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| FAQs SHOPPING CENTER RED HATTER SHOPPING ADVERTISE TERMS OF USE All contents © MyBestYears.com. No portion may be used in print, for broadcast or on the Internet without prior permission. Contact: admin@MyBestYears.com |
| Click here to see the new outerwear in the MyBestYears.com SHOPPING CENTER |
| Harold and Mary Allebach have been wellness practitioners for over half a century. Harold, now in his late seventies, is a certified reflexologist. Mary specializes in nutrition and health education. Both exercise daily, work full-time in their healthcare practice, sing in their church choir each week, travel, keep up with two grown girls and a growing number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, meanwhile maintaining a level of vim and vigor that causes people wherever they go to ask, “Where do you get all this energy?” SeniorZest™, an exclusive eColumn of MyBestYears.com, features information, interviews and encouragement to help you live life to the fullest, regardless of your age! |
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And how does this news translate into ways that can help you become, as the MyBestYears.com motto says, "older,
wiser, healthier and better"?
Here are eight keys:
battling numerous obstacles, but they spoke of realizing that life was essentially what they made it.
Happiness, for the most part, takes time, seasoning and attitude adjustments. Time really is on your side. The life-
expectancy numbers are rising by the year. Modern medicine continues to unravel many secrets of illness and genetic
challenges. Preventative medicine is exploding with new solutions to age-old questions. Seek out information, and
learn what works for you.
There are people of all ages around you whose lives could be changed forever through you. You have a life of
seasoning and experience. Whom can you help? What can you give? Where can you volunteer?
You may be surprised at how your selfless acts can begin to help you more than you can imagine!
KEYS
We have mentioned eight keys to happiness. There are many more. What
is important to notice is that keys are only effective when you actually use
them to unlock the doors in front of you.
Opening those locks requires effort. Sometimes it requires patience and
expertise. Your efforts, however, can open new vistas to all that you desire.
Do you want to be happy? There are lots of keys. The choices are up to you!
wiser, healthier and better"?
Here are eight keys:
- Develop a Great Attitude
The golden years can truly be better. Or maybe it is perception because people
who have gone through the challenges of fifty or more years have a wider
viewpoint. Surveys such as a new Pew Research Center study shows that
Americans grow happier as they age. Even with the economy unsettled,
Seasoned Seniors are generally happier than younger generations. There are
many complex reasons, of course, but attitude seems to be the most important
thing. Winston Churchill once said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every
opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." It's pretty much
up to you whether the glass is half full or half empty.
- Keep Your Perspective
There are several studies from a number of different countries around the
world, including ones released this year, that show that almost everyone
goes through a challenging period of mid-life crisis when confronted with
empty nests, career choices, sexual challenges, sickness and the
realization (sometimes triggered by the death of family members and
friends) of the brevity of life. The worst seems to hit women around age
40, and for men that point often hits around 50. Given time, however, we
often have an amazing capability to filter through the negatives in order to
focus on the positives. Consider it heartening, for example, that a 2005
study showed that Americans from 60 to 98 rated their own ability to age
battling numerous obstacles, but they spoke of realizing that life was essentially what they made it.
Happiness, for the most part, takes time, seasoning and attitude adjustments. Time really is on your side. The life-
expectancy numbers are rising by the year. Modern medicine continues to unravel many secrets of illness and genetic
challenges. Preventative medicine is exploding with new solutions to age-old questions. Seek out information, and
learn what works for you.
Pick Great Genes
That's impossible, of course, but it points to the fact that genetics do play a large part
in your happiness. A study in the March 2009 Psychological Science Journal boosts
the idea that DNA is often an underlying factor in your feelings of well being and
emotional stability. The best part of many studies that focus on the difference between
environmental and genetic factors shows that people can pick the best from both upon
which to build life choices. It really does come down to choices. Even though a positive
heritage is important, there are simply too many illustrations throughout history of
people who came from horrible family situations who decided to begin a new heritage.
