I Feel Young At Heart! Do you?

Do you feel as old as your birth certificate claims you are? I don’t. I feel young at heart. In my head, I feel I am about half my real age, and I often marvel when I write down my birth year. No way, I tell myself. I am not that old. I believe each of us is an average of three “ages.”

Chronological Age: This is the age that is dictated by your date of birth. Are there eighteen candles on your birthday cake? Thirty-seven? Eighty-two? There’s nothing we can do to diminish the number of years we’ve been alive. (Well, nothing we’d want to do, anyway. A visit to the undertaker is something everyone wants to put off as long as possible.) Our chronological age is concrete and unchangeable. 

Biological Age: This is the age of our physical bodies. How well do your lungs work? Your heart? Your muscles? How much extra fat do you carry around? There are lots of things we can do to keep our bodies younger. Physical activity, aerobic exercise, strength training, stretching, yoga—all these things will help keep your body fit and lower your biological age. You don’t have to do them all, but keeping active is very important. Eating fresh, nutritious food is another good way to give your brain and your body what it needs to feel young.

Psychological Age: You might not believe it, but how and what you think affects how you age. Are you curious about life? Do you love to learn new things? There are plenty of ways to enrich your psyche—learn a new language or skill, travel, take a dance class, read good books, listen to music, cook a new recipe, meditate, develop a rich spiritual life, go out of your way to meet new people, smile and love more, frown less. Cultivate confidence by making a What Makes Me Unique list. Learn to forgive; the anger it takes to hold onto a grudge can contribute to cardiovascular disease and a weakened immune system. Avoid negative thoughts and live from a place of gratitude. Learn to let go of the things you can’t control. I’m sure there are many other ways to keep a healthy mind and attitude. If you have some ideas, please share in the comment section.

As many of you know, I’ve been exercising regularly for some time now. I’ve dropped some weight and I’m feeling fit. I’ve never lost my curiosity, I have always loved to learn new things, I laugh often (especially at myself), and I stay positive as much as possible. Because I’ve worked on lowering my biological and psychological ages, I’m sure that’s why I don’t feel my chronological age.

For those of you who don’t remember the classic song YOUNG AT HEART, it was sung by the unforgettable Frank Sinatra. He was famous during my father’s era. The lyrics include some great messages:

~  ~  ~

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you
If you’re young at heart.
For it’s hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind
If you’re young at heart.

 

Don’t you know that it’s worth

every treasure on earth
To be young at heart.
For as rich as you are,

it’s much better by far
To be young at heart.

~  ~  ~ 

So tell me, what do YOU do to stay young at heart?

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About the author: Donna Fasano is a USA Today Bestselling author. Learn more about her at her website: DonnaFasano.com.

 

Zen 101: Mindfulness

Mindfulness is active, open attention to the present. It’s the state of observing your thoughts and feelings from a distance without labeling them as good or bad. Living mindfully means to be in the moment and awake to each experience. Practicing mindfulness brings calm where there was chaos, peace where there was turmoil. Here are some suggestions that will help you live with more intention and less judgment.

Your only true reality is this moment, right now. If you’re not in the here and now, you’re either judging the past or anticipating the future—the first can’t be changed and the second is completely unpredictable. Focusing on This Moment—the people you’re with, the situation you’re in—is what is most important for your well-being.

There is a wilderness that can only be walked alone. Even when you are surrounded by people, no one can walk in your footsteps but you. Allow yourself the opportunity to get to know who you really are, what you really think and believe, how you really feel about your experiences.

Everything is created twice; once in the mind and then again in your life. Keep good moral standards at the forefront of your mind. If you do, then nothing you say or do will harm another.

Negative thoughts are harmless…unless you believe them. Don’t attach yourself to negativity in any form: thoughts, actions, or emotions. If bad thoughts invade your mind, simply let them go. There’s no need to reprimand yourself for the thoughts. Just let them go.

You will not be punished for your anger. You’ll be punished BY your anger. Annoyance, enmity, jealousy, resentment, they’re all normal human feelings. Dwelling on these gloomy emotions, however, will result in a pessimistic outlook. Life is too short to be anything except the best, most positive you.

Inner peace is knowing and loving yourself. The validation of others isn’t necessary for you to live a good and happy life.

To strongly believe in something and not live it is dishonest. Follow your intense passions mindfully. Live your beliefs and you’ll never be fooled by the words or desires of others.

The right path and the easy path are rarely one and the same. Every struggling step you succeed in taking toward your goal makes the reaching of the goal all the more satisfying.

If you truly desire the benefits, you must accept the costs. Every want (dream/goal) comes with some sort of sacrifice. You must welcome the suffering in order to achieve the dream.

The burden of too much responsibility inhibits a peaceful, mindful life. Every moment doesn’t have to be filled with something to do. Give yourself space to breathe, to appreciate, to be.

Embrace spontaneity. Work is necessary, yes, but some of life’s best experiences arrive at unplanned moments. Be flexible and open.

Make rejuvenation part of your daily schedule. If all we do is pour out of our buckets and never refill them, we’d all walk around carrying empty buckets. Take time to refill yourself—seek quiet solitude and focus your attention inwardly on a regular basis.

How has mindfulness, or the lack of it, affected your life? In what area of your life could you benefit from being more mindful? Do you have a suggestion for how others can live a more mindful life?

~  ~  ~

Donna Fasano is a USA Today Bestselling Author. Her book, PRAYER OF QUIET, describes a simple yet powerful spiritual practice she has used to help her escape the chaos of the world. She wrote the book so others might also benefit from this calming daily devotion.