Commit Yourself to a Long Ageless Life

Dying unexpectedly is often a matter of mere chance, but living a long active life is usually a deliberate, systematic, disciplined and self-determined process.  Probably the most important key to a long active life is
your body’s very own awesome healing ability to overcome the sometimes daunting obstacles.  The intelligence built into your healing system by its Creator is nothing short of miraculous and it has never been duplicated by mankind in spite of his technological advancements.  Technology has put man on the moon but it has yet to pave a road or even invent a rubber tire that can last 100 years by healing itself such as your body can and does — automatically and dependably without much, if any, conscious intelligent thought being put into it.  In fact your body heals itself daily as it replaces and absorbs old worn out cells with new ones.  However it would be pointless to live longer unless you could also enjoy a high quality, enthusiastic and active participation in your life.

Health and healing go together;
Without the one, there isn’t the other.
Healing has a mind of its own:
It knows how to mend flesh and bone,
Defeat disease and grow new skin
— Its goal is to survive and win.
To do its work, it draws on health
For its resources and its wealth.
For the wrong choices that we make
And the abusives that we take,
Will cut out those parts like a knife
Of what we enjoy of our life.

When we study the habits of people who have enjoyed long healthy lives, we will discover personal health habits, diets, lifestyles and attitudes that work with their bodies’ healing systems.  This has been my focus as I want to have a long and enjoyable life, and I want to pass on to others those things that I find will improve our understanding and quality of life.  Understanding and applying these ideas and methods will help you enjoy long healthy life as well, barring the unexpected.  But there will be certain challenges to face as you age due to our society’s attitude about aging.

There is a story of an elderly woman who was suffering from a painful condition in her right knee that was severe enough to make walking difficult.  Not knowing what was causing her pain, she consulted with her friends, but they all told her it was the result of old age and to stop worrying about it.  With the pain being so unbearable to live with, she eventually made an appointment with her doctor to find out what was going on.

At her doctor’s office, the doctor gave her an entire medical examination and then examined her knees thoroughly.  He first bent her knees one way and then the other.  Then he banged them with a rubber hammer to check their reflexes.  She was asked to stand on one leg at a time, and then hop up and down, first with both feet on the floor, then with just the right leg, and then with the left.  Finally he shrugged his shoulders and declared, “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t find anything seriously wrong with your knee.  I’m afraid it’s just due to old age.”

Having heard this explanation many times already, this woman was completely exasperated and replied, “I’m sorry to disagree with you, doctor, but there must be a better reason because my other knee is the exact same age and it is perfectly fine.  Thank you and have a good day!”

There is another true story of a woman that I personally knew who went to her doctor to find out why she had such bloating and discomfort in her lower abdomen.  He asked her, “How old are you?”  “Fifty-five.” was her answer.  “How many children have you had?” he asked again.  Thinking for a moment over two marriages that she had, she replied, “Four.”   Cutting her short, the doctor respond-ed, “Welcome to the club!” and walked away without further comment.

There are two points that I want to make:

1. There is an unhealthy common tendency in our society, even among medical professionals, to blame most illnesses on advancing age.
2. If you want to remain healthy and vibrant as you age, you will need to educate yourself and learn to ignore negative, pessimistic, fearful and erroneous ideas about what causes illness.  Instead, focus on working with your healing system to help you achieve a long healthy life.

Laugh Yourself to Youthfulness