Be aware of your genetic weaknesses and strengths. You can’t choose your genes, of
course, but you can be alert to tendencies that run in your family and seek to
overcome those traits.
- Work Out Regularly
Resolve to get more fit and healthier than ever before. Regardless of where you are right now—
good, bad or in-between—you can get better. Study after study of people from all age groups, even
those in their nineties, show that those who follow a program of health and fitness tend to live
longer and with a better quality of life. Exercise also helps you battle the depression, loneliness and
vulnerability that can accompany aging by burning off cortisol (produced naturally by the adrenal
glands when angry or scared, often increasing blood pressure and blood sugar while weaking the
immune response) and releasing endorphins (the body's natural pain relievers) into the
bloodstream. As you challenge your body to stay fit and balanced, your overall sense of well being
and happiness naturally rises.
- Eat to Be Happy
Now, this isn't an endorsement of bad eating habits. Instead, it is an encouragement to
help you realize that you really are what you eat, especially as you develop better
habits. Dr. Michael Roizen, in his powerful book, The RealAge Diet, says that by doing
something as simple as eating fish two times a week can actually make you look and
feel younger. The same can happen with a diet filled with fresh fruits and vegetables,
whole-grain breads, beans and brown rice. He and co-author Dr. John La Puma show
how they have helped many reverse aging by changing lifestyle choices. They point
toward fifty-one food choices and strategies that are age busters. Learn them. Live
them. Love them. Happiness and contentment are a wonderful by-product.
- Plan for the Future
Avoiding tomorrow tends to cause a build-up of dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Update your will.
Make financial plans. Seek the advice of competent legal and financial professionals, but ultimately
make sure that you are making decisions that will best for you and your loved ones. Be sure to
inform your loved ones of your decisions. Better yet, include them in your choices and seek their
input on your plans. Denying reality never seems to help. Facing the future does.
- Grow Your Faith
Study after study shows that people who believe in God and actively practice their faith are
generally much happier and able to handle life's challenges. Even medical studies (including
several from the prestigious Duke University) show that prayer plays a large role in
overcoming illness and injuries. The best part is that it is never too late to begin your walk
with God. (Click here for more information about beginning that new walk.) Nor is it
ever too late to grow your faith.
- Be a Giver
We have already quoted Winston Churchill on the importance of a good attitude.
He also said something as relevant about giving: "You make a living by what you
get, you make a life by what you give."
Sharing yourself and what you have is one of the key components of happiness.
Giving brings purpose.
What do you have to give? Time? Talents? Concern? Money? Help? Attention?
There are people of all ages around you whose lives could be changed forever through you. You have a life of
seasoning and experience. Whom can you help? What can you give? Where can you volunteer?
You may be surprised at how your selfless acts can begin to help you more than you can imagine!
KEYS
We have mentioned eight keys to happiness. There are many more. What
is important to notice is that keys are only effective when you actually use
them to unlock the doors in front of you.
Opening those locks requires effort. Sometimes it requires patience and
expertise. Your efforts, however, can open new vistas to all that you desire.
Do you want to be happy? There are lots of keys. The choices are up to you!
EIGHT KEYS TO HAPPINESS
...Your Choices Help Bring Satisfaction in Life
Somehow the picture of older men and women has emerged as mostly
grumpy, dumpy, and frumpy. From our experience, nothing could be
farther from the truth.
In fact, new surveys are showing us some revealing statistics that are
welcome news for the fifty-and-older crowd.
Lately there seems to be plenty of things around to discourage. Are you
ready for some good news?
...Your Choices Help Bring Satisfaction in Life
Somehow the picture of older men and women has emerged as mostly
grumpy, dumpy, and frumpy. From our experience, nothing could be
farther from the truth.
In fact, new surveys are showing us some revealing statistics that are
welcome news for the fifty-and-older crowd.
Lately there seems to be plenty of things around to discourage. Are you
ready for some good news?
