26-22. “When is it OK to be old?”


Sara’s View of Life with Sara Troy, on air from May 26th

There comes a point in life where holding on to youth is no longer about vitality, curiosity, or joy… but about fear. Fear of becoming invisible. Fear of no longer mattering. Fear that aging somehow means less value in a world obsessed with appearance, speed, and productivity.

But aging is not a failure of youth. It is the graduation from it.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel alive, vibrant, engaged, sensual, creative, adventurous, or healthy at any age. That is not “trying to stay young.” That is honoring life itself. The problem comes when society tells us that to be worthy, we must erase every sign that we have lived.

When did wrinkles become something to apologize for?
When did slowing down become weakness?

When do Gaining weight, going softer become something wrong?
When did wisdom become less marketable than youthful image?

There is a sacredness in aging that many cultures once honored. Elders were the storytellers, the memory keepers, the guides who had walked through storms and survived them. Today, many older people feel pressured to perform youth instead of embodying wisdom.

Perhaps the real question is not:
“When is it OK to be old?”
but:
When did we stop respecting what age brings?”

Being older should not mean giving up on life.
Nor should it mean exhausting ourselves pretending we are still thirty.

There is a difference between aliveness and denial.

You can dye your hair purple at eighty and still fully embrace aging.
You can wear comfortable shoes, speak softly, rest more often, and still be wildly alive.
You can choose peace over proving.
You can choose authenticity over performance.

Aging invites us into a different rhythm.
Less rushing.
More knowing.
Less chasing.
More presence.
Less needing approval.
More understanding of what truly matters.

The tragedy is not growing old.
The tragedy is never allowing yourself to arrive there with grace because you spent all your energy trying to outrun it.

There is enormous freedom in saying:
“This is my age. These are my years. This is the body that carried me through life. These are the scars that taught me. This is the wisdom I earned.”

Not everybody gets to grow old.
To age is a privilege.

And perhaps one of the most radical acts today is an older person who does not apologize for being older, who still shines, still contributes, still loves, still learns, but no longer feels the need to pretend they are young to deserve a place in the world.

I am at peace with being older, wiser, calmer, softer, and rounder. I no longer feel the need to chase youth or apologize for the years I have lived. Every line, every lesson, every joy and sorrow has shaped the woman I am today. I am aligned with myself, comfortable in my own skin, and grateful for the maturity and understanding that age has brought me. I am no longer trying to become someone else, I am simply, authentically me, wrinkles plus, and I love being so.


“Our Forgotten Seniors” is a book in development that gathers the voices, wisdom, and lived experiences of our seniors, celebrating the gifts they have shared with humanity throughout their lives. It shines a light on the challenges many elders face today, from loneliness and health struggles to financial insecurity and being overlooked by society. At the same time, it serves as a heartfelt message to younger generations, encouraging them to prepare for their own senior years with awareness, compassion, and respect. This book is not only a tribute to our elders, but a call to honor the wisdom of aging and ensure that no senior is forgotten.

Come and be an author with us, more details here



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See this wonderful video on getting old here.

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26-20. “The Exhaustion of Pretending to Be Fine”


Sara’s View of Life with Sara Troy, on air from May 18th

An honest talk around emotional fatigue, masking pain, burnout, and the liberation that comes from authenticity.

May is Fibromyalgia Awareness Month, and after living with fibromyalgia for over thirty years, I felt it was important to speak openly about the wearyness of living with a debilitating disease that so often goes unseen, misunderstood, or dismissed.

Fibromyalgia is not simply about pain. It is an exhaustion that settles deep into the bones, the muscles, the mind, and the spirit. It is waking up tired no matter how much sleep you have had. It is trying to function through brain fog, chronic fatigue, hypersensitivity, emotional depletion, digestive issues, and a body that can change from one moment to the next without warning. Some days, even the smallest tasks can feel like climbing a mountain carrying invisible weight.

What makes it even harder is that many people living with fibromyalgia become experts at masking it. We smile, show up, continue caring for others, continue working where we can, and continue trying to participate in life while silently calculating energy, pain levels, recovery time, and limitations. People often see the face we present, not the internal battle we fight every single day.

Living with a long-term illness also carries grief. Grief for the life you thought you would have, the energy you once had, the spontaneity lost, the misunderstandings from others, and sometimes even the isolation that comes from people not fully comprehending what chronic illness does to the body, mind, emotions, and identity.

But within that wearyness, there is also resilience. There is adaptation. There is courage in continuing on when your body constantly asks you to stop. There is wisdom learned through pacing, listening, adjusting, and discovering what truly matters. Living with fibromyalgia teaches compassion in ways many cannot understand unless they too have walked this path.

