In this episode (LISTEN TO THE EPISODE), Riska describes her life as a rollercoaster ride – thrilling, exciting, a lot of ups and downs, but she really enjoyed the ride.
She’s been through a lot of good and bad times but overcame it all and is proud of herself. She sees herself as not a survivor, but rather a warrior because she fights until the end.
She talks about when you are young you expect to be perfect; you try to change yourself to fit into society. But once you get older you understand that it’s important to be who you really are.
She also says that you have to make peace with yourself to accept your body, and your skin, and start loving yourself. For Riska, self-love is not selfish it’s called self-respect.
10 Facts About Riska
(at the time of the project)
1. 49 years old.
2. Riska is a single mom of two adult daughters.
3. Riska was born in Indonesia.
4. Riska describes her life as a thrilling roller coaster ride - exciting, very fast, a lot of ups and downs. But she really enjoyed her ride.
5. She says: “I'm not a survivor, but I'm a warrior because I will fight until the end.”
6. Riska does not have specific hobbies. But she is passionate about life itself.
7. Riska works in real estate.
8. Riska believes that we only live for happiness. It's nothing else.
9. Biggest challenge at this age – “The transition of my children from their teenage to becoming adults. They are getting busier with work, with friends, with Uni, and I have to prepare myself mentally when they start their families. That mean they're going to leave me. I think that's the biggest challenge. I'm not ready for that.”
10. Positive change with age – “I started to appreciate my body, my skin and I think I'm more confident.”
Watch Riska's VIDEO interview HERE
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE :
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT (auto-generated) :
Hi, you are listening to My Body My Story podcast,
to be fit in one society. But once you get older you realise it's not important. It is important like to be who you are.
This is the 45 or 45 chapter where we celebrate rule breakers and role models, the women who inspire us to live life our way and to show that sensuality, beauty, soul and true essence. Here we talk about what it's like to be 45 Plus, adjusting to the changes that come with time, and will listen to the stories of our participants. If you have an interesting story to share, we would love you to participate, you can email us on info@aleksandrawalker.com or visit our website, www. aleksandrawalker.com
Hi, Riska Welcome to our studio and welcome to our project 45 over 45 my body my story. While you sitting in the makeup chair and getting your hair and makeup done, I'll be asking you a few questions. First, tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, Alexandra, thank you for having me. My name is discover nod. I'm 49 years old, turning 50 this year. I am I'm a single mom with two beautiful daughters. I would like to describe my life as a roller coaster ride is thrilling. Exciting, very fast, a lot of ups and downs. But I really enjoyed my ride. And I've been through a lot of good times, bad times, heart ache, or hardship or betrayal. But I offer come all of this. And I'm proud of myself that I conquer all my trials. And I would like to say I'm not a survivor, but I'm a warrior because I will fight until the end.
Excellent. What are you most passionate about?
I don't have specific hobbies. But I love a lot of things. So I might say I'm passionate about life itself. Yes, life is my passion.
It's a greatest passion. So everyone knows that with age we change. But what positive changes have you experienced with this age?
Okay, when I was younger, I lived in Indonesia. And I was very skinny have a dark skin. And my friend used to mocking me around like very skinny like dark. So it maybe impacted my self-esteem a bit. And I don't feel very comfortable with my own body, my own skin. But with time I started to appreciate my body, my skin and I think I'm more confident. So I think the confidence is the changes.
The biggest change, the positive change, you have the confidence. And what is the biggest challenge you're experiencing at this age?
Despite the bad like the physical maybe the transition from my children from their teenage teenager to become adult. They getting more busy, busy with work with friends with Uni, and I have to prepare myself mentally when they start their family. That's mean they're going to leave me. I think that's the biggest challenge. Yeah, I'm not ready for that
Not ready for that separation your children from you, I know it, I can relate. That's how hard it lets go your child and just to realise and to understand that he or she is adult already not kids anymore, and they need the freedom and their own decisions. Yeah. It's, I would agree with that. Challenge.
