Aging well
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The lure of longevity
“It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.” ~Andy Rooney Our cultural view of aging is fraught with contradictions. It’s safe to say that each of us wants to live a long life — but we’d like to do so in near-perfect health with motivation and energy to spare. And while we’re at it, we’d prefer to erase our wrinkles and tighten those saggy chins and knees. Yes, we want to have our birthday cake and eat it, too. ~CL If you’re interested in exploring the topic of aging, join our monthly “Aging with Grace &…
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Who’s in the driver’s seat?
“I don’t want to be a passenger in my own life.” ~Diane Ackerman Sometimes it’s nice to let someone else do the driving. Sometimes we just want to sit back, roll down the windows, and enjoy the ride. And there’s nothing wrong with that — unless we’re always dodging responsibility or letting someone else (or something else) control where we’re going. Do you often allow others to make your plans and decisions when you could be asserting your own choices? Do you structure your days around unhealthy or unproductive habits? Once in a while, it’s worth a reality check: Who or what is in the driver’s seat of your own…
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The art of perseverance
“One must go on working silently, trusting the result to the future.” ~Vincent van Gogh With the help of my new internist, I’ve been working to rebuild a weakened immune system after two long months of illness. I trust her recommendations, and I’m grateful for her partnership on my health journey. Last week, the doctor said something that reminded me of today’s quote from Vincent van Gogh. To paraphrase her advice: There are few quick fixes when it comes to healing — so it’s important to practice patience as we work toward our long-range goals. I think that’s a wise prescription for nearly any worthy endeavor you can name. ~CL
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Living in the past?
“Nostalgia is also a dangerous form of comparison. Think about how often we compare our lives to a memory that nostalgia has so completely edited that it never really existed.” ~Brene Brown Some people believe nostalgia is a casualty of aging — but I’m not so sure that’s true. I’ve been nostalgic (and overly sentimental) since I was a kid. I’m the sort of person who loves old houses and anything with a history. I find comfort in rereading passages from novels with nostalgic themes (Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine comes to mind) and sometimes I view the past through proverbial rose-colored lenses. Which might be why today’s quote hit home…
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Making the most of our days
“The realization that I may have only a few good years remaining has hit me with real force, and I have done a lot of thinking as a result… I try to figure out what I really want to do every day. I try to say to myself, ‘If this is one of the last days of my life, am I doing exactly what I want to be doing?’” ~Nora Ephron Last month, I wrote several posts about habits, rituals, and routines. As I looked at my own, I realized that not all habits are unhealthy. Just because you do something “routinely” doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Quite a few of…
