“Start by doing what is necessary; then do what’s possible,
and suddenly you’re doing the impossible.” ~Francis of
Assisi
I remember when I was
very young hearing my 93-year old great-grandmother repeat that old maxim, “If
I’d known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of
myself.” Like most youngsters, I didn’t take my elder’s wisdom to
heart. And, eventually I did recall the conversation, with regret.
Because as a much older me, I was suddenly receiving messages from my own body
– I had begun to face one challenging aging ailment after another, barely
coping with one before another popped up. I shouldn’t have been so
surprised – I had already written another essay based on it seeming like our
older bodies might be falling apart, but it could also be our chance to partner
with our bodies. But, of course, we humans are always forgetting and then
being reminded again. The truth is that our bodies are finite, they do
wear out, and they do malfunction – especially if we haven’t taken good care of
them, and have taken them for granted.
So, what can we do to
ensure that our later life is as healthy and productive and happy as we would
like it to be? Well for starters we need to realize the fact that
statistics already show that human beings are now living longer than
ever. The trend that’s already obvious is that the 70s are the new
50s and the 90s are the new 70s. This means (statistically) that we are
going to be “old” for much longer periods of time than our parents and
grandparents.
That fact automatically
shoots taking better care of our bodies up to the top of all
lists. Every day for decades we’ve been inundated with
information that encouraged us to eat a life-enhancing and nutritious diet, to
exercise, lose weight, run, walk and keep moving so that we can have a fit and
healthy body.
As seniors, many of us
already had a handy excuse for ignoring the fitness craze that is still
sweeping our country, because we thought it had nothing to do with us.
After all we were too busy focusing on what we thought were the last years of
our lives. Yet the truth is: Better late than never. Thank
you, Granny.
While it’s obvious
that younger generations will have more time to adjust to living longer lives,
we oldsters have already recognized that life itself is an incredible gift, and
the opportunity to live to an advanced age can be an even greater
blessing. It’s our responsibility to make the most of it, and to prepare
our bodies for a longer lifespan by staying healthy and fit, and we can do it
wisely without ripped muscles and six-packs.
We also need to expand
our minds and embrace the new concepts of agelessness and youthfulness, as well
as life-long learning and goal-setting. Another self-defeating thing that
we foot-dragging oldsters do to stay firmly entrenched in “the old days” is to
resist all changes, and particularly technological change. I’ve heard
many of my peers say when they are being chastised by their family members for
retreating from the high-tech world we now live in: “Oh well, we’ll be
long-gone soon.”
People who think that
way have already started opting OUT to put it bluntly. The thought being,
that we can’t move forward or don’t think we can, or don’t have the urge to do
so. The upshot of that closed and unhealthy mind-set is a fear of
learning new ways, and of trying new things. It can also isolate us from
society – and put our lives in a static kind of holding pattern – that says
we’re still here, but patiently waiting for the way out.
I remember a quote by
bestselling author Richard Bach that fits this situation perfectly: “If
you think your mission on Earth is complete, if you’re alive it isn’t.”
I have to admit that I
am still one of those “foot-dragging” seniors. For example, just like my
parents I resist using the drive-in window at my bank, and still write checks
to pay my bills. I don’t even want to talk about how little I know about
my one high-tech concession, computers, for if it works that’s great, but if it
doesn’t I have no clue as to what to do. My young grandsons are my
tutors.
After I was recently
presented with another aging ailment, I began seriously wondering what the
final chapter(s) of my life could be like if I changed my
outlook and became part of our world’s evolution into a higher conscious
awareness. I knew immediately that not being part of Life and just kind
of “hanging in,” wasn’t for me.
Here’s what I
did. I took a week off for a self-imposed retreat (which I call
time-out-of-time) to ponder my stage of life and to revisit some of the wise words
of my mentors and teachers, as well as famous sages and philosophers who have
gone on before us.
This statement from my
late friend and mentor Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross captured my attention
Each and every one of
us is a unique, individualized expression of God – the Divine Mind – and we’re
here for a reason, and there will never be another me or another you.
I was touched at the
core of my being by that quote, and took the time necessary to do two
things. The first was to accept the fact that in order to continue
experiencing life on Earth we must have a body and the healthier the
better. Next I took a clear look at my life to figure out what I would
need to do (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually) to help me make
the best of the rest of my life.
Feeling somewhat
overwhelmed by the latest ailment I was experiencing I sat down and listed my
half-dozen maladies, along with specific dietary do’s or don’ts for each
one. I also added prescribed exercises, meditation, visualization, and embryonic
(qigong) breathing as well as homeopathic and holistic healing modalities.
Having focused my
thoughts by writing down my concerns and what I could and would do about them,
I no longer felt overwhelmed. What I had done was to come up with a simple list
of how-to’s that in a very short time (two weeks for me) became a healthful and
uplifting habit.
As soon as I started
working with my body as a willing partner, I immediately felt supported and
empowered by the positive energy that now coursed through my being. I was
no longer a helpless victim just waiting for the next aging ailment to show up,
I was consciously partnering with my body to attain and maintain a higher level
of energy and well-being to prepare me for whatever life presents. (This
includes a bit of time to have a snit-fit when and if another malady shows up.)
As my
great-grandmother also said, “When you have your health, you have
everything!” She was right. I’m aware and kind of gobsmacked that
at the age of 80 I committed to a new vision – with a healthier diet, exercises
and taking full responsibility for my body. My goal is to continue
experiencing life on Earth, growing in conscious awareness instead of
just getting older … and making the best of the rest of my life.
I made my decision
with a tip of the hat to the late Art Linkletter, who wrote a bestselling book
years ago titled – “How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life –
in which he said, You can’t stop the clock, but we can rewind
it.”
I chose to do
that. I finally realized that it’s time to embrace this brave new world
instead of resisting it. Life is change, and the world is changing fast
and in ways that will affect every aspect of our lives—and they’ve only just
begun. The good news is that part of living in a time of rapid change
also means we can take advantage of new and unparalleled opportunities … and
use them to make the best of the rest of our lives.
______________________________________
Copyright © 2015 Fern
Stewart Welch
The author’s books:
“Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart,” (April 2013); “Tea with
Elisabeth,” recipient of the 2010 Silver Award for Non-fiction; “You Can Live A
Balanced Life In an Unbalanced World,” (Nov. 2008); and “The Heart Knows the
Way – How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit
Within,” (Feb. 2008) are available at Amazon.com other online booksellers and
bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble.
