{"id":5514,"date":"2017-04-26T17:44:50","date_gmt":"2017-04-26T17:44:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/?p=5514"},"modified":"2017-05-23T10:53:25","modified_gmt":"2017-05-23T10:53:25","slug":"yo-you-go-girl-phyllis-sues-is-an-inspiration-at-94","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/spring-summer-2017\/yo-you-go-girl-phyllis-sues-is-an-inspiration-at-94\/","title":{"rendered":"Yo! You Go Girl! Inspirational Phyllis Sues"},"content":{"rendered":"

P<\/span>hyllis Sues\u2014who just turned 94\u2014has been a dancer all her life. She performed in five long-run Broadway shows and danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She also performed and starred in TV shows.<\/p>\n

At 50, she started her own women’s fashion label, which ran successfully for 22 years. In her 70s, she learned French and Italian and became a musician. She produced, composed and plays the piano in a tango & jazz CD.<\/p>\n

In her 80s, she flew on a trapeze and walked into her first yoga class at 85. That class changed her life, proving that even in your 80s, you can make positive lifestyle changes. Thanks to yoga, Sues is able to continue her true passion: dancing. To celebrate her 90th birthday, Sues\u2014like George H. W. Bush at the same age\u2014skydived. She loved it so much she went back a second time.\n[awesome-gallery id=5829]

(Left) Phyllis Sues. Photo: Adam Sheridan-Taylor (Right) Phyllis Sues & Marcos Questas, Phyllis’ dance teacher. Credit_Phyllis Sues<\/p><\/p>\n

Sues practices yoga and dances daily. She also hikes with her dog, jump ropes, rides her bike, and plays tennis. For her 92nd birthday, she celebrated by dancing a tango, which she credits for keeping her memory sharp. Her yoga teacher posted the video, and it went viral with over one million views. Even though Sues has arthritis and osteoporosis, she does not allow either of them to be active members of her life. And neither is cancer, which she conquered at age 79.<\/p>\n

Who says social media is not for older adults? Sues is active on social media and posts inspirational and wise advice to her followers. She has inspired many to take a dance class, practice yoga, and exercise. \u201cThe response has been incredible,\u201d Sues said.<\/p>\n

Sues is featured in Ari Seth Cohen\u2019s new book Advanced Style: Older and Wiser<\/em> along with a personal essay sharing her lifestyle secrets and showcasing her senior-chic style.<\/p>\n

Dispelling the myths of aging is an everyday occurrence for Sues. She is definitely inspiring others to keep moving \u2026 no matter what their age.<\/p>\n

Here is a personal essay by Phyllis Sues:<\/p>\n

Awakening the Seed of Creativity<\/h4>\n

By Phyllis Sues<\/p><\/p>\n

What is the motivation for living?\nWhat is the motivation for getting out of that bed?\nWhat is the motivation for looking good?\nWhat is the motivation for feeling good?\nWhat is the motivation to accept each challenge?<\/p>\n

These questions plague the universe,\nbut there is a way.\nI\u2019m motivated, because I cannot face the possibility\nthat my body and mind will be any less tomorrow\nthan it is today. And I have pride, energy, and endless desire\nto be better not just tomorrow but every day.\nI only have me, and that\u2019s all each one of us has.\nNo one is going to do it for you. You and you alone\nare the engine.<\/p>\n

To be inspired is a dead end unless you do something about it.\nTo be inspired is one thing. To do something about it is\nanother thing entirely.\nTo have the desire is one thing, but it goes nowhere unless you\ntake action. Inspiration, desire, and action\u2014all three together\nmake a life worth living.<\/p>\n

Take a deep breath and enjoy the silence that comes with deep breathing,\nand it\u2019s possible you may discover a seed of creativity hidden away\u2014\nit needs to be awakened.<\/p>\n

I have enjoyed an amazing life, never doubting or anticipating\nwhere the journey was going to take me. Only loving every minute\non this planet, never questioning until one day at age 85, flying on\nthe trapeze, I questioned the word gravity and how was I flying\nwith absolutely no assistance except my own physicality.<\/p>\n

