Aging Well: Happiness Within

Cathy Graham • July 5, 2022
I do believe that happiness is in you. It may be overshadowed by the world we live in, but I promise you, happiness is still within. 

We have lived through so much in such a short amount of time. The pandemic and its gnawing aftermath are still fresh. Hatred and violence ride the headlines every single day. We are bombarded with over-opinionated voices that would rather spew with deaf ears than have an honest conversation. It’s hard.

On top of these struggles, our daily costs have become unbelievable. When will it end? Maybe never. Could it be that the surmounting turmoil has always existed? Perhaps technology’s grip is holding our heads under the water.

Trust yourself when you know that it is time to walk away. Trust the nudge of the restless nights and your lack of motivation. Turn yourself inside out and wake up to the joy that is within. Find hope in nature and comfort in family. Note every single miracle that you see. Find resilience in the sunrise and the sunset. Drink in the laughter and pause to create kindness. When you can no longer tolerate the emptiness, fill yourself with the little things. Embrace in an honest and complete hug with someone you love. Hold a hand that is younger than yours. That is where we need to be to find happiness. That is who we truly are.


Cathy Graham is director of Graceful Aging Wellness Center of Bethlen Communities, Ligonier, Pennsylvania, and a District 3000–HRFA member.

By Lesley Mann May 29, 2025
As we move into the second quarter of another exciting year, I want to take a moment to reflect on our accomplishments and share some of the new initiatives we are implementing in the realms of sales, marketing and community engagement. Over the past year, GBU Life has reached significant milestones thanks to the dedication and hard work of our team and the trust and support of our members. Our sales department has exceeded targets, and we have expanded our reach to more communities than ever before. We have launched several successful marketing campaigns that have not only increased our visibility but have also strengthened our brand's presence in the industry. For this year, our focus will be educating potential new members on the importance of securing their financial futures through life insurance and annuity products while serving their communities as part of our great Society. Looking ahead, we are committed to enhancing our sales strategies to better serve you. We are introducing some tools for our agents to enhance our products. One new tool is our Defined Benefit Annuity program which combines the Future Flex Fixed Index Annuity (FIA) with a software tool that can help determine retirement savings needs and break them down into contributions over time to help you meet your retirement goals. Be sure to keep in touch with your GBU agent to review your plans and products to see how adding an FIA to your retirement planning can help boost your savings efforts
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