At age 76, I probably have at least 20 more years ahead of me. Fifteen of those will most likely be really good years, then probably slowing down slightly for five more (but still active), and then who knows, maybe a few months of quick decline at the end.
I want to not only live those years, but I want to live alive those 15 or 20 good years I have left. I believe you want to do the same with your life, too.
That means we must do things, physical and mental, that will keep our mind and body at their peak.
That means exercise, eating healthfully, breathing deeply, getting plenty of rest and sleep, as well as keeping mentally sharp and being proactive in the way we think and act. It means generating an energy and enthusiasm for life that will carry us all those future years whether today we are 50, 60, 70 or even 80 and beyond.
What do I mean by living alive and finding your Fountain of Youth? Here are some answers . . . *
- You are able to do nearly all the things that you personally want to do on a day to day basis, with plenty in reserve to do more.
- You have a strong and effective immune system, helping you combat long, lingering chronic illness.
- You are mobile, flexible, and able to move your muscles and joints through their entire range of motion, limited only by injury or disability.
- Your muscles and bones are healthy and strong. You are able to push things, pull things, lift things, carry things, bend and twist, keep your balance, and move from point A to point B at your own leisure.
- You have a strong infrastructure of ligaments, tendons, joints and internal organs.
- You have a strong cardio-respiratory system.
- You are able to maintain good posture.
- You have the Personal Energy to get through the day with a smile on your face, and plenty left over in reserve.
- You have massive enthusiasm for life, and depression is only fleeting at most. You have a positive attitude about living.
- You have the ability to overcome inertia. When you want to do something, you go ahead and do it, moving out of your immediate comfort zone.
- You are friends with the floor. You have the ability to get down to the floor and up again with little or no difficulty. You are able to catch yourself or slow yourself in the event of a fall, to prevent or minimize any injury.
- You feel good physically and are comfortable in your own skin.
- You are enjoying the “experience” of being alive.
This list is certainly not complete. Some may have other ideas as to their definitions of health, fitness and personal energy. These are some of mine.
You get most of your personal energy from using the tools of good exercise, nutritious food, plenty of oxygen, rest and sleep, and a “Come Alive Attitude” toward yourself and your life.
And that’s what The Come Alive Project and these articles are all about — to explore these tools with you — to help you implement them in a way that works for you — to help you find your own Fountain of Youth — to come alive, stay alive, and live alive as long as you are alive!
Thank you for reading.
*This list is adapted from Energy Bite 96, published in July of 2015.