candy.

Sleep – This has not been actually been proven, but studies suggest that people tend to get fatter when they do not sleep enough. We do not know if it is the actual lack of sleep, or other ills that go along with missing your date with the sand man.

Stress – Chronic stress makes people fat for a number of reasons. Certain stress hormones may actually promote a build up of belly fat.  In addition, some people react to stress by looking for comfort food.

The Best Cure For Belly Fat?

Exercise is still suggested as the number one cure for any and all excess fat. It helps keep up fit, and may actually reduce stress levels and keep our metabolism stoked.

So let’s all take a walk and buy a bag of apples.

How Are You Doing With Money?

We know that money is not the thing that really makes us happy. It may even really be the root of all evil. However, a lack of money can certainly damper our mood. That is why we devote this section to a lot of different topics about ways me make, invest, keep, spend, and save it!

Why Is Money An Important Topic For Midlife Women?

A lot of women hold the family purse strings. More and more single women have to budget for themselves, and their families, on their own. We have proven that we can bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan. But recent surveys have been pretty alarming with the news that women, as a group, are not doing a great job of saving for their retirement years.  Ladies, you are doing well. You may just need to work on doing better.

We started about with timely articles about women saving for retirement and mid-life career changes for women. We want to expand this section into all sorts of topics that can help us improve our financial lives. It may be about making more money, but it may also be about getting better value out of what we have.

You Are Not Too Old To Change Careers!

Midlife career changes are tough for everybody. Today, a growing number of women have been face with the choice of attempting to stay with their old job choice until retirement, or of finding a new path in midlife. Unfortunately, some women have not been given this choice, but are forced to make a switch. When finances are tight, this change has to be done quickly.

Many Older Women Need To Switch Jobs Quickly!

So, we wanted to explore the topic given that many career changes do not have a lot of time or cash to spend on their moves. This is not the place to be encouraging fifty year old women to start dental school, though if that’s on the agenda – go for it!

On the plus side, many older women do have decades of experience in their fields. Many of those skills will probably transfer to other fields too.

I have known middle aged, displaced computer programmers who landed satisfying jobs as math or technology teachers, for example. Many school districts have alternative certification plans for teachers who are in demand. Some private schools or community colleges may not require state certification.

On the other hand, I know displaced English teachers who build satisfying careers, and even businesses, providing technical writing or Internet content services.

Explore ways to transfer your old skills to a new job.

Recruiters And Online Job Sites

From feedback, and personal experience, I am not really seeing that traditional, generalized recruiters, classifieds, or online job sites are as effective as they may have been a decade or two ago. If you have a unique or specific skill, a recruiter or job site in your particular niche may be golden though.

Network. Network. Network.

Today, it’s all about networking.  Today, you can do a lot of network at home with your Internet connection. Online social networks, like Facebook and Linkedin, can be valuable tools if you use them right. These sites are good for a lot more than just exchanging recipes or posting pictures of your puppy.

Today, a high percentage of hiring managers do use LinkedIn to find candidates. Build out your profile and ask some coworkers for recommendations. You can also find a lot of niche groups on LinkedIn that provide useful conversations and person-to-person contact.

You can use other social sites, like Facebook, to contact coworkers from previous job. Some may be in a position to hire, or at least put in a good word for you. This is a much better position to be in than just having your resume delivered in a stack to a hiring manager who never met you.

Update Your Resume

I first learned to make a resume many years ago when I took a business communications class in college. That course was valuable at the time. But the sort of resume and cover letter that hiring managers expect has changed a lot. If you need to make one investment, I would suggest taking the time to learn how to produce a current resume or paying somebody else to do a good job.

Career Change Success Stories

We are always looking for good success stories about women who made good midlife career changes. You can use the SUBMIT button to learn how to spread your good news.

When I was a child and young adult, I made most of my own friends at school and work. When I was the parent of my own children, most of my friends tended to be the parents of my kid’s friends. I think that making friends with the people you happen to run into all the time is common.

Use Social Sites To Connect With Friends

But as my kids got older, and my work tended to be more freelance, I found that my circle of friends had shrunk – a lot. I needed to make a lot more effort to keep up with old friends, and I found that I was not enjoying the opportunity to make new ones.

The Best Social Sites For Older Women To Connect On

I am, by nature, a very social person. I feel most alive when I am with other people. Yet my lifestyle and priorities did not lend a lot of time for this important part of my life. I found a solution with some good social sites on the web. Maybe my experiences can help you make new friends, find your old buddies, share an activity, or chat about business.

Facebook

Are you the one older woman who has not joined Facebook yet? When the Social Network started out, it was meant to provide a way for college students to connect with each other. It quickly expanded far beyond this niche use, and recent statistics report that millions of users are over 55 years old.

The Over 50 Facebook group, alone, has thousands of Likes. (A like to a page means that you join it).

