Be Inspired: They're Still Here!

"I’m Still Here,” the signature tune of the Broadway musical "Follies," celebrates women who have survived and triumphed throughout the decades. Here are a few of our favorite long-time, resilient stars:

Raquel Welch

She never made a great movie. But a lot of guys still remember Welch, 71, from her skimpily dressed cavewoman role in “One Million Years B.C.” Today, Welch is still working – pitching Foster Grant sunglasses in commercials – and she still looks great.

Carmen Dell'Orefice Most models are considered washed up by the time they’re 30, but Dell’Orefice has continued walking the runway long past that age. Earlier this year, at 80 years of age, she walked the runway for designer Alberto Ferritti. Unfortunately, she could use money from gigs like that. She acknowledged that she lost $244 million to swindler Bernard Madoff.

Lauren Bacall The actress, who made a name for herself as a sultry seductress in late 40s movies like "Key Largo," was famously married to Humphrey Bogart, the love of her life. Today, at 87, she’s doing voiceovers (for Fancy Feast cat food) and has recently finished "Carmel," a movie about an art forgery.

Betty White White, 89, is the best example around of a second act in the entertainment field. Thanks to a Snickers Superbowl commercial, she came roaring back to host "Saturday Night Live" and star in the cable TV series "Hot In Cleveland." White also has a 2012 calendar of her own.

Yoko Ono Is it possible to be cool and edgy at 78? Yes, if you’re Yoko Ono. John Lennon’s widow, a respected artist in her own right for five decades. Besides her creative ventures,she’s also been active in humanitarian causes: She and Sean Lennon, her son with John, performed a benefit concert this summer for the victims of the tsunami in Japan.

Liz Smith Improbably, Smith, 88, survived three decades in the dog-eat-dog world of New York gossip columnists by being a nice Texas gal. Because she was always tactful and polite abouto the subjects of her columns, her access to them was almost guaranteed. These days, she’s writing on the Web.

Nora Ephron Although she’s directed modern classics like "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You’ve Got Mail," Ephron, 70, never abandoned her writing. Her most recent book,"I Feel Bad About My Neck," was a best seller that laughed and (almost) cried at the absurdities of growing old.

Mary Higgins Clark Clark, 83, began her writing career as a radio-script writer. But she later expanded into novels, and those books have sold more than 80 million copies just in the U.S. But she’s not ready to stop. Even today, she shows up at her desk every day at 8 a.m.

Phyllis Schlafly Before there was Sarah Palin, before there was Michelle Bachmann, there was Phyllis Schlafly. A strong voice for conservative causes, Schlafly has spoken out over the decades on hot-button issues like abortion and the Equal Rights Amendment. And today, at 87, she continues to write op-ed pieces encourating women to adopt a “traditional lifestyle.”

Dianne Feinstein As a senator from California, Feinstein, 78, has remained a steadfast liberal who’s also aware of political realities. When her colleague, Barbara Boxer, faced a reelection challenge, Feinstein became Boxer’s campaign manager. Boxer won.

Barbara Mikulski Although she’s not as well known as some of her more publicity-prone colleagues, Mikulski, 75, is the longest serving female in U.S. Senate history. The Maryland senator hasn’t hesitated to vote her conscience. She was one of 11 senators to vote against both the 1991 and 2002 incursions into Iraq, and more recently she’s spoken out against predatory lending practices.

Nancy Pelosi Until recently the Speaker of the House, Pelosi, 71, is notoriously unpopular among Tea Partiers and other conservatives. But despite what seems like a growing political tide against her kind of political beliefs, Pelosi has most recently spoken out in support of gays in the military.

Barbara Walters The television journalist, known for her political interviews and pre-Academy Awards specials, is still in the broadcasting game with the daily talk show "The View." Although she doesn’t appear every day, Walters, 82, makes appearances to joust with opponents like former Vice President Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin biographer Joe McGinniss.

Joan Rivers Whoever thought that women mellow with age hasn’t seen Joan Rivers recently. Rivers, 78, always known as a caustic comic, routinely takes apart celebrities and their clothes choices on the popular E! Show "Fashion Police." And so what if she’s had some, well, bad plastic surgery. After a while, you get used to it.

Cindy Adams Adams is the personification of the old-time tough New York gossip columnist. Now 81, she’s had a column for the "New York" Post for 32 years, and she recently returned to it after an unspecified illness. Only in New York, kids, only in New York.