This conversation is not about seeking pity. It is about awareness, understanding, and giving voice to the millions of people who live daily with invisible illnesses. It is about acknowledging that behind many smiles are people carrying extraordinary burdens quietly and bravely.

And perhaps most importantly, it is about reminding those who live with fibromyalgia that they are not weak, not lazy, not imagining it, and not alone and you are so much more than the desease.



https://soundcloud.com/self-discovery-wisdom/26-20-the-exhaustion-of/s-QlaaqgIlNIz?si=09be69283c4c42e5927e5c3fed09b027&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing


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Just a few celebrities living with Fibromyalgia


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Self Discovery Wisdom is sustained by those who believe in conscious conversation. If this episode resonated with you, subscribe and, if you feel called, make a donation. Your support helps us keep amplifying voices that inspire growth, courage, and compassion. Thank you. Become an author on our anthology Our Forgotten Seniors  and help to bring this book to awareness.


C26-19. Tammy J. Cohen, “Text Messages To My Sons”


Choose Positive Living with Sara Troy and her guest Tammy J. Cohen, on air from May 12th

At the heart of it, what led to discovering my mission: Back on 3/20/20, when the world shut down, I had time to pause, reflect, and think, and I realized I was not ok and I knew I had to act. I immersed myself in programs and coursework to understand why I felt unworthy, resentful, and disengaged.  To understand why I self-sabotaged and was reactive and judgmental.  I went on a journey of discovery and realized that everything I was learning was simply not taught in school.  So I decided to start sharing all this incredible wisdom I was learning from thought leaders across generations with my sons, because I wanted it to be different for them than it was for me growing up. 

I realized that if I wanted to deepen my connection with my sons and change the relationship, I had to change the conversation and reach them where they are and where their generation is: on their cell phones.  This was the AHA moment for me to use technology differently and to commit to an unconditional practice of texting my sons a meaningful, intentional message daily.  No texting agendas, commands, reprimands, or reminders, no unsolicited advice, just an intentional message with no expectations of a response.  I knew I had to show up differently.  What I did not know was the ripple effect this practice would have on me over time.  I did not just deepen my connection with my sons; I deepened my connection to myself, and it changed me.  And this change rippled out to my family, friends, colleagues, and community.   My text messaging practice led to the publication of my book, “Text Messages To My Sons: A Guide to Using Mobile Devices to Connect and Communicate with Your Kids.



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Tammy J. Cohen is a messaging strategist, author, speaker, sometimes podcaster, and branding consultant focused on human connection in an increasingly AI-driven and tech-driven world. For over 20 years, she has led TC Brand Consulting, helping executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations clarify their mission, vision, and messaging to achieve strong, authentic impact.  Tammy is the award-winning author of Text Messages to My Sons: A Guide to Using Mobile Devices to Connect and Communicate with Your Kids and a frequent speaker and media contributor on connection, leadership, and modern communication.


 https://tammyjcohen.com

www.instagram.com/tammyjcohen

linkedin.com/in/tammy-j-cohen

www.facebook.com/tammy.cohen.


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26-19. Sara’s Seventh Decade.


Sara’s View of Life with Sara Troy, on air from May 12th

From sixty to seventy, I stepped fully into my purpose and into a life that finally felt like my own. This decade was no longer about searching—it was about living, serving, and sharing the wisdom that had been forged through every previous chapter of my life.

By this time, podcasting had already begun to anchor me. Starting in 2012, and truly building momentum from 2014 onward, I committed to this path of conversation, connection, and contribution. What began as a spark in my late fifties became a full expression of who I am. Week after week, year after year, I showed up—interviewing people from around the world, sharing their stories, their courage, their insights, and their purpose.

The years that followed brought profound personal change.

In 2015, my mother passed at the age of 95. She had been bedridden, and when the time came, it was as if the Angels came for her. With open eyes and open arms, she embraced them. It was a moment of peace, of grace, and of release.

My best friend took me to Mexico in March 2015 for two weeks, it was wonderful and and after Mums death a welcome divertion.

In 2016, I lost my beloved companion, Kokomo, my border collie she was 14.7 years old. To this day, I miss her deeply. She was love, heart, soul, and spirit, and she loved me in a way that was pure and unwavering, a bond that will always stay with me. January of 2017 our beloved cat Sativa left us at the age of 17.7 years old.

In 2017, my ex finally moved on, closing a long and difficult chapter. We had been living together, but the relationship itself had ended seven years prior. That same year, I left Vancouver. This was not just a physical move, it was a transition into a life more aligned with who I was becoming. Vancouver held many memories, both beautiful and painful, but I knew it was time to step into new spaces, both externally and internally.

