The famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who built over 1000 structures and lived to age 91 years once said, “The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.
Wright had the right idea about aging for sure!
Research has proven that remaining positive about the aging process can increase a person’s will to live, making them more resilient to illness and proactive about health. Folks with a positive outlook on aging are also likely to experience less stress, reducing their likelihood of developing chronic diseases.
A purposeful and positive life will motivate you beyond retiring.
Aging positively is about having a good quality of life than obsessing over your external appearance. It is not about trying to delay or mask the undesirable effects of aging.
True dat, aging can be difficult to accept. Our body might not be able to do the things it did when we were young. The overall changes due to aging can have a psychological impact on us. But overall, positive aging is about being well-adjusted.
Here are a few age-positive steps you can take to feel more optimistic about life.
Socialize with motivated people: Surround yourself with those who appreciate and revere the person who stands before them. Discard those negative people in your life who add no value. Positivity is contagious and so is happiness. Choose the company of happy, positive, productive, and uplifting people who are living life to the fullest, and you will soak up the vibrancy they have to offer.
Be grateful: An attitude of gratitude invites positivity into your life. Seasoned folks living a life of appreciation are never regretful, rigid, or worried. Why? Giving thanks allows you to focus on the good in your life. Gratitude is acknowledging the right in you, around you, and in others.
Spread positivity: Plug yourself into other people’s lives. Even if you have physical limitations, find a way to bring some measure of joy into someone else’s life via a phone call, text, email, letter. Words can be uplifting especially if someone is hurting. Sending someone love and positivity can truly brighten anyone’s day.
Engage with young folks: Relationships are the critical ingredient in well-being, particularly as we age. According to a Harvard University study, generativity means investing in, caring for, and developing the next generation; mature adults who did so were three times as likely to be happy as those who did not.
Being truly generative means using the wisdom we’ve gained and experienced to instill confidence in young people and help them embrace risk and failure as the best route to learning. Our task is not to try to be young but to be there in a positive way for those who actually are.
Keep learning, keep growing: Old age doesn’t mean you know everything. You might be surprised at how much you might be missing for lack of knowledge. Take a dance, cooking, language, writing, or whatever interests YOU class! Constantly learning new things will fuel you and help keep your mind engaged and create new social connections that are positive, healthwise.
