The Mission of The Come Alive Project is to spread a message about Health, Fitness and Personal Energy for active older adults. But what do I mean by Personal Energy. To me, Personal Energy is the ability to do the things we really want to do with enthusiasm, purpose and a positive attitude, and with something left over so we can move on to the next thing we want to do.
Personal energy reflects the feeling of being alive and to be able to enjoy the experience of being alive. It’s the ability to keep up with some of the younger people, and then keep on going. In today’s environment that may not take a lot of effort.
It also means a belief in yourself and in your abilities, while at the same time, being realistic about what those abilities are. In reality, most older adults are able to do much more than they think they can. But it also means being aware of your real limitations as opposed to self-imposed or perceived limitations, often reflecting the expectations of others. It means believing in your physical capabilities and the ability to push yourself to those limits knowing just where those limits end.
A person who is living at a high personal energy level is resistant to long term chronic illness because they take care of themselves the way nature intended. They have the physical ability to do what their body is made to do, and to do it easily and well.
Will you get tired? Of course. But you know how to let your body and mind rest and recover. You’ll sleep deeply most nights.
Older adults living at a high Personal Energy level will be fueling themselves for excellence with real and nutrient laden foods. You’ll maintain a high ratio of alkaline to acidic foods. That means more veggies and less meat — not no meat, just less. You’re likely to lose excess poundage if you eat that way, too.
If you’re living at a high energy level now, you’re probably leaner than the average senior and are able to control your weight with ease. That simply goes with the territory. You probably move more and move faster in your everyday activities and get more done in the process.
Chances are you breathe more easily than most and inhale the breath of life and spirit. In fact the “breath of life” or “breath of spirit” is the basis of Chi or Ki energy as practiced by many Eastern cultures. In fact the symbol, or ideogram for Chi, represents the steam escaping quickly from a teapot and reflects the “Universal Life Energy” or as some put it, “the Breath of God or Spirit”. The Hindu word “Prana” has a similar meaning.
Your Attitude toward yourself and toward life in general is critical to your Health, Fitness and Personal Energy. “It all starts with the way you’re thinking”. A positive attitude goes a long way toward maintaining a vital life. Norman Vincent Peale, the high priest of Positive Thinking, in his classic The Power of Positive Thinking wrote: “All through its pages, the Bible talks about vitality and force and life. The supreme overall word of the Bible is LIFE, and life means vitality — to be filled with energy”. And Charles Fillmore who, with his wife Mildred, co-founded together what today is the Unity Church (not Unitarian), expressed this sentiment at age 94, shortly before his death: “I fairly sizzle with zeal and enthusiasm, and I spring forth with a mighty faith to do the things that ought to be done by me.” How can anyone with an attitude like that have anything less than the enthusiasm and energy to live a long, vital life.
And it was Unity that first published, in 1905, that famous and classic poem by a nearly unknown author, Walter Wintle, entiltled The Man Who Thinks He Can. (not sexist, just the original language). If you are one of the few who are not familiar with the poem, you can find it online by searching under its title. It pretty well spells out the role of Attitude in the Personal Energy equation.
Is that all there is to Health, Fitness and Personal Energy? Of course not. But exercise, real food and a positive attitude will go a long way in supplying the high octane fuel needed for today’s senior to live a positive and vital lifestyle. Seems simple doesn’t it? It really is. And spreading that message is what The Come Alive Project is all about.
Thanks for reading.