Agingwe all do it. The problem we face
is how we do it gracefully. Most of the bad effects of aging are preventable.
The box to the right lists some common concerns we all have. As we age,
we face more of these problems. However, if we age properly, we are
more equipped to face them than we started out to be. As you age, you
should accumulate knowledge, wisdom, good habits, communication skills,
financial assets, confidence, and attitude.
Let's divide all these concerns into two areas: Interior and exterior.
Interior things are those you can change about yourself. Exterior
things are those you must change in your environment.
You should focus on making interior changes, as they have the most
impact.
Real Estate care--keeping home and other property in good shape
Time
Fear of dying
Interior Changes
Exterior Changes
The
physical concerns are foundational--that is, unless your
body is healthy, you are going to have a hard row to hoe with any other
changes you need to make. You need proper diet, exercise, and rest. You
would do well, at this point, to visit www.supplecity.com
and bookmark it. Be sure to read the free information on diet and exercise.
And try some of those recipes!
Using the information in those
pages will vastly increase your energy, and vastly increase your ability
to deter, delay, or prevent:
Heart disease
Osteoporosis
Diabetes
Arthritis
Illnesses in general
Simply put, you make yourself
sick--it doesn't just happen. Yes, there are some genetic problems that
creep up on you as you age. And yes, age itself takes a toll. But if you
work at being healthy, you'll drop your odds of ever getting sick to almost
zero. If you do get sick, don't go on a guilt trip--figure out what went
wrong and try to fix it. Here's an analogy: If you lie down on a highway,
you stand a good chance of getting run over--this is how most people are
with their health. If, however, you refuse to put yourself into compromising
conditions like this, then it takes something almost bizzarre to nail
you.
The mental concerns
are also of paramount importance. After all, if you don't enjoy life,
what is the point in being healthy? Let's not take this the way drug addicts
(e.g., tobacco users) do to justify destroying their health--that is intellectually
dishonest. You can enjoy life just fine without ruining your health (or
that of others).
A positive outlook is important,
but you can't just decide to be happy. You need develop skills
in communication and interpersonal relationships. You need to find activities
that are mentally challenging and spiritually meaningful. And that last
part doesn't necessarily mean religious in nature--you are looking for
things that make you feel you have added something to humanity, that you
have made the world a better place. If that means reading stories to small
children, then fine. It never includes belittling others.
When you were younger, you
were like a babbling brook--running very fast but really accomplishing
much. And people had no qualms about stepping on you, peeing on you, etc.
As you get older, your water runs slower. Just remember, still water runs
deep. Imagine a deep lake, high in a mountain top. What do people do at
such lakes? They love the pristine beauty, and respect the lake for what
it is. They drop their fishing lines in, and hope the lake will offer
to share from its depths. You want to be like that lake. Make yourself
into the kind of person you want to be--focus on activities that will
meet that end. And you have the respect of both yourself and others for
who you are. Does television help you meet this goal? No? Then drop it.
Does getting angry over small things help you gain stature? No? Then find
ways to remind yourself of this.
The most important thing to
remember in this life: take important things seriously, but enjoy a good
laugh over those that are unimportant. That guy who cut you off in traffic?
It's his blood pressure, not yours, that will be a problem. Tired of long
commutes? Get recorded books, so you can feed your mind and make good
use of the time.
As
you age, you accumulate battle scars. You deal with in-laws, kids who defy
you, and government agencies. Telemarketers drive you nuts. How can you
change these factors in your environment?
First, you must take care of
those interior changes. Once you have your own porch in order, you'll
be in a position to "clean house" with everyone else.
The second thing you must do
is analyze with exterior changes you are in a position to make. Certainly,
you can't change other people's personalities. But, you can stop engaging
in enabling behaviors.
For example, your in-laws drop
in uninvited on a regular basis. This really irritates you. And you've
told them so. Yet, when they drop in, you play the good host until they
leave. Change your behavior, then they will change theirs. If
they welcome company at any time, they may not see why you don't. So,
show them. Most people are creatures of habit. Thus, if your inlaws drop
by usually about supper time, make a point of being gone at that time.
But, you don't want to alienate them. So, call them and invite
them to have supper with you at a specifed time on a specified day. Before
long, you'll have them trained.
You can approach most exterior
situations this way--as long as the gap in power is not too great. Always
try to accomodate the needs of the other party by offering to do so on
your terms and making it difficult or impossible for this to happen
on other terms.
Government agencies can drive
us nuts. The IRS, in particular, seems to exist for the sole purpose of
making life hell for citizens. Now, step back and look at the situation.
You are a citizen--and that gives you power you can use. When the IRS
is unreasonble (they have been known to be reasonable on occasion), it
is not the IRS you are dealing with. It is an individual. Make the problem
personal. Find something unreasonable in the person's approach--embellish
if you must--and write to that person asking to be reassigned to someone
else. Copy that letter to the the District Manager (you can use the same
address--just put District Manager on the top line). The person you are
dealing with will fear you. And then you have some bargaining power. Copy
each subsequent letter to a growing chain of command--IRS Commissioner,
Senate Finance Comittee, the Internet, and so on. Don't be a victim--make
victims. That is how you handle government agencies that treat you poorly.
