Staying active and well at every stage of life is a goal most of us hope to attain. One way to accomplish healthy longevity, is to beat the clock and fears of an aging mind and body. It’s doable, and what’s more, it’s good for your health.
Time isn’t toxic
There’s no reason for our wellbeing to decline after a certain number of sunrises and sunsets. Nor should our thinking capacity wind-down with each tick of the clock. Researchers believe “aging is unnatural… there may be no immutable biological law that decrees human beings have to get old and sick and die…By design, the body should go on forever.” Also, meditative practices can actually aid longevity.
This is certainly encouraging news that can change our outlook and raise our expectations for living a long and healthy life .
TIP:
● Resist noting the passage of time and fearing what it might mean for your health and life-style.
● Don’t limit the good things you can accomplish down the track.
● Look forward to maintaining your “vigor, freshness and promise” at every stage. (Science and Health p. 246)
● Quit thinking that you grow old because of the number of birthdays you’ve clocked up.
● Plan now to join the growing number of supercentenarians – those who’ve reached 110 years or more.
Encouraging role models
Maybe you’ve heard more about mature people declining in later years, than those who’ve remained active and useful. Yet mental faculties, energy, and wellness can remain intact throughout life despite the number of times the earth revolves around the sun.
Clara Barton who founded the American Red Cross, never let the age clock beat her into submission. She lived a long, useful life, working tirelessly into her nineties. Interviewed by journalist Viola Rogers for the New York American, Barton expressed this opinion about aging.
“Most troubles are exaggerated by the mental attitude, if not entirely caused by them. The mind” she maintained, “is so constructed that we have become firmly convinced that after a certain length of time we cease to be useful, and when our birthday calendar indicates that we have reached or are nearing that time, we become lax in our work and finally cease to accomplish; not because we feel in reality that we are no longer useful, but because we are supposed by all laws and dictums to have finished the span of life allotted to work.”
Barton’s advice to beat the time clock and remain alert and healthy is simple. “Let your life be counted by the mile-stones of achievement and not by the timepiece of years.” As a consequence, she believed that we’d “all be younger and would live to be much older”.
TIP:
● Be heartened by individuals who’ve beaten the mental and physical limitations often associated with old age.
● Refuse to say that you used to be able to do this or that, and now you can’t because you’re older.
● Accept as true this ancient wisdom. You can “flourish like the palm tree: …bring forth fruit in old age…and be healthy and flourishing.” (Psalm 92)
● Beat the stop clock by expecting to retain a fit mind and body as the norm into the future.
● Look forward to leading a long, active, productive life.
I’m a professional Christian Science Practitioner and Teacher. Through my prayer-based practice, I help people find happiness, health and healing.
Thank you Beverly for your well rounded article against the “expected ageing process’. On page 246 of Science and Health Mrs Eddy also makes the comment “Never record ages”. I believe there is a flourishing industry waiting for ageing women and men to need their services. We should endeavour to prove them wrong and in a recent book ‘In Praise of Ageing’ Patricia Edgar does just that. Setting out the wonderful achievements of seniors. Mary Baker Eddy’s own achievements as a senior woman were absolutely remarkable. For instance the introduction of The Christian Science Monitor in Boston in 1908.
Thank you Wendy for your comment. Great to hear about Mary Baker Eddy’s achievements. Not many women of her age would have had the drive or initiative to start a newspaper that’s still operating today – some 106 years later. Just shows that we can all aspire to a long, healthy and productive life.
As I belong to a club for Seniors I am aware that many say that we are all getting old, however there are many who are well in their 90’s still driving their cars and playing golf and are actively involved in the Club. There is an old saying that “you are as old as you feel” so I guess it is what we accept into our thinking as to age that matters.. Mrs Eddy says in Science and Health page 246 that timetables of birth and death are so many conspiracies against manhood and womanhood. Thank you Beverly for this great reminder to not think of the numbers!
Great to have your comment Yvonne. It’s so good to know that many club members are going strong in their 90’s. It certainly shows that refusing to play the “counting game” and focusing on beating the clock and thoughts of age limitations, does lead to better health and a longer, active life. Yes age is about what we think. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Beverley. Let’s get that confidence and joy back into our lives, and rejoice in every achievement .
