Jane Fonda's done it again! Positively impacted my life, this time with her new book, Primetime.
The first time she impacted my life, rather unexpectedly, I'd moved to Los Angeles from Washington, DC and learned what a real workout was at The Jane Fonda Workout Studio.
No resemblence to the Jane Fonda workout video my mom used.
At Jane's high-octane gym in Beverly Hills, I discovered a side of myself I'd never known before: Highly energetic! And let's face it, without high energy one can't easily travel the world, build a business, or dance nights aways...
So when I read Jane Fonda's new book, Primetime, I glimpsed pearls of Jane's wisdom gained through her life both lived and examined. I learned ways I might continue to improve my life from her trailblazing lessons.
If there's one main point to this book, it's this: Examine your life. Interview your parents to really know them while you can. See your parents as people. And practice forgiveness.
I started to do this during my last visit home, interviewing my dad with a tape recorder, well, actually with Garage Band on this Mac. One thing unexpected I learned was that my dad, at age 17, hitch-hiked alone from New York to California and got a job at a deli. That's when he learned he loved Los Angeles. When he was accepted to multiple colleges he accepted USC for undergraduate studies. Apparently, I get my ability to travel alone somewhat fearlessly from both parents. My first solo international trip was at 17. At the time, I had friends with over-protective parents and I kind of wondered why mine weren't. Hmmm. Anyway...
I watched Jane Fonda on Oprah's Life Class last night, and loved this quote, which, I don't know about you, but I can relate to:
"When you weight lift you tear muscles a little bit, and it takes 48 hours to build up stronger where there was a tear. Life is like that. We get stronger where we've been broken."
The book offers classic Jane advice regarding eating and exercising well, and more specific advice for women of a certain age dating after menopause, living without regrets, the power of focus...
And the importance of striving to be whole.
According to Jane, she's finally whole at 74. And she says it's never to late to strive to be whole no matter you're age.
I have to say, striving to be whole has been top of my mind always, and maybe the reason I never married, for I never met anyone who let me be me, the work in-progress that I am without trying to shape me or use me to fashion their goals or conversely leave me alone in favor of workaholism. It is my hope that when I'm fully integrated and whole, I'll meet my life partner who compliments my life as I do his. I feel close. I've mostly lived authenticly, building my own business, art and music projects, and blog. But it took awhile to gain confidence and own what I do. Not knowing better when younger, I allowed certain people to take from me without consequence except my eventual resentment. I once built a successful business with my first live-in boyfriend. The business was my idea. Travel documentaries and marketing videos. I named our company. Worked with graphic artists, chose and approved the still-to-this-day-colors and working logo. Got our first clients. Wrote and produced the videos and documentaries. And when I left him because I didn't want to marry, I asked for nothing from the business and I was offered nothing. That would never happen today. I own my value, time, and efforts. Though that experience gave me the indelible lesson to stand up. This rambling is nothing to do with Jane's book... I take that back. Primetime makes you think and examine your life, so as we grow we do better.
My life is a creative unfolding adventure, and if yours is too, I think you'll enjoy Jane's book filled with empathy and wisdom.
I highly recommend Jane Fonda's book Primetime: It's extremely well-researched and written, and Jane is one awesome woman to know!
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