It seems I barely remember the years I lived in my thirties, they sped by at such a frenetic pace as I worked feverishly to establish myself in business and settle into life with my spouse. Little did I realize that as deeply involved as I was in living – I was also aging and like the adage goes, too soon old - too late smart. Now at age fifty one I realize that the time has progressed in the blink of an eye and I have missed out on as much as I have experienced that is important to me.
As we get older we have benchmarks in our life that hold some special meaning to us and we can hearken back to these times like file tabs and remember what took place in that period. It also is a vivid reminder of where we’ve been, what we experienced and this can bring either a smile or regret. As kids, the last thing we think about is what our life will be like in our fifties or sixties. When we reach that age we cannot believe we got there so fast.
There are very few of us who if presented with the opportunity, would not want to live as long as possible. Just how much longer though I think would be up for debate. What about the quality of our life as we grew older? If there was no guarantee of a healthy independent life, why on earth would we want to extend it? Throughout history, renowned men have drawn this same conclusion. Seneca, the Roman philosopher had the same sort of idea. Abraham Lincoln also waxed poetically about it as did Maxwell Maltz and so many others. These are men who have earned our ear. We are not faced with such a difficult decision yet but we still must confront the question of whether we want to do whatever is necessary to live a long life or enjoy an enhanced life of value and hope for the best.
The experts in the field of longevity and life extension will tell us we must do whatever it takes to remain as fit and healthy as possible for us to benefit from the eventual breakthrough regarding extended living. This means filling up on granola and practicing our Jane Fonda regularly. I do not disagree that remaining fit and eating well balanced meals will aid us with increasing our life spans, in all likelihood it will have an impact. Heck, people are already actively undertaking calorie restriction – eating much less in order to live longer – and they claim to be miserable doing so.
There are things we can do to increase our time on the planet without self deprivation or physically exhausting ourselves. Gym memberships are fine for some but not for all, what about those who would rather take a daily walk instead of using the stair stepper for an hour? Or what of the folks who enjoy a bottle of wine with their veal parmesan and Italian bread? What can these folks do to increase their life spans? The news is good for these people since there are numerous things they can do that are free of charge and no muscles will get pulled.
We all have an attitude, some good and some bad. Studies keep revealing new data about how a positive mental attitude regarding aging will augment the life expectancy of people. Attitudes can be swayed by others where world views are concerned but changing one’s attitude, in the end, depends on the individual themselves. Everyone is faced with choices on a frequent basis and we make them – good or bad – and how we manage after the choice is made is determined by the option we choose.
How we see the world will affect how we deal with it, how we behave, interact with others, and more important, how we live with ourselves. What I am telling you here is old news and not very radical, yet negative attitudes seem to prevail in society today. Over a century and a half ago, William James, the famous psychologist and logician stated that the greatest finding of his generation was that humans were capable of modifying their lives simply by adjusting their attitudes. Still others have been vocal about the benefits of having a positive mental outlook.
Artist and philosopher, Herman Albright, was famous for many quotes including “a positive mental attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make the effort worth it”. Think of all the people you could annoy with your new attitude! In all seriousness, you can make a difference in the lives of others and a huge change in your own by altering your outlook. Longevity should be the carrot while premature fragility, ill health and isolation would be the stick. Bette Midler stated once that after the age of thirty our bodies take on a life of their own, is there any reason why the mind cannot have a life of its own as well?
Camaraderie can also have an impact on your longevity as well as your quality of life. It is a fact that companionship will enhance your longevity as has been verified in research studies of longevity hot spots throughout the world such as Okinawa. Not just your life span is augmented, good friends can help reduce hypertension, kindle the heart, and decrease the healing period of heart patients. It is obvious to those who care, that friendships are an important piece of the longevity puzzle. Yet this life extending tidbit is also not something novel to today’s society.
Long ago, Aristotle said that friendship is the highest goal for humankind. Keeping good friends though is not easy to do and requires time and nurturing. According to Aristotle, a bushel and a half of salt needed to be eaten between acquaintances before a true bond of camaraderie could be established [Let’s call it breaking bread together instead of eating salt to keep the health nuts at bay].
If you are in agreement concerning the views expressed here about attitude, then you must have the same opinion about how finding the true inspiration for happiness is based upon choice – whether you are a happy soul as you age or a grumpy one is entirely up to you. There is absolutely no way our freedom to choose can be obstructed by anyone else, it is ours alone to manage. So where do you begin to make this important choice for a more positive attitude?
You could follow the advice of Jesuit religious scholar and theorist, Tony de Mello, who says the next time you are unhappy, take time to recognize what it is you are thinking about. He was convinced that the primary reason people feel unhappy is due to their thoughts about what they do not have. It would be much better if they concentrated on what they do have instead of what they do not have.
Our happiness is associated to companionship as well. The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, also the founder of the school of philosophy called Epicureanism, had it bang on more than twenty centuries ago. He stated that if we are worth a fortune but have no friends or freedom, we will never really be happy. And if we have the friendships and no fortune, we will never really be unhappy.
What a truly wonderful chain of thought for Epicurus to speak of. Interestingly, as people age, for many of them money means far less then it once did, provided they have enough to get by into old age comfortably. The elderly seem to acquire a peace of mind where “fortune” is concerned and value their close friends far more than their bank balance. The trick for longevity and the aging is to establish friendships early on and cultivate them as you grow older.
We have the ability to increase our life expectancy without the need to punish ourselves in the process. Attitude adjustment, having close companions, achieving happiness and well being are all reasonable goals we can aim for and they do not cost us a penny. Though remember to treat your body with respect and care since we only have the one. But it is just as vital to a prolonged life that we care for the entire package God gave us; he also gifted us with the tools to do so. The next time you look into the mirror on the precipice of a new day, let your thoughts be about the blessings you have, the things in your life that are good.
Growing older does not have to be a traumatic experience for anyone. Do what is necessary to maintain good physical health since it contributes a great deal to our well being. But at the same time make sure you are preparing yourself mentally for the challenges you will encounter as you age. According to a recent study in Great Britain, age seventy four is the happiest time in our lives because of fewer financial worries and obligations, we have more time for ourselves than we ever have before. Imagine that, seniors who are happy as they approach their golden years. It sounds as if many aging people are discovering the importance of keeping their spirits high.
One final thought and you may want to paste this affirmation from an anonymous source to your mirror – “The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”
Anti Aging, Anti Aging Theories, Health And Aging, Longevity
Fri, May 28, 2010
Anti Aging, Anti Aging Theories, Health And Aging, Longevity