Sales and Leadership Coach Eliot Spiegel was the speaker for Felician University’s Older is Better (OIB) presentation on Friday, October 22. Older is Better is a membership program that brings talks on a wide range of subjects to men and women 55 and older.

Mr. Spiegel is a licensed life coach, experienced manager, marketer, motivational speaker, and leader at Southwestern Coaching. He spent 20 years in sales management and brand building before becoming a life coach. He is passionate about inspiring and helping people overcome life’s challenges through successfully identifying the steps needed to fulfill their needs and wants. Mr. Spiegel told nearly two dozen seniors who gathered in the 2nd floor Lecture Hall of Obal Hall on the Lodi campus that, “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”

Mr. Spiegel walked the seniors through some easy breathing exercises reminding them that from the moment they wake up in the morning, happiness is a choice, saying, “In the worst-case scenario we have a choice. Doing nothing is a choice. This is a super important part. I can promise we are going to get sick, we are going to get hurt, we are going to be sad, and be mad, but how long we stay in that place is up to us.”

Mr. Spiegel also serves as a yoga instructor at his studio, Roots2Crown Yoga in Hackensack. He suggested the seniors start their day with some simple positive talk. “Close your eyes, say to yourself, I am, and fill in the blank with a really nice word, whatever you like about yourself. Fill in the blank over and over and say it like you believe it, starting your day telling yourself you are everything the good Lord made you to be.” He also recommended the seniors keep a “gratitude journal” and try making writing in it a habit, as a way of setting a positive mindset.

An entrepreneur who turned a delivery business he started in New York City at the age of 21, into an enterprise managing Manhattan’s delivery needs. Mr. Spiegel discussed other topics including time management. He suggested the seniors create a “to do” list of everything they’d like to accomplish in a week, put it on their calendar, and even choose a consequence for not doing it, saying, “We get to be in charge of ourselves.”

The talk resonated deeply with the seniors. Margaret Aramian of Passaic found Mr. Spiegel’s talk, “very invigorating, and it perked me up.” Camille Tritto thought he was an excellent speaker, and liked his advice, “to think of yourself first before you can help other people.” Joanne Di Giovanni of Paramus agreed saying, “Older is Better is education, and entertainment. I like being able to sit with everybody, have some coffee and get to know some new people.”

If you’d like to meet some new people and be in on the fun of learning and socializing, join Older is Better which meets Friday afternoons at 1pm in the 2nd floor lecture room of Obal Hall on the Lodi campus. The nominal $3 fee has been waived for the Fall semester. If interested in becoming an OIB member contact Aneta Wygonik at WygonikAa@felician.edu or 201.255.3627.