Recent advances in brain imaging have produced several surprising new wrinkles to the great gender divide. It goes without saying that those of us who lived through the women’s movement are especially fascinated by the topic of nature versus nurture. In fact this particular conundrum laid the foundation for many a heated skirmish at the height of the battle between the sexes. Now it looks like nature plays an even greater role than we’d thought—especially when it comes to the human brain. One of the most striking differences between the brains of men and women involves the ability to process language.

To the utter dismay of many a long-suffering woman, it appears that men do not listen well! One cause for this phenomenon may come as a result of their lower oxytocin levels. (Oxytocin is the hormone involved in bonding—sometimes dubbed “the cuddle chemical). Unfortunately, the lack of the cuddle chemical makes our guys likely less inclined to want to bond and connect—especially through conversation.

However, hormones aside, the main culprit for their turning a deaf ear to us is that their brain is actually “deaf” on one side.  When brain images of live subjects were taken, they showed the neurons on both sides of a woman’s brain were activated while she listened to the voices of the researchers. However, in males, only one side of the brain displayed activated neurons. And, when verbal tasks were given, women showed higher blood flow to various areas throughout their brain. They could remember what was said and, therefore, recall what they were told to do. No surprise, this increased activity did not occur in men.

Consequently, it seems a biological determinate that when you have a need to send a verbal message to your male partner—especially when it concerns a task you want them to do—you’ll need to be extra certain that your message will actually sift through to the side of his brain where he’ll hear it.

As many of us will attest, dealing with guys can prove challenging… and this frustrating brain-fact makes Tammy Wynette’s words even more on target: “Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman!”

Those of us gals who attempted to join the workforce in the 1970s could expect certain questions at each and every job interview. Whether or not there was a B.A. after your name, the primary question remained: “How fast can you type?” And, if the lady candidate sported a wedding ring, the next question was always: “Does your husband mind if you work?” Meanwhile, male college graduate applicants of the time were swiftly enrolled in the firm’s management training program and were never questioned as to their typing speed or their wife’s concern regarding their employment choices.

Moreover, if a woman already had a family and decided to go to work because she was widowed, divorced, or otherwise needed an income; she was generally viewed as an aberration—someone who was out of place in the business world. In fact, the term applied to such females was “displaced homemakers…” not exactly a sign of respect for their business acumen!

Nevertheless and despite the enormous odds stacked against us, we feisty gals pushed hard to gain a semblance of parity with our male counterparts. And we succeeded! Granted, major inequities in compensation, seats in the boardroom, and in a thousand other ways still exist—but our struggles made a difference for our daughters and ourselves.

Yet it goes without saying that the younger generation tends to want to shock and surprise their elders. We certainly outraged our parents with our long hair, protests, and fondness for pot. But this latest news is almost too much to bear: A brand new survey found that more than 25% of women would trade in IQ points for bigger breasts. I’m speechless!

I do try to adopt a positive outlook in most things but this one is challenging me—big time. What could they be thinking? I’ve always considered the triumphs of the Women’s Movement to be one of our lasting legacies that will forever change the lives of future generations… but maybe not.

Is it possible to feel feisty, frazzled, and dumbfounded all at the same time?!

There are tons of reasons why this is true. Some of these causes for celebration, like the social influence and clout our numbers provide, are legendary. With a grateful nod to our population bulge, we boomers continue our revolutionary ways: shattering outmoded social norms, molding the culture to our liking, and reinventing the role for what it means to be a post-50 citizen. (Which other generation could boast of forgoing the rocking chair in favor of the rock concert?)

But my thoughts are of a personal nature and I, for one, am grateful for the small things. Here is my list of seven reasons why I consider myself blessed to be a boomer:

1)     I’ve never had to consider piercing anything on my body beyond my earlobes.

2)     For much of my life, when I phoned customer service, I immediately spoke with an actual, flesh and blood person! Plus, (and big bonus here) they were trained to be polite and helpful.

3)     When I was young, there were no entertainment centers—no multiple switches, remotes, wires, and unintelligible manuals. There was a TV with rabbit ears, a dial, and one, elegantly simple, on/off switch.

4)     I’ve never had to deal with the heartbreak of a full-blown Internet addiction.

5)     I remember when people used real words and not just unpronounceable acronyms.