Describe your greatest accomplishment.
Yeah, like I said before, I have maybe a bit low self-esteem. So once I accept my body, my scars, my skin tone, skin colours and everything. I embrace it all. And I start to love myself. I became more confident
Yeah. What do you think helps women just finally to accept themselves? Like, why? Why it's happens with age only?
I have, I think you have to make peace with yourself. Yeah, to accept it. And that takes time. I just accept myself three years ago, to be honest.
Do you think it's to do with changing values, like when you're young, you have more of importance of the visual appearance, and then you getting older, you're thinking already about your inner peace or how you feel inside?
Maybe it is, yeah, when you were younger, you expect to be perfect. You expect? Like, someone may be you, you do not. So sometimes you tried to change yourself just to be fit in one society. But once you get older, you realise it's not important. That's important, like to be who you are, that's the most important and be happy. Because what actually we live for? is only for happiness. It's nothing else.
So would it be your advice to younger women who will eventually undergo this change?
Yes. Just be yourself. Be happy. Like, it's not important what people think about yourself, as long as you know who you are. That's what really matter.
What would you say to your 30 years old self?
I will say to myself, just take it easy on myself. Done, think too much about little things, and just enjoy all of life. Make them just follow the flow. Because everything's all right. Everything will be fine. Everything's alright.
That's true. Where do you think the idea of perfect body image comes from?
I think it's come from like media come from celebrities, influencer society, and also come from the the cultural background as well. Because maybe one culture is different weight the other culture what? The difference? Yeah,
that's true. Yeah. And what does it mean to you feeling good and looking good. So what? What do you think comes first?
Feeling goods means you feel good about yourself, you're happy about yourself. And automatically you feel you're looking good. You're confident we'll shine, then people will see you. Looking good. But looking good. means like, maybe you look good in front of other people, but not in front of your eyes. And maybe you still feel uncomfortable. with yourself. You're still not happy? But actually you look good. So I think what come first is feeling good. Then automatically you looking good?
Yeah, yeah. And sure. Don't forget to take care of yourself.
Is life is a choice. Everybody will go through this process, because it's natural. And to be all is actually a privilege, because we have a long life. But it's up to us how you want to age. So we have to look after ourselves. Maybe healthy lifestyle. Positive Thinking keep positive 510 We will age gracefully. Yeah, eventually everybody will Ah, so don't worry, if we barely get the mountain.
You cannot avoid it. What makes you feel the most beautiful?
I never feel the most beautiful in certain time, because I feel beautiful every day because beautiful is come from within. So it's come in a package, our love, our compassion, our empathy, our kindness. That's what is called Beauty. I think it's not only appearance, but what inside is called Beauty. So through good times or bad times I feel the same. Or when I was younger or I'm older, I felt the same.
What is your favourite quote about being a woman or maybe it's not the court that thought or some idea?
Yeah. Self love is not selfish, but it's called self respect. So we have to love ourselves is come first, like, our first priority is ourselves to love ourselves. Because if we can love ourselves who will, before you look, before you look after other people, you have to look after ourselves. Very true. True, but maybe some people think oh yourself is no, it's called self respect.
Excellent. Thank you Riska, thank you very much for your answers and for joining our projects and for being here today. And I hope you will enjoy the photoshoots and thank you again.
Yeah, thank you. I really enjoy it. I love it. Thank you.
If you have an interesting story to share would love for you to participate. You can email us at info@aleksandrawalker.com or visit our website, www. aleksandrawalker.com
Follow
@mybodymystoryproject
This is the 45 over 45 chapter of MY BODY MY STORY podcast, where we celebrate rule breakers and role models - the women who inspire us to live life our way and to show their SENSUALITY, BEAUTY, SOUL, and TRUE ESSENCE.
For more information about the project visit:
Social Media
PODCAST Episodes
PODBEAN: https://mybodymystory.podbean.com/
GOOGLE: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL215Ym9keW15c3RvcnkvZmVlZC54bWw