Late 2017, I went to Toronto for a short time to be closer to my eldest daughter. It brought a very different energy, busy, loud, and demanding. It reminded me of the vastness of the world, the diversity of people, and the constant movement of life. It echoed the work I was doing through my podcast, connecting with voices from all walks of life. But I only stayed three months, it was simply too cold, and for me, perhaps forty years too late.

In February 2018, I moved to Victoria, where I would spend the next six years. Victoria became a place of reflection and integration. Its quieter pace and connection to the sea allowed me to breathe more deeply, to look inward, and to let the dust of previous decades settle. I lived with an extraordinary woman named Audrey, who was 84 at the time and a true example of how to live life fully. That chapter gave me space—not to escape my past, but to understand and integrate it.

Throughout this decade, Self Discovery Wisdom truly grew into what it is today. It became more than a podcast, it became a platform, a community, an Orchard of Wisdom a Self Discovery, where voices could be heard and wisdom could be shared. I was no longer just finding my voice; I was helping others find and share theirs.

Living with fibromyalgia remained part of my daily reality. The pain, the fatigue, the unpredictability—they never truly left. But I learned to live with it, to work with my body instead of against it. I learned to pace, to rest, and to honour what I could do rather than mourn what I could not. It became part of my rhythm, not my identity.

This decade deepened my understanding of knowingness, of listening, feeling, and trusting that inner guidance. Everything I had gone through—the trauma, the loneliness, the rebuilding, the illness, had led me here. I could see the threads clearly. Nothing had been wasted. Every experience had shaped my compassion, my insight, and my ability to hold space for others.

There were still challenges—financial struggles, managing my health, carrying so much independently, but my relationship to those challenges changed. I was no longer defined by hardship. I was guided by purpose.

I embraced my role as the Wisdom Weaver of the Airwaves. Through thousands of conversations, I witnessed the resilience of humanity, the courage of individuals, and the power of shared stories. I saw again and again that people are not broken—they are often simply unheard, unsupported, or disconnected from their truth.

Eventually, I moved to Nanaimo, where I now live just ten minutes from my daughter and grandsons. My life is beautifully divided between podcasting and grandparenting, and I feel full. I owe a deep sense of security and gratitude to my daughter and son-in-law, who helped provide me with a home where I truly feel at peace, and where my grandsons can come and play.

This decade taught me that sometimes we need to change our environment to truly see ourselves. Vancouver showed me who I had been. Toronto reminded me of the world I was serving. Victoria gave me space to feel and heal. And Nanaimo has given me a sense of home, family,grounding and belonging.

Through it all, I remained committed to my purpose, sharing stories, weaving wisdom, and reminding others, as I remind myself, that our journey is not defined by where we are, but by who we become along the way.

From sixty to seventy-one, I wasn’t just moving through places.

I was coming home to myself.

I was anchoring into myself.



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Self Discovery Wisdom is sustained by those who believe in conscious conversation. If this episode resonated with you, subscribe and, if you feel called, make a donation. Your support helps us keep amplifying voices that inspire growth, courage, and compassion. Thank you. Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.


20-10. The Whackaroo……..


Sara’s View of Life with Sara Troy. On air from March 10th

This past week was a rough one for me. I have lived with fibromyalgia for nearly 30 years, and although I have learned to recognize many of the signs and manage my energy as best I can, sometimes it still comes in out of nowhere and completely flattens me. When that happens, it feels as though my body is weighed down by iron bricks. Everything becomes hard—moving, thinking, focusing, even simply getting through the day. And no matter how much sleep I get, I can still wake up feeling as though my body is carrying an impossible heaviness.

Over the years, I have learned that fighting it only makes it worse. There are moments in life when the wisest thing we can do is give in, rest, hydrate, be still, and stop apologizing for what our body truly needs. So many people live with conditions, disabilities, exhaustion, pain, or invisible struggles that others cannot see or understand. The important thing is not to let those challenges become our identity, but to learn how to live with them, listen to them, and manage them with as much grace and compassion as we can. We need to know our triggers, respect our limits, and stop measuring ourselves against what others think we should be able to do.

That does not mean giving up on life. It means learning a new rhythm. It means focusing on what we can do, when we can do it, and allowing ourselves the space to redirect when needed. I may not always be able to do everything I want, and some weeks I may offer less than I had hoped, but I have learned not to beat myself up for that. Instead, I choose to honor where I am, do what I can with the energy I have, and trust that this too shall pass. Whatever challenge you are living with, may you give yourself permission to listen deeply, care for yourself kindly, and remember that your worth is never diminished by what you are going through.



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AMAZON


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Self Discovery Wisdom is sustained by those who believe in conscious conversation. If this episode resonated with you, subscribe and, if you feel called, make a donation. Your support helps us keep amplifying voices that inspire growth, courage, and compassion. Thank you. Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.