Growing old is optional; growing up is mandatory! I know it sounds backwards right? 

What I mean is that I have grown up enough to know exactly who I am, and that’s my recipe for staying young. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is to be more concerned with my reflection in the world than my reflection in the mirror, and let me explain why!

Experiencing new missions, new experiences, new people, and finding the magic in the mundane — that’s what I am talking about. I have learned that what I focus on expands and becomes my reality. When I choose to focus on the endless possibilities that surround me, like being of service to others and enjoying an evening of dancing here and there, I love my reality. Every time I decide to focus on what works in my life, that’s when I realize life itself expands endlessly! I am also proud to say that it has expanded with the bounty of unexpected gifts and miracles, large and small.

When I see that every moment may contain a new insight, a new discovery or even an epiphany, who has time to focus on getting older? It’s when I finally release the past with all its heartbreaks, hurts, and disappointments, and instead choose to look forward to what’s around the next corner without fear and with great anticipation. That’s when I finally found myself free to peacefully connect to the present and, more importantly, that’s when I found myself all together courageous, passionate, loving, generous, and filled with my favorite thing “Joie de vivre — Joy for life”! I had the right to claim my victory, as it was truly mine! I knew then and I know now that I have the power to sustain this victorious path I forged for myself.

I discovered that being the best companion I can be for myself has also created a wonderful force in the lives of others. I feel blessed, and as I grow to accept myself unconditionally, I find I like myself more. In turn, I feel I am worthy of being the best for myself by eating well, exercising, meditating, practicing yoga, staying in shape, and making sure I feed myself with words of affirmation and positivity to maintain emotional balance and to keep my stress at bay.

What I am discovering by following this philosophy is that the best friend I could ever make is ME, and this ME is this ageless, timeless best ME who looks pretty good in the mirror!

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Stress Management Expert and Founder of New Life Directions, reinvents lives and creates fresh starts driven by a purposeful vision. As an international speaker and author of The Fresh Start Promise and Victim to Victorious, Edwige turns stress into success by clearing unwanted habits and behaviors, creating self confidence and exuberant enjoyment of life, or as she calls it in French, “Joie de Vivre.” Her proven process includes breakthrough mindfulness techniques of meditation, mantra, and self-hypnosis, guiding her clients back to emotional balance at all times through tapping into the subconscious and helping them achieve their ideal version of themselves. With over 30 years in the self growth industry, Edwige has gained ultimate clarity, as well as certifications in yoga, hypnotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming, Qigong, weight management, substance abuse and alcoholism counseling, aerobic exercise, and behavior change. She uses a combination of these modalities to go far beneath the surface with her clients, identifying how they’ve been victimized and then reprogramming false beliefs. Renowned businesswoman, Barbara Corcoran, hired Edwige as a stress management officer for her real estate brokerage, The Corcoran Group, before joining Shark Tank. With a degree in humanities, Edwige connects with people at the soul level grasping the essence of who they are and volunteers on the advisory board of MoviesMakingADifference, a 501c3 nonprofit, helping people with serious challenges such as sex trafficking, child labor, child marriage, and religious cults. In her free time, Edwige also models for Deco Models in Miami. A native of Cannes, France, Edwige now lives in West Palm Beach, Florida with her husband.