By exercising the power vested in you as a citizen, you show these people
they cannot mistreat you. Do so calmly.
What about time? You can't
make more of it. However, you can make excellent use of the time you have.
Most people are clueless about this, and don't even realize it. How
much would you pay for an extra week's vacation each year? How much would
you pay if you could have two full days each year just for making love?
Hmm.
For a very small investment,
you can learn some ways to gain incredible amounts of time. Click here:
How most exterior things
affect you depends on how you strengthen the interior you. Acquire new
skills and knowledge on a regular basis. Try new things. Meet new people
by volunteering to be active in professional or other organizations. Give
back. Be confident that, because you have done these things, exterior
things will work in your favor as long as you address problems intelligently.
Most people live with a victim
mentality. You can choose to live with an attitude of victory and a persona
of strength. And as you age, you can often look back and say, "I
have handled worse." Your experience, then, becomes a tremendous
asset. As do your connections, your network of people you have been helping
throughout your life, and your many years of learning.
Fear of death is the final
thing to address, here. If you are taking care of your health, death is
unlikely to seize you while your age is in the single digits. And if you
make it past that point, you've had a full life.
The Art of Aging: A Doctor's Prescription for Well-Being by Sherwin B. Nuland(Hardcover - February 27, 2007).The septuagenarian surgeon whose brutally honest demythologization of death in How We Die garnered a National Book Award offers a mushier, platitude-filled treatise on aging, calling it a "gift" that establishes boundaries in our lives, making everything within those boundaries all the more precious. Brief, frank descriptions of droopy penises, declining hormone levels and loss of hearing and bone density are accompanied by reminders that stroke is not a normal consequence of aging and that our bodies are like cars and taking good care of parts extends their usefulness.
A gushing tribute to pioneering cardiac surgeon Michael DeBakey, now aged 98, teaches the importance of knowing one's limitations and learning to function within them, while now-80-year-old actress Patricia Neal recalls how sheer stubbornness and a browbeating husband enabled her recovery from a debilitating stroke at 39. Nuland learned life lessons from two fans, a cancer survivor who understands that it's her response to adversity, and not the adversity itself, that shapes her future, and a formerly depressed octogenarian who now doesn't allow herself the "luxury" of despair.
Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life from the Landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development by George E. Vaillant(Paperback - January 8, 2003).Amazon.com review:
"We all need models for how to live from retirement to past 80--with joy," writes George Vaillant, M.D., director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This groundbreaking book pulls together data from three separate longevity studies that, beginning in their teens, followed 824 individuals for more than 50 years. The subjects were male Harvard graduates; inner-city, disadvantaged males; and intellectually gifted women.
"Here you have these wonderful files, and you seem little interested in how we cope with increasing age ... our adaptability, our zest for life," one of these subjects wrote to Vaillant, a researcher, psychiatrist, and Harvard Medical School professor, about how he was using this information. Vaillant took this advice to heart. In Aging Well, he presents personal narratives about people from these studies whom he interviewed personally in their 70s and 80s. He describes their history, relationships, hardships, philosophies, and sources of joy. We learn their perspectives and what makes them want to get up in the morning.
We also learn what makes old age vital and interesting. Vaillant discusses the important adult developmental tasks, such as identity, intimacy, and generativity (giving to the next generation), and provides important clues to a healthy, meaningful, satisfying old age. Health in old age, we learn, is not predicted by low cholesterol or ancestral longevity, but by factors such as a stable marriage, adaptive coping style (the ability to make lemonade out of life's lemons), and regular exercise.
Vaillant is empathetic and sometimes surprisingly poetic: "Owning an old brain, you see, is rather like owning an old car.... Careful driving and maintenance are everything." He freely includes subjective observations and interpretations, giving us a richer picture of the people he interviewed and insights into their lives. Aging Well is recommended for readers who are interested in learning about the quality-of-life issues of aging from the people who have the most to teach. --Joan Price
Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Well-Being by Andrew Weil(Paperback - January 2, 2007).Amazon.com review:
Dr. Weil has raised dispensing health advice to an art form. Instead of making his audience feel inadequate or guilty about bad habits, he seems to subconsciously convince readers to do better merely by presenting health facts in a non-threatening way. Healthy Aging is his most scientifically technical book yet (you'll learn all about enzymes like telomerase and cell division and the chemistry behind phytonutrients like indole-3-carbinol, and the connection between cancer and other degenerative diseases like diabetes) yet by far his most fascinating.
