Be Positive About Your Age
Be Positive About Your Age. Almost everyone is familiar with the adages age is just a number and you are only as old as you feel. Though having a fresh outlook on getting older may sound like a clich, it can help you have a happier (and longer) life. The way that the elderly, and their community, picture aging can have a direct effect on how they feel and the quality of life that they have. Obviously, the elderly, like anyone else, need access to health care and medications that they can afford, a place that is safe and comfortable for them to live in, and a family or other support system that loves them and supports them. However, there is more to having a happy life than just that, and people need to change their thinking on aging. One doctor in Arkansas even advises his older patients to stand in front of a full-length mirror without any clothes on and to tell themselves that they are beautiful which is good advice for people of any age. One way to do this is to give up all the ideals that we have used to measure ourselves by when we are younger. When you are in your 20s, 30s, or even 50s the standards by which you measure yourself can change, and you should be able to embrace this change instead of fighting it. When you are younger, life revolves around things like getting ahead in your job, paying off bills, making that dream purchase, and building a family. As you age, these struggles change as people retire and the kids move away. As you get older, struggles tend to include the passing of a spouse, loss of health and mobility, or abandonment by children who are now so busy in their own lives that they spend little time thinking about their elderly parents. What is needed is a change back to a time when the elders of the community were viewed as wiser, more insightful members that could offer the up and coming generation advice and support on living with dignity and treating themselves and others with compassion. Sadly, in todays society, the elderly are looked upon as a burden instead of an important resource. There are several things that you can do to can help you look on aging in a new light. No matter what age you start these at, they can help improve your quality of life, as well as support the members of your community.
Start by loving yourself and those around you. Do not hold onto grudges or past grievances. Find good qualities in yourself and others and focus on those rather than the bad. Have faith and follow it. Everyone believes in something, whether they are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, or any other belief.
The very act of hanging onto your faith in whatever it is you believe in can make your life happier. Find a purpose for living, and keep at it. Having no purpose makes it too easy to keep on going when times get rough. Get a pet, connect with your grandchildren, find a cause, or take up a craft. Give yourself something that you can enjoy doing and a reason to keep on going. Create a positive self-esteem.
This starts by finding ways to love yourself. Everyone has things that they dislike about themselves, but we all have redeeming qualities as well. Find the good and focus on it, and either eliminate the bad or learn to live with it. Lastly, learn to forgive. This goes for yourself as well as those around you. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. Learning to forgive and forget, or at least get past, will lead to a longer and happier life. Healthy Aging Issues Today
02/08/2012 |
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