What can you do? You can find your old friends to start. Believe me, a lot of them are there. I had a lot of fun connecting with my friends from high school, college, and my early working days. You can also find your current friends, and you even have an opportunity to make new ones as you select people to “friend” from your email list or other friend’s pages.

If you make a causal acquaintance, it is a good idea to get their email address to connect on Facebook. That way you can keep the connection warm without having to actually visit them right away.

Linked In

LinkedIn is oriented more towards business use, though you can still use it to socialize. A lot fo people are confused about how to use this service. In my opinion, you should look for some Linked In groups that interest you. Many of these have active discussions. That way, you can find the small pond out of the big ocean.

Meetup

Meetup.com is a bit different than Facebook or Linkedin. You can, of course, use the other two websites to connect with people you actually intend to meet physically. But the whole idea behind meetup is to promote groups of people who plan to meet in person.

You can find different activities for a variety of different interest. There are groups of people who like to go to movies, run marathons, or discuss business ideas. The best part is, you can search for these groups by zip code – so you are sure to find something interesting close by.

Well, we older ladies have probably already had a lot of illusions shattered about handsome knights on white horses. However, our capacity for

Love After Age 50

love is probably a lot more well tested than it was when we were blushing little princesses. In this section, we hope to explore all sorts of relationships that are still very much open to us.

Partners – Of course, we hope to delve into love and marriage, though mostly baby carriages will belong to grand kids. Some of us sustain long term marriages, while others hope to enjoy a second chance after a breakup. Let us explore marriage and dating.

Children – Most of us do have children, though many of them are grown and gone. Some are grown and still here! They give us plenty to talk about and discuss.

Parents – We are not called the sandwich generation for nothing. While we struggle with kids, we hope to keep faith with our elderly parents, who may need out help now.

Other Family – Yup, we all still have plenty of cousins, aunts, and uncles that we call family. These days, we may even have a new crop of relations as nieces, nephews, and grandchildren appear on the scene.

Friends – In middle school, I remember seeing a poster that said: A friend is somebody who knows you – and likes you anyway. Let’s talk about keeping, and expanding, our social circles. This could include your neighbors, the ladies at the book club, and even new Internet friends.

Doing Good – Of course, we have to love others as we love ourselves. We may talk about ways we can improve the world, or just our little corner of it.

Older women who have been single a long time, or always single, seem to have few problems dating. But those of us who had a breakup, divorce,

Midlife Dating After A Break Up

or death, after a long time with a partner, do not find it easy to resume our old dating ways.  Lucky for us, we have gotten plenty of advice from our dating and relationship experts – experienced amateurs and semi-pros alike!  Enjoy some dating tips for older women.

Don’t Hurry And Don’t Worry

This is probably the best advice we have gotten, and try to take. When you were much younger, and dating, you probably did not take each date that seriously. It could just be a pleasant pass time, and a way to experience new things. Every date did not have to be a potential lead in to a serious relationship. That is exactly the attitude you need to have now.

Go out, have some fun, and make new friends. Every match will not be Mr. Right or your next husband. The more you can enjoy the experience, without expecting more, the more fun, and probably successful, your second round of dating will be.

Online Dating

Online dating is huge right now. In the old days we used to go to clubs and parties to meet guys. Now, a lot of matches are found at online dating sites. My friends who actually enjoy the experience of online dating say they take the experience with a grain of salt though. Apparently there are plenty of wolves, rejections, and flirts in the online world.

• You have to treat this experience as a novel way to meet new people.
•  You also have to guard yourself. You cannot assume that every online profile is what it claims to be.

If you approach Internet dating with a sense of caution, and a sense of fun, you can enjoy it. If you take it too seriously, or if you forget to be careful about actually meeting some potential dates in person, you are forgetting a lifetime of wisdom.

Just Make Some Friends

A lot of us got isolated in the course of raising our kids and pleasing a spouse or partner. A lot of women are better off by slowly building social circles instead of rushing into anything.  Relearn the art of arriving alone and leaving with new friends!

• Instead of actively seeking a date, perhaps you should start out by seeking friends.
• Consider taking a class, joining a political group, going to church, etc. to expand your social circles.

We hope to educate, inform, and empower older women here. Nothing quite catches the feeling, for us, like the old Rosie The Riveter posters.

Power To The Older Woman!

During World War II, when a lotof men went off to war, the women stayed behind to do a lot more than just keep house. By the way, keeping house was a lot harder in those days. Women also kept up the manufacturing capacity of the US, and this was a key to our success.

Once the cat was let out of the bag, or more aptly, the women were let out of the kitchen, there was no going back.

So, stick with us to explore some powerful women. Some may be world famous leaders or captains of industry. We have already hilighted a few in our world’s most powerful women article, and we hope you help supply more great examples.  Let us also explore personal empowerment so you can accomplish those goals.

Give us your great examples of real older women who accomplish things, both great and small. Also give us your motivation so we can find the courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other.