6)     Sixties’ and Seventies’ rock ‘n’ roll was the BEST and I know, without a doubt, that we boomers have never lacked for cool.

7)     We continue to be the grooviest generation on the planet.

So, what do you think? What are the ways you express your boomer bravado? How are you putting gold into your golden years? Whatever you’re doing, you can be grateful for being born into a remarkable generation. Let’s let those whippersnappers know we’re not about to drift silently into the margins of society. To the contrary, let’s shout it loud and proud: boomers forever!

However, as with all great movements, there is still a long way to go. I recently had the opportunity to interview one of my favorite activists for women’s rights, Gloria Feldt. This feisty woman is on a mission to empower us even further. Gloria proudly wears her substantial personal power and is helping us to grab onto our own by writing her riveting and life-altering book, No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power.

No Excuses is one of the most important works I’ve read in a long time. But, true to its author’s style, it’s far from a dry and lecturing tome about what women “should” do. Rather the book is an exhilarating call to claiming your personal power—not only for yourself, but also for the wellbeing of all women. Gloria defines her nine “Power Tools” in engaging and often wryly humorous terms citing stories from the many women (and men) she’s interviewed and observed. Believe me, as a boomer woman especially, you won’t be able to put this book down!

My favorite power tool was the one dealing with a definition change: transforming the definition of power from “power over,” (the hierarchical, masculine version) to “power to,” (the ability to claim your right to be accountable for yourself, take action, and make things happen). As Gloria puts it: “Power-over is amoral. Power-to is responsibility.” You can check out each of her power tools on Gloria’s website.

Moreover, with the election looming, Gloria’s words take on even greater meaning. It’s difficult not to notice that this power-wielding landscape remains loaded with testosterone… and that, of course, means more of the same.

So let’s take a listen to Gloria’s advice, recognize some of the ways we might be abdicating our personal power, and start claiming our female power-to. As Gloria points out, it’s valuable for us individually and vitally important for the sake of future generations.

In fact, she’s presenting a special interactive chat on her Facebook page this Sunday, (3/25) from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET. You’ll want to be there and learn what you can do with your own powerful presence. There’s no better way to celebrate the Feisty Side of Fifty than by becoming a united force—and one that’s powerful enough to change our world for the better!

Nevertheless, modern gadgetry is creating new scams and schemes that tech savvy thieves could use to target you. I’m not an alarmist nor do I consider the world to be a dangerous place but, when I got an email warning of these types of crimes, I thought I’d pass them along.

Here are two ways you may be vulnerable:

Your GPS: People attending a professional football game returned to their car to find it had been broken into. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money, and a GPS, which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard.

When the victims got home, they found their house had been ransacked and just about everything of value had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry into the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish, and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house.

Something to consider if you have a GPS—don’t put your home address in it. Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station). You can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else will know where you live.

Your Cell Phone: A woman’s handbag, which contained her cell phone, was stolen. Twenty minutes later when she called her hubby from a pay phone to tell him what had happened, he told her that he’d received her text asking about the pin number to their bank account. “I replied a little while ago,” he reported.

When the couple rushed down to the bank, the staff told them all of their money had been withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text “hubby” in the contact list and, thanks to the helpful husband, got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes, he had wiped out their entire account.

So for safety’s sake, avoid using names like “Home,” “Hubby,” “Dad,” “Mom,” etc. And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, confirm by calling back. Also, when you’re being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don’t reach them, be very careful about going places to meet ‘family and friends’ who text you.

The above information both surprised and upset me. Not being a doom and gloom type, I hesitated passing it along–but a word of warning is best to keep us feisty gals on our toes and in the know. So enjoy your gadgets but do so in a way that won’t make you vulnerable. None of us wants to be an easy mark!

But setting close relationships aside for the moment, I do believe that age renders apologies less obligatory. Being on the feisty side of fifty definitely has its privileges, however the “no apology rule” I’m planning to adopt has more to do with HERstory. Let me explain…

We gals grew up with a set of certain ideals regarding proper female behavior—one of the biggest meant being “nice.” Acting with kindness, tending to the needs of others, and apologizing for even the slightest of our indiscretions were all part and parcel of the popularity package… and who among us didn’t want that?

But a few years after Love Story graced the silver screen, the women’s movement was off and running. We learned to speak up for ourselves, make demands for equality, and present our opinions with force. No more mealy-mouthed maidens we—we wanted to assert ourselves!

