Remember To Do It Your Way – Charisse, 62

Charisse Glenn is a modern day Renaissance woman:

a long-time casting agent; yogi; world traveler; competitive, equestrian endurance rider; and an author. ‘The Let Go’, Charisse’s lifestyle blog and forthcoming book, has been inspired by her passion for, and love of horses.

Charisse joins the ever growing roster of Kuel Life Experts this month; sharing her wisdom and insights on how to ‘Let Go’ of what doesn’t serve us and how we might better design our lives. We are lucky to have her.

Please help me welcome Charisse, Week 40 of my Share Your Story; the Women the WSJ Missed series.

KUELLIFE: What are you pursuing now, at this stage of your life, that surprises you or might appear to others as if it comes out of left field?

CHARISSE: Everything in my life has led me to who I am now, so not much surprises me, but it gives me a giggle as to how manifestation works.
What does surprises me is, I didn’t expect to be single at this age, however I am pretty certain that flying solo is one of the greatest gifts I could have right now: fewer distractions to focus on what is at hand.

KUELLIFE: What’s a typical day like for you?

CHARISSE: I put water on for tea or coffee, go out to the barn, feed my horses, return, feed the dogs and cat, and sit down with my morning brew. If I don’t have a casting job in the works, I start my day by writing, sometimes this lasts all day. For exercise I practice yoga, I ride my horses, or go on a hike. I love to hike, sometimes with friends and their dogs, but always with my two Dobermans. At some point I will sit down for a meditation but not at a specific time.
My raison d’ etre are deep conversations with friends that get into the nitty gritty of subjects that are possible topics for The Let Go. This happens, if not daily, very regularly.
I find inspiration everywhere, often while doing menial tasks like weeding or working around the barn. I love to read. Oh and love to cook.

KUELLIFE: With what do you struggle?

“I am not shy, I just have to gear up to be in a crowd of people”

CHARISSE: I struggle with socializing, I am very comfortable being alone. I am not shy, I just have to gear up to be in a crowd of people, preferring small intimate groups.

KUELLIFE: How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?

CHARISSE: I love setting goals. Without a goal I can wander. I am, by nature, very motivated. I have an internal clock that always feels like it is ticking. Weekly, I publish my initiative so I always have that as a deadline.

KUELLIFE: What advice would you give fellow women about aging?

CHARISSE: We are perfect at every age and to remember to do it your way. If you want to dye your hair keep dyeing it, if you want to go grey go grey.
Mainly I would stress to continue exploring your deepest desires, and anything you are curious about. Don’t let others define you.

KUELLIFE: What does vulnerability mean to you? What has the ability to make you vulnerable?

“What pulls at my heart strings the most are injustices to animals.”

CHARISSE: Vulnerability was something I struggled with for years. I thought it was a sign of weakness, but I discovered it was a quality of strength. What pulls at my heart strings the most are injustices to animals.

KUELLIFE: What are three events that helped to shape your life?

CHARISSE: 1) An incidence of abuse when I was very young, set me on a path of independence and self-sufficiency. It was not until I was an adult that I realized I no longer needed to go it alone and asking for help was not a weakness.
2) Moving multiple times as a child and young adult made me very adaptable in life.
3) Living off the grid in Hawaii and living in Paris.

KUELLIFE: Who influenced you the most in life and why?

CHARISSE: I ‘ve had the gift of wonderful mentors. Many teachers young and old, but horses are my biggest influence. They are the inspiration for my initiative, The Let Go. Working with them has showed me the simplicity of moving through life. I am who I am because of the animals in my life. Amongst other lessons, they have taught me unconditional love.

KUELLIFE: What is the best advice you’ve been given from another woman?

CHARISSE: Go for it, girl!

KUELLIFE: What woman inspires you and why?

CHARISSE: My mother; she is a super cool Japanese American, who taught me about tolerance, cultural differences, and life. She is tough, kind, capable, open minded, full of love and rarely complains about anything.

KUELLIFE: Are you grown-up?

CHARISSE: Yes… and still growing.

KUELLIFE: What do you do for self-care?

CHARISSE: Aside from the normal, hot baths and massages (my fav), I eat healthy, drink lots of fresh water, drink alcohol moderately, but mainly I don’t buy into the pressure from society to be a certain way. I don’t play the guilt game; If you are going to do it, don’t feel guilty and if you are going to feel guilty, don’t do it. My thoughts are the biggest contributor to self-care so I think good thoughts ☺ Another area of self-care for me is giving back, lending a hand whenever needed.

KUELLIFE: And last but definitely NOT least: What are the top three things on your bucket list?

CHARISSE: I don’t believe in bucket lists. What we desire changes as we evolve. Having said that, I have yet to visit Bhutan, said to be the last Shangri- La on the planet; their gross national product is Happiness.