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Conscious Aging Women July 2025

"These are the times that try men's souls" This quote is from Thomas Paine in his American Crisis pamphlet written during the Revolutionary War. This information came from a Google search of this quote. The search continues stating "This means that difficult circumstances reveal a person’s true character and commitment. It emphasizes that trials and hardships can test individuals and determines whether they will maintain steadfastness in their beliefs and actions."

How appropriate that this quote, and Google's interpretation of that quote, comes from a yet to be an American, Thomas Paine. It took a war to gain our independence and to write a Constitution that told the world and ourselves what values we hold to be important and vital. Those values established and maintained a democracy.

These statements and sentiments can also apply to becoming more conscious as human beings. When we start and continue on this path of knowing ourselves on a deeper level, we become clearer about what our values are, what we hold dear, how we define ourselves, what our boundaries are and perhaps, most importantly, what difficulties we are ready to experience to maintain our dignity, our integrity, our moral standards, and how we wish to go forward in our lives.

Becoming more conscious means looking closely at ourselves and deciding what is really important. How important is it to be kind, loving and forgiving not only to ourselves but to others? What actions are we willing to employ to get what we want? What kinds of people do we want in our lives? Often, when we change our behaviors and values to lead a more fulfilling life, others are not happy with our changes. Do we stand up for these changes, or do we go back to a less fulfilling life? Often, the most difficult part of changing is to change the habits we have established as our "old selves". Those old judgments and ways of talking about ourselves and others are ingrained in our brains. But, as we change, those old habits will change too. Be patient.

None of these questions and a quest for answers, for ourselves or for the U.S, are quick or easy to obtain. One thing we do know, without question, is that we are in "times that try men’s souls" and these times do call for our courage and our ability to stand up for ourselves. We are called to be courageous and steadfast and patient because, once we decide to know who we really are and who we want to become, it will take our strength and confidence and persistence to attain our goal.

The fight is worth it for we will birth a new person who knows who they are and will continue to value that knowing. And, hopefully, we will stay true to the U.S. Constitution. Because who we are as an individual is directly effected by the country we live in!