Does the prospect of another Birthday fill you with dread?
“Nooooo! I don’t wanna be 40” – how about 50, 60, 70?
Or, do you not care how many candles you have on your cake, you feel great and you are going to grow old disgracefully?
Well, whatever your attitude to getting older, I have found there are fundamental desires most of us share, unless you are only looking forward to the day you get your mobility scooter of course.
We don’t want to lose our independence
We want to maintain our dignity
We don’t want to be a burden
So, what are you going to do about it?
A. Let Fate Decide
B. Choose Life, A longer more Active Life
If your choice is A. Let Fate Decide:
Accept that you are going to get fat and frail, give in to the decline of mental and physical vigour.
There is bound to be someone to look after you along the road to old age, right?
Good luck with that.
If your choice is B. Choose Life:
Know that you cannot stop time but acknowledge that you certainly can slow the effects of the passage of time on your mental and physical health. Act now to change those desires into a goal of a longer more active life.
Begin by finding some exercise that you enjoy, any exercise, and do it.
Look at what you are eating and do some research to find out how your body responds to certain types of food and give your body what it needs to nourish, energise and rejuvenate.
Reduce the stress in your life, live each day like it could be your last, surround yourself with positive people.
Get a good night sleep – most nights
Treat life as a celebration, put fear aside and see yourself as the wonderful human being you really are.
Get some help – “Even Roy Rodgers had Tonto”
No prizes for guessing which is the right road ahead.
See you at the party!
Oh, and by-the-way, if you are curious about how old you really are, check out this easy to use calculator from the BBC feature "How to stay young"