If happiness could have an age, it would probably be somewhere between four and seven years old. Happiness is a child’s natural possession. Unfortunately it is often an adult’s lost possession. The older we become the harder it seems to be to remain content.
Being
impulsive, laughing a lot, regularly travelling around the world, always
looking on the bright side of life, getting lots of fresh air, and daily gossip
with a best friend are some of the secrets to staying young at heart for people
over age 60.
Although a
physical body will advance in years, being young in heart and spirit can bring
us closer to our true source of joy, our Heavenly Father. Here are 5 simple ways to accomplish this:
1.
Exercise:
Regular exercise keeps the body fit, and has tremendous benefits to mental
health. “Mens sane in corpore sano”
the Romans said. It means “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” Modern science seems to prove them right.
Individuals who exercise regularly during a period of four years had
significantly more energy, patience, humor, ambition and optimism than those
who had just started an exercise regime.
The physically fit group also tended to be friendlier, more
exuberant, cheerful, and socially pleasant. Aside from the psychological
benefits, regular exercise has also been shown to turn back the clock and stop
aging.. Exercise seems to have an anti-aging effect on the building blocks of
the cells.
2.
Have a goal:
We need something to aim at, and give our lives meaning. Could it be serving
the community one lives in. With goals comes enthusiasm and determination.
These two qualities keep us youthful and exuberant.
The moment hope is given up on. There is surrender to
failure as our physical age starts to become evident. If we don’t lose sight of
our goals, then our so-called failures can become the pillars of our ultimate
and unavoidable victory.
3.
Positive thinking: When we have positive thoughts in our mind we
feel radiant and cheerful. The burden of worries and anxieties is lifted from
our shoulders, and peace resides instead. Positive thinking is the basis of
good mental, emotional and spiritual health.
Youth means being positive, hopeful and always looking
forward. The Fountain of Youth is positive thinking. We can choose to
strengthen the positive thoughts inside us, and avoid the negative ones. By
meditating (or concentrating) on God’s blessings, positive thoughts can easily
become a reality as His child.
4.
Sing: Singing is
another simple activity that works wonders for happiness, health and
well-being. These are all powerful ways to feel young at heart. People who sing
regularly (either by themselves or in a choir) report feelings of delight.
Singing trains our lungs to breathe better, boosts our immune system, and
reduces stress.
Singing with others tends to synchronize the heartbeats of
those involved, which results in a calming effect on body and mind that is
comparable to yoga. Singing can be done anyplace and anytime. Why save your
voice only for the shower? You can sing while walking in the street, driving
your car or cycling your bike. Soft singing in public spaces can give the same
pleasure that singing out loud does.
5.
Smile: A
smile is one of the most effective shortcuts to feeling young. Most adults
smile about 20 times a day, but children are champion smilers with an average
of 400 smiles a day. The power of a smile is considerable. Smiling boosts the
immune system, lowers blood pressure and releases powerful endorphins that
counter stress, and stimulates award-centers in the brain.
One smile can trigger the same reaction in the brain as
receiving $25,000. If you’re not a
regular smiler you can practice by going through the motions in front of a
mirror a few times a day and trying to make your smile as genuine as possible.
Visualizing a happy memory or someone you love helps to activate the smiling
muscles as well.
“There are many tired
gardeners but I've seldom met old gardeners. I know many elderly gardeners but
the majority [is] young at heart. Gardening simply does not
allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be
realized. The one absolute of gardeners is faith. Regardless of how bad past gardens have been, every gardener believes that next year's will be better. It is easy to age when there is nothing to believe in, nothing to hope for, gardeners, however, simply refuse to grow up.” (Allan Armitage)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“49
Secrets to Staying Young at Heart” by Ollie Parker
·
“Five
Simple Secrets to Staying Young at Heart” by Abhinabha
Tangerman
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