Longevity - Some Thoughts

When I was a teenager I got into the habit of saying that I was going to live for another 100 years but at age 16 I thought “Now I have to stop and be mature, so from now on it will be that I will live to 116 years old”.  Now many of you are going to think that I am a complete wingnut but I have been saying that ever since.  It is my goal to become a centenarian, preferably in good health.  With this goal in mind over the past few years I have been reading and watching programs featuring longevity.  The absolute underlying characteristic of longevity is joy and enthusiasm for life which I am happy to say (no pun intended) I have in spades.

       At work I have been putting on weekly Lunch and Learn programs and several have had to do with healthy lifestyles and once again having a healthy mental attitude is vital to staying healthy.  I find all of this extremely fascinating and also very motivating because my goal is very do-able.  That is exciting for me but I am the type of person who likes others to also get excited and motivated.  I became shocked and dismayed when people don’t seem to share my enthusiasm for a long life and I wonder ‘what is the matter in their life to have that attitude’?   Who doesn’t want to live long?  The alternative is pretty dismal if you ask me.

       They may suffer from depression which I cannot do much about, but when people are discouraged that is something they can change and they really only have to take some tiny baby steps to get passed that discouragement.  The first step is to recognize that you are discouraged; then you have to want to change that feeling; step three is to start thinking about the 5 things that you are grateful for – every day.  It is reinforcing if you can actually write down your gratitudes in a small journal.  You will be amazed at how quickly your attitude will change.  No matter how dismal your world may look, there is something to be grateful for because I firmly believe that everyone’s fairy godmother granted you some noble gifts.

       Once you get passed your discouragement you will discover in yourself potential, indeed Boundless Potential.  Have faith, my friends, it’s there for the taking.