Yet, despite all of the assertiveness classes we attended, the niceness factor remained. We still valued kindness—in fact, for most of us, it was ingrained in our psyches. Unfortunately, for some, the nice factor seems to have skipped a generation.

We all know younger women who reaped the benefits of our struggles for an equal voice. Many went into business, some acquired MBAs. They were given opportunities and competed on a far more equal footing than we could have ever imagined. Moreover a number of these gals had little need for assertiveness training—they are downright aggressive.  I’m not sure how they viewed the women’s movement or which lessons they took from our battles for an equal chance at the brass ring, but it seems that displaying kindness must have equated to showing weakness and apologizing was out of the question.

Now, as you know, I’m a huge proponent of the women’s movement and am grateful for all of the strides we’ve made—and I’m not bashing the generation of women who came after us. However I’ve felt personally offended (and I don’t get offended easily) by some of the high-handed ways of our younger sisters. One such incident happened just recently which fired up my reasons for this post. To my mind, this woman did owe me an apology—but not a hint of regret crossed her lips.

So I’ve decided I’m too old and way to feisty to take this stuff from anyone anymore. I’m keeping the kindness factor but am losing the apology. I’m hereby vowing to take a cue from these female titans of industry and stop saying “I’m sorry” as liberally as I have in the past. But there is one thing I’d like to teach them: “nice” may be a four-letter word but it’s one they sorely need to adopt. Aggression might work in the boardroom but it sure won’t make you popular!

He’s just come out with his latest book, The Blood Sugar Solution: The Ultra Healthy Program for Losing Weight, Preventing Disease and Feeling Great Now! It’s packed with information about the foods you should and shouldn’t eat, how you can rev up your metabolism and lose weight, and how you can eat well on a budget. The book also features Dr. Hyman’s 7-step plan to ultra wellness that includes a series of quizzes to help you pinpoint areas where you might need special attention.

It’s obvious this physician has found his calling because Dr. Hyman is out to transform the SAD (Standard American Diet) from one that promotes “diabesty” to one that helps us achieve and maintain peak wellness. Moreover, if you’re past 50, Dr. Hyman’s message is especially important. Our bodies don’t bounce back as easily as they did twenty years ago, so it’s even more critical that we feed them well.

I had the immense pleasure of interviewing Dr. Hyman on Feisty Side of Fifty radio. In addition to being a huge fan and over the top excited, I learned a lot. I hope you’ll check out this important 15-minute discussion—full of doctor’s orders straight from the rock star himself.

And don’t forget to take a look at The Blood Sugar Solution. It’s hard to feel feisty when you’re suffering from a debilitating disease brought about by diabesity. So take the challenge, turn your health around, and rock on courtesy of the fine doctor who truly is a star in the world of wellness. Before you know it, you just might be cranking up the music and feeling groovy!

With all of this constant change, how can you, as a member of the mature workforce, possibly keep up? The answer lies in taking the time to proactively plan and manage your own career path.

Gone are the days when we could show up, do a good job, and expect to be rewarded for our efforts. Career advancement is no longer guaranteed and neither is job security—even for star employees. Instead, it’s necessary for each of us to consider ourselves as consultants: keep abreast of the marketplace, make certain our skills are current and in demand, and chart our own course.

So take some time to review and renew your own career by asking yourself the following five questions:

1) How valuable is your position to the organization?

Do you affect the bottom line? Are your skills critical to the company’s success? If your answer to these questions is “no,” it’s time to take on additional tasks and responsibilities so that your contribution level increases and you begin to add real value to the overall goals of the organization. Otherwise you’re likely to be viewed as expendable… and we all know what that means.

2) Is your field expanding or contracting?

If your field is contracting, you should consider getting the necessary retraining to refocus your direction. Your job may easily become vulnerable as a result of a decreasing market. Moreover, if you’re in a job search and looking for a new position, you might not wish to invest your time and focus on a field that is no longer in demand.

3) Are you being given opportunities for advancement and professional growth?

This is a sign your company wants to invest in you. If you’re not being given these opportunities, ask for them. Request more responsibilities, volunteer for projects, look around for problems you can solve. Be proactive about this and let them know you’re committed to making a positive difference.

4) Are you receiving the salary and benefits appropriate to your financial goals?

