Victoria Rose: Over 60 Still Fabulous

Victoria Rose was soldier for 23 years. For a large portion of her life, she trained officers in weapons and then eventually decided to take this into the corporate world.

Travelling had always been a passion for Victoria. Even as young as 18, she took off overseas to explore the world and the desire has never left her.

The unique and beautiful thing about Victoria Rose, is that now, in her eighth decade of life, she has mastered the art of living her best life.

“I turned seventy last year and I made a decision to live before I die,” Victoria said.

“It’s so easy to make the decision that you’re too old to and too invisible to try anything new, that no one cares about you. We all have these stories running through our mind, which ultimately stop us from really living,” she said.

It’s all too common to hear the inner critics of older women holding them back. The narration that constantly runs in our heads about being frail, useless, unimportant, unworthy, is stopping many older women from pursuing their dreams.

“We are The Elders of our time. So many of us have given up that position and become victims of ageing.”

“There is no used by date, unless you think there is,” Victoria said.

Victoria says that when you believe in something, you create it for yourself.

“Compare two women, side by side. One of them has a high altitude attitude, who believes that she has a choice of viewing a current challenging event as either bitter or better. Better is accepting what has happened and saying, ‘OK, what can we do about this?’ The other woman is saying ‘woe is me, doomsdays has come, I’m hopeless, I’m helpless.’ Which, in our ‘day’ that was an accepted thing to do.”

“You have the power to create your own reality.”

either bitter or better. Better is accepting what has happened and saying, ‘OK, what can we do about this?’ The other woman is saying ‘woe is me, doomsdays has come, I’m hopeless, I’m helpless.’ Which, in our ‘day’ that was an accepted thing to do.”

The woman choosing a better approach can move forward and feel empowered that she has choices, whereas the other woman will be stuck.

After writing her latest book, How To Make The Rest Of Your Life, The Best Of Your Life, Victoria embarked on an incredible 16 month backpacking solo through Europe, Turkey and Asia on an Age pension.

Her goal was to prove that you really can travel and live overseas on a pension. She now continues her journey, here, in Australia, where she is comparing the same day to day lifestyle.

“In Europe, for example, I was paying $1 -$1.50 for a coffee. Here, I’m paying up to $5,” she said.

“You see, there is so much in our world that we can get excited about if you just open your view and look around! There are infinite possibilities if we put ourselves forward and take the first the step and be open to opportunity.”

Victoria’s life began to change when she was 50 years od, working in the real estate industry and on the verge of a breakdown.

“I realised that I was a fraud. I was NOT making the rest of my life the best of my life. I took a good look at what I was doing. Is it going to lead to me into the best of my life? I took a hard look at myself.”

“What is it you want most?” I asked myself.

I took myself off into the Italy and the Greek Islands for 6 weeks. I travelled with just a backpack and only those posession in my life. I felt light. I had no worries. It was incredible feeling.

And, so here Victoria was again, asking herself what makes her happy. It came back to those simplicities.

“All I own at this stage of my life is 6 medium cardboard boxes, a pushbike, I don’t own a fridge or washing machine, I don’t own a home.

“I had only one housesit organized from Australia for 3 months in turkey. I took the first step and for the rest of the time the possibilities presented themselves.”

“The thing is, We ARE old. I am an old woman, but I embrace being an Elder.

I don’t want to go back to being young. I remember sitting around the table with my mum and hearing her saying “If only I could go back and know what I know now!” I’d never want to go back for even one year. What I now hold both in my head and my heart is so valuable.”

These are Victoria’s simple steps to changing the course of your life. To really make the best of the rest of your life, take these five steps:

WHERE ARE YOU NOW? Look seriously. Take an honest reality check of your life. Look at your values? Are you living them? What story are you telling yourself? Be honest. Be brave.

HOW. How did you get to where you are now? The choices you’ve made to get this stage are yours and only yours. Blaming others is fruitless. Our own choices lead us here. What thoughts did I create in my mind that helped get me here? What words did I use? Words are incredibly powerful. What words helped build your situation? You will need to change those things to get a different result moving forward.

WHAT. What is it that I truly want? If you don’t know what you want, you can’t achieve it! Many of us don’t realise we have a choice! “I can choose what I want? Not my husband, my kids, society?” Yes, you can!

WILL. Will you take action? Do you have the will to change how you’ve shown up in the world? Do you? You must find the will within yourself to make this change.

CELEBRATION. To get to the point where you have figured all of this out is worth celebrating. We need more celebrations in our lives. This really is something to celebrate.

Listen to the full interview here.

How To Make The Rest Of Your Life, The Best Of Your Life – Tough love for smart single women over 60 on Amazon.

Podcast at on anchor.fm.

Victoria Rose Tough Love

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