His main mission here is to recommend "aging gracefully," which he considers accepting the process instead of fighting it. As the director of the country's leading integrative-medicine clinic (combining the best of traditional and alternative worlds), of course he disses Botox and the slew of $100-a-jar face creams out there. It's also no surprise that he focuses on proper nutrition, moderate exercise, and meditation and rest among his "12-point program for healthy aging." (Triathletes and exercise addicts should take special note of the research linking excessive exercise and ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.)
He occasionally references his earlier works, including 8 Weeks to Optimum Health. But the most eye-opening sections are those that discuss the spirituality of aging and its emotional aspects. "Aging can bring frailty and suffering, but it can also bring depth and richness of experience, complexity of being, serenity, wisdom, and its own kind of power and grace," he writes. At 63, Weil is still a bit shy of senior status, but is aging well indeed, with the legacy of his late 93-year-old mother (who’s touchingly eulogized by Weil in this book) to guide him.--Erica Jorgensen
These keywords may have brought you
here: aging, prosperity, getting old, staying young, saving for retirement,
retaining health, staying healthy, preventing age related problems
Touch For Health: The Complete Editionby John F. Thie and Matthew Thie (Spiral-bound - Oct 15, 2005). With over 1/2 million copies in print since 1973, John Thie’s "Touch for Health" phenomenon has flourished worldwide to help more than 10 million people in over 40 countries restore their natural healing energies and enjoy vibrant health through his unique treatment of posture and muscle balancing that combines simple aspects of acupressure touch and massage. From this book, you will learn the techniques that chiropractors, alternative health specialists, athletic trainers, and massage therapists have found invaluable in preventive health-care treatment.
Access to Health (MyHealthLab Series)
by Rebecca J. Donatelle and Patricia Ketcham (Paperback - Feb 3, 2007). Often those interested in purchasing a general health book are overwhelmed by the medical jargon and size of the references that are on the shelves. And today, more emphasis is being placed on people to eat right, exercises properly and maintain their health. Access to Health provides readers with a comprehensive overview of all aspects affecting their health in this easy-to-understand guide. Key Topics: Readers will learn to develop healthy behaviors through a variety of practical activities and exercises. The first personal health book to include full chapter coverage of communication, violence, and addictions, this book provides additional assessments, maintains its contemporary focus and continues to emphasize current trends in personal health and their direct impact on the reader.
Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice
by Karen Glanz, Barbara K. Rimer, and Frances Marcus Lewis (Hardcover - Sep 9, 2002). Since it was first published more than a decade ago, Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice has become the leading resource in the field of health promotion and education. This thoroughly revised third edition provides a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of health behavior theories relevant to health education and includes the most current information on developments in theory, research, and practice.
Health DVD Sampling
Eight Simple Qigong Exercises For Health - The Eight Pieces of Brocade
by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming (DVD - 2003). In this best-selling video, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming instructs and demonstrates "the Eight Pieces of Brocade", one of the most popular sets of Chinese healing exercises. These gentle breathing, stretching and strengthening movements activate the Qi energy and blood circulation in your body, helping to stimulate your immune system, strengthen your internal organs, and give you abundant energy. With both a sitting and standing set, anyone can practice these simple and effective exercises in as little as 15 -20 minutes a day.
Women's Health: Ultimate Fat Burn!
by Womens Health, et al. (DVD - 2007). Want to burn fat, blast calories, and rev your metabolism? Developed by the editors of Women s Health Magazine, Ultimate Fat Burn slays up to 500 calories, here s how: This workout combines fun athletic drills, strength training, and high-impact cardio for a leaner, tighter, and slimmer body.
Health Equipment Sampling
Omron HJ-112 Digital Premium Pedometer The Omron HJ-112 Pocket Pedometer is an advanced, high-tech pedometer that--thanks to unique dual sensor technology--can be carried in your pocket or bag. Now you can just drop your pedometer in your purse to find out how much exercise you get in a typical day of work, errands, and other tasks. Of course, you can also attach it to your belt like a traditional pedometer.
Omron HEM-780 Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor with ComFit Cuff
Not only does the HEM-780 Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor utilize Omron's patented IntelliSense technology, but it also features the innovative Comfit Cuff. The ComFit Cuff is pre-formed for a quick and proper fit that is perfect for both medium and large-sized arms (nine to 17 inches). It's easy to apply the cuff to your arm without any assistance -- simply wrap the cuff around your arm and press start. In seconds your blood pressure and pulse are displayed on the large digital panel. Proven time and time again, Omron's IntelliSense technology ensures accurate, clinically-proven, and comfortable readings. And with a 90-memory recall with date and time stamp, you can track your blood pressure and pulse progress as your work towards a healthier lifestyle.
Omron HBF-400 Body Fat Monitor and Scale
The Omron HBF-400 Fat Loss Monitor with Scale is the perfect way to track your weight loss goals, thanks to its fast, accurate measurement of weight, body fat percentage, and body mass index (BMI). Just step on the HBF-400 and in seconds you'll have much of the information that's vital to any weight loss or weight maintenance program.
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