First do your homework and know the pay range for your position. If your company is doing well and you’ve just completed a major project, you’re in a good position to ask for a raise. Before you broach the topic, however, be certain you’re able to list the positive contributions you’re making and how your efforts consistently add value.

5) Is your job meeting your own needs for meaningful and fulfilling work?

This is critical because it affects your attitude. Your commitment, work ethic, demeanor, and personality are at least as important as the skills you bring. If you aren’t feeling fulfilled and generally pleased with your position, do something about it. An unhappy employee will appear to be just “putting in time” and that’s a giant red flag to any employer. They want someone who’s motivated, eager for fresh challenges, and happy to be there.

So spend some time to review and renew your career direction. The more you take charge of your own path, stay abreast of changes in your field, and make the necessary changes to keep your skills relevant, the greater your opportunities will be. Better yet, many times the risks involved in charting your own course will produce multiple rewards. Take chances, ask for what you want, and anticipate success—your career is worth it!

And, if you’re looking for work, make certain you know the 10 key strategies to land the job you love as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Grab a copy of Land the Job You Love: 10 Surefire Strategies for Jobseekers Over 50 and put yourself on the fast track to success!

Suzanne’s exploration of this long taboo topic has hit a nerve. Wherever she goes, she’s getting enthusiastic responses from both women and men who are eager to share. It seems that passion doesn’t die once you turn fifty. In truth, in many ways, it heats up.

However all of the comments regarding boomers in the bedroom haven’t been positive. Suzanne writes of one rather snarky response to her suggestion that women over 50 are still a lusty lot in an article for Huff/Post 50 entitled: “Sex, Love, and Unicorns: A Valentine to Intimacy as We Age.” This particular article garnered an astounding 500 comments. So, unbeknownst to the author of the original comment, it seems there are tons of unicorn riders out there just waiting to make their presence known.

Suzanne and I discussed this and other hot topics in her book on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. Take a listen to our 15-minute broadcast and check out your own status as a unicorn rider. The sexual revolution of the ‘60s came about as a result of the pill. How We Love Now just might spark our next sexual revolution—and this time we don’t have to worry about contraception!

Boomers have been beating down barriers our entire lives. Isn’t it time we move closer to home and let those whippersnappers who think we’re too old for amour know that grey hair is sexy. After all, they don’t call it the feisty side of fifty for nothing!

However, as with all of life, the years of fifty and beyond present choices. Perhaps the biggest choice of all is whether to celebrate our maturity as fully formed women in our own right or to mourn the loss of our youth and all that represents. Again and again, studies show that older women are happier and feel more fulfilled than our younger counterparts. But there’s a major industry out there that’s hoping to take away our power by turning us into youth-mourners.

It’s no secret. The aim of the anti-aging folk is to make us feel so inadequate, unlovable, and invisible (solely as a result of growing older, mind you) that we buy their products in droves. But Barbara Hannah Grufferman, bestselling author of The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money, and More, is on a mission to expose their wily ways.

Barbara is an outspoken advocate for women in midlife and also a frequent blogger/contributor to the Huffington Post at Huff/Post 50. In one of her recent articles entitled: “Is the Anti-Aging Industry Bad for Our Health?” Barbara goes into several ways these malevolent marketers create impossible models of perfection in a concerted attempt to play upon our fears. They must believe that, if they make us feel bad enough about ourselves, we’ll part with our precious dollars in a vain attempt to hold back the hands of time. Selling fear and feelings of inadequacy sets up them up for a ready stream of income. To their way of thinking, Father Time keeps marching on and the boomers are one heckuva lucrative target market.

I’ve written a couple of posts on this topic myself, “Who Do They Think They’re Kidding? We’re Too Smart for This!” and “Miss Representation—A Tale for All Ages.” Barbara and I both feel strongly about exposing these underhanded threats to our self-esteem. In fact, we just held a lively discussion on this very topic on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. I invite you to take a listen—it’s an explosive 15 minutes that will get you steaming.

So, as Barbara wrote in her article, it’s high time for us “to get noisy.” Let’s use our celebrated flower power to best advantage, let the anti-aging industry know we’re proud of who we are, and that we won’t buy into their methods to make us feel inadequate. Such underhanded tactics might have worked on previous generations… but this time they’re dealing with the boomers. Menopause has never been so powerful!