My dad tells me, “I’m a young man trapped in an old man’s body.”   I’m starting to realize what he is talking about.  No one grows old overnight and we don’t want to think about getting old.  Then before we know it, we are old.  How on earth did this happen?  It was only yesterday that we were in our prime.  We’re told the best way to age healthier is to start young.  Well, duh!  But what do we do now that we are no longer young?  Where do we start to make up for lost time?

Aside from the obvious, eating healthy, getting enough exercise, stop smoking, and moderation with alcohol, the most important area in staying young is your attitude.

Think about the people you like to spend time with, what characteristics do they have that attract people to them?  Hands down, these people are high energy and have a youthful attitude, always looking for adventure.  They are “fun” and fun to be around.  They don’t tend to think about age and don’t think of themselves as being old.

On the other hand, there is an abundance of people who have aged prematurely due to unhealthy lifestyles and most importantly, a negative attitude.  These people we avoid at all cost.  They are energy vampires, sucking the fun right out of life.  These people can destroy our sense of well being.  They tend to do poorly in life and usually end up in a nursing home prematurely.   Depression tends to be high among persons who have a bad attitude and they are high risk for other health issues such as; obesity, diabetes, dementia, stroke, and heart attack to name a few heath issues that are a part of having a bad attitude.

So, now what?  Ironically, the most successful people at aging are the ones who don’t give aging or death a second thought.  They tend to live in the present and look forward to the future.  They are the master’s of aging and society’s views on aging aren’t on the radar for these individuals.  As a matter of fact, they shatter society’s thinking on aging.  Many are taking classes and starting 2nd and 3rd careers at age 70 or more.  Successful agers dream and they dream big.  They look for challenges and exciting adventures, they are enthusiastic about life and what may come their way.