Not The Same Old Age

Maybe you’re thinking that you can keep on doing the same old thing, and it won’t matter. Sometimes you eat the wrong foods, maybe too much food. Sometimes you drink a little, don’t feel so great the next morning. What the heck!  You get over it. Maybe you don’t drink or eat so much the next time. You still see yourself as that strong and vibrant 27-year-old, on top of the world, tiger by the tail, blah, blah, blah.

And working out? Well…………maybe not as much as you used to, but still, you fit in time when you can. You still run a couple of times a week, or bike, or go to the gym, but not always. Work, sometimes, is pressing, your boss wants you to stay late, the kids have school activities, your spouse has plans. Things happen, and after all, you ARE getting older and slowing down. It’s the aging process.

On the other hand, maybe you are buying the Kool-Aid that says that aging=slowing down, not so mobile, knees hurt, lower back is a problem, eyes aren’t so good. All because you’re aging.

Kill me now if I ever believe that. Because, you see, belief is part of the problem. Or the solution. What you believe is what you support. If you believe that you cannot play basketball anymore, your body responds to that. Your brain will support whatever you believe. Aging becomes the list of can’ts: I can’t play tennis, I can’t run anymore, hiking hurts my knees and ankles, I am afraid that I will fall off my bicycle and hurt myself, downhill skiing is downright scary.

You choose that belief. Your brain will believe and support anything you tell it. By supporting your fears about aging, you in fact age quicker.

Do you realize that you talk to yourself all the time?

What are you saying?

Try saying something different. Try moving more to stay in shape. Move everything: neck, spine, hips, ankles, feet, hands. All that movement, that joint mobility, sends signals to your brain, assuring your brain that you are safe, that this maneuver is a teeny bit scary but still manageable on a small scale, that age is a product of what you tell your brain.

Tell your brain something intelligent: that you still have a lot to offer the world, that you can still move well. Go kick someone’s butt!

Go out there in the real world and start using your brain and your talents, challenging yourself mentally and physically, every day until the day you die.

That’s Aging Intelligently.