Secrets Of Living Longer...

I found a long forgotten National Geographic Magazine from November 2005 that featured an article about people who are demographically diverse but united in one fact--they live long lives.

The article profiled Sardinians, Adventists and Okinawans. Collectively they observe the following:

* Don't Smoke
* Put Family First
* Be Active Every Day
* Keep Socially Engaged
* Eat Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains

The Sardinians more specifically honor family, drink red wine (moderately), stay active, find purpose, keep friends, eat vegetables, have faith, take time off and celebrate life.

I thought this was note worthy. We may do these things but I don't think we focus on them when we are doing them. We need to learn to be in the moment. We need to more aware of where we are and what we are doing. We live in a world moving so fast that we don't even taste the fast food as it goes down our throats.

A few nuggets of WISDOM...

"Nature's secret is consistency and patience"

"Whether we make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong, the amount of work is the same."

"Determination is often the first chapter in the book of success"

"When most are dreaming of success, winners wake-up and work hard to achieve it."

I think that second one is HUGE! What if we make a choice between misery and happiness...

"Whether we make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves HAPPY, the amount of work is the same."

So true, so very true. I should be paying attention right now.

The more we interfere with the natural balance produced and governed by natural laws the further away harmony retreats in the distance. Sour and bitterness in life comes from the interfering and unappreciative mind. Life itself when understood and utilized for what it is, is sweet.

The way of self reliance starts with recognizing who we are and what we've got to work with and what works for us.

"Do what you can with what you have where you are." -F. Roosevelt.

We stumbled on our own but disease knocked us down. We still have a lot of work to do to get back on our feet and life still might get more complicated before it ever smooths out. But life rarely stays even tempered for very long. All we can do is prepare as best we can before life strikes again...the hits keep coming, how we roll with those punches determines how hard we fall.

Rolling with them is much like being a cork in the water. It yields and doesn't add to the conflict. it bounces back and while you can exert more force to hit the cork harder, it always responds by bouncing back without much effort. You can easily neutralize force by overcoming it with yielding. Rolling with the punches lessens the blow and tires out the opponent.

Force is never overcome with force but with yielding. Maybe that's the secret to dealing with the crap life dumps on you, you take it and bounce right back. "Thank you sir, may I have another?"

We need to be like a cork in the water.

Things are what they are, we need to recognize limitations, use those limitations and if we can keep things simple, eat fruits and vegetables, stay active, drink red wine (moderately), find purpose, take some time off and celebrate life.


Makes sense to me. I should try it.


Be well.