Thank you Heather for your comment. We can certainly look forward to a healthy life, rich with achievements. At every stage it’s possible to forget the clock and turn thinking toward the good things we can accomplish.
Thanks for those timely reminders Beverley. It’s so important to remain flexible mentally, and open to new ideas and challenges as they are presented.
Thank you Joan for leaving your comment. Yes certainly living an active, productive life does include mental flexibility. Looking forward to new adventures, embracing change and welcoming growth are ways to keep life ticking over. It’s a joy to live life to the full.
If we think about qualities associated with youth – enthusiasm; receptivity; joy; alertness; willingness to try new things; triumph in achievement, to name just a few – there is no age limit on any of them.
Thanks Beverly for the reminder to watch our thinking and stick to concepts and attitudes likely to lift up, not drag down.
Thank you Kerrie for mentioning those timeless, youthful qualities. Expressing them every day is a sure way to beat the age clock and live a happy, healthy, productive, long life.
Your article is an inspiration to let go of time-based assumptions and practices, which are so limiting and diminishing. The examples of those who have lived full and productive lives, largely free of physical and mental decline, should spur us on to do the same. Thank you.
Thanks Marie for your comment. Each of us can express vim and vigour at every stage of life. Why should we expect to experience anything less than full health, usefulness, and happiness. It’s invigorating to be inspired by the examples of those who are living life to the full.
Beverly, I wanted you to know that I have shared your article with all my family because I think it’s a really important topic. Thank you for writing so helpfully.
Thank you for your comment. I am delighted that you’ve shared it with your family. Good ideas are always worth sharing. Many thanks.
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Thankyou for this “wake up” call not to accept imitations and barriers , but as you pointed out the only limitations we can suffer from is our own acceptance of socalled rights and privileges of old age.
Thank you Lorraine for your comment. It’s good to know that we can live a useful, active, healthy life, at every stage. The clock doesn’t determine who we are or what we can achieve. As you say, it’s up to us to accept vitality and longevity as the norm and demonstrate it. Let’s do it!
Thank you Beverly for that good advice. It’s important to look forward and not back, and anticipate engaging in new ideas and new activities.
Marion
Thank you Marion for your comment. I agree, that to beat the time clock and stay healthy and active requires forward thinking – an expectation of fresh avenues for living a purposeful life, including new people to meet, and things to do. Life’s adventure goes on. It’s exciting to think about.
I had my Dad staying with me when I read this, so it was very helpful. Thanks Beverly for a timely reminder that it’s never too soon to start replacing thoughts of aging with the expectation of living a long and healthy life. I found the idea of no biological necessity for aging interesting, as we’re lulled into believing otherwise. How much better to look forward to undiminished vitality!
Thank you Julie for your comment. Glad the ideas were helpful especially when you had your father staying with you. Yes it is good to eliminate expectations of getting old and being limited in mind or body. As you say, it is so much better to anticipate an active, vital, productive life at every stage. Here’s to good health and a long and happy life!
A friend just emailed me that my piece reminded her of a Sunday School teacher she’d had many years ago who told her that “ever since he realised he didn’t need to ‘age’, he hadn’t. When one of us pointed out he had lost his hair – you know what kids are like … blunt – he laughed and said he lost his hair during the War and that was before he realised he didn’t have to show the visible signs of ageing any more than on the inside. He then told us he was 72, which seemed very old to a group of 9 year-olds, but he did not look over 50.” Just shows that we can all “beat the clock” and stay active and well.
A friend just emailed me that my piece reminded her of a Sunday School teacher she’d had many years ago who told her that “ever since he realised he didn’t need to ‘age’, he hadn’t. When one of us pointed out he had lost his hair – you know what kids are like … blunt – he laughed and said he lost his hair during the War and that was before he realised he didn’t have to show the visible signs of ageing any more than on the inside. He then told us he was 72, which seemed very old to a group of 9 year-olds, but he did not look over 50.” Just shows that we can all “beat the clock” and stay active and well.