And this gave birth to my first song \u201cFREE FALL,\u201d which gave birth\nto many more songs lyrics and music and a CD, Scenes Of Passion.\nWriting lyrics and composing music had never been on my agenda.\nIt has to do with opening doors and accepting what\u2019s on the other side.<\/p>\n

Facing the challenge. It\u2019s out there for every one of us.\nIt\u2019s like taking that deep breath and listening. It\u2019s not a secret.\nFor me, once the lyrics and the music evolved, something else said,\n“Hello.” It was my body demanding to be heard.<\/p>\n

For 22 years, I had neglected this incredible machine. My brain\nwas the one feeding a successful fashion business. Now, it was time\nto allow my best friend to take flight. And between the two of us,\nwe have been on a totally unexpected journey.<\/p>\n

Yoga then tango then music composition not to mention jumprope.\nSo now, for more than eight years since my 85th birthday, I\u2019ve been feeding and encouraging these two phenomenal organs.<\/p>\n

Between the age of 20 and 93, there are differences, minuses, and pluses,\nbut the only ones I like to think about are the pluses.<\/p>\n

Wisdom is the most important plus in my life, but the ability to make decisions\nstands right next to it. Just waking up every morning is the biggest plus in my life,\nand I greet the morning with these words,\n\u201cI love this day! I\u2019m here to play, so I wont delay, and I\u2019m on my way!\nHip hip hooray, it\u2019s a beautiful day!\u201d<\/p>\n

At 20, there is no fear. At 93, there is fear but a different kind of fear.<\/p>\n

Knowledge educates fear. You acknowledge the pitfalls because of\nthis well-earned wisdom, and you know exactly how to handle not only the fear but\nalso the anxiety.<\/p>\n

When I skydived, I had no fear\u2014I had anxiety. The desire was there,\nand the action followed. I had to go twice to make sure the universe and I were one.<\/p>\n

So now all these 93-close-to-94 years of moving, learning, simplifying, listening,\nand simply living are paying off.<\/p>\n

Be thankful for this gift of life.\nIs it just today? Or is it forever? So many questions and no answers.<\/p>\n

But there is one answer, and that is without a question.\nYou are here now. Not before, not after. Simply this exact moment.<\/p>\n

Call it what you may, but if you can enjoy this exact moment and every moment,\nyou have won the brass ring. It\u2019s called the present.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going to say this is easy to achieve.\nI\u2019ve been working on it for years and once in a while, I touch the brass ring.\nIf you can truly achieve the present, then there is no end and every moment\nis a treasure and simply living becomes easier.<\/p>\n

Writing my biography only happened recently and is an ongoing project.\nSo we all know anything is possible if you think it\u2019s possible.\nThe word possible opens up endless avenues of creativity.<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s only, and I say only, in the kitchen,\nthat can be one hellava opening for creativity.<\/p>\n

Tango gives me hope for everything.<\/p>\n

Yoga gives me strength for everything.<\/p>\n

Riding my stationary bike for 20 minutes is not the most exciting 20\nminutes in my life, but it gives me strength and aerobics,\nand life gives me the universe.<\/p>\n

Just staying alive is a never-ending challenge.<\/p>\n

A challenge to move to breath, to learn and grow beyond\nyour comfort zone. Then and only then will you enjoy a life of quality.<\/p>\n

Take a day at a time, simplify, relish, and cherish each moment of being alive.<\/p>\n

This life is a gift. There are so many rewards, but they come with the\nchallenges and your acceptance of those challenges.<\/p>\n

So grab ahold of that wire of life, and the chips of life will fall in your lap.<\/p>\n

Move, listen, learn, and simplify.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s your motivation, and you\u2019ve just awakened\nthe seed of creativity.<\/p>\n

To learn more about Phyllis Sues, visit her website phyllissues.com<\/a><\/span>.\nCheck out her skydive here: Phyllis Skydives<\/a><\/span> \u00a0and her birthday tango here: Birthday Tango<\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Motivational profile of one woman who keeps going no matter what the obstacle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5625,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[77,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spring-summer-2017","category-spring-summer-2017-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5514"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5514\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6099,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5514\/revisions\/6099"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}