There have been many times where I’ve sat and wondered, “How come that person is so happy?”; “How come he/she is able to live such a long and meaningful life?” I decided to do my own research and study about centenarians and super-centenarians. Centenarians are those that live at least to the age of 100 and super-centenarians are those that reach 110 years of age and beyond. I looked at the eating habits, lifestyles, obstacles, and environments of different types of people throughout their entire lives. I have realized that everyone leads different lives and have their own struggles, but everyone has ups and downs throughout their journey. The difference that set them apart is the way they deal and cope with these problems.

It’s about living in the present, enjoying the moment, and learning how to cope and adapt; whether you’re on top of the world or about to rock bottom. The secret is really to learn how to distort reality to work for you. We all do it! You can perceive any negative situation as a positive one if you convince yourself that benefits will come. Personally, I like to think of hitting rock bottom as being in a place where the only direction you can go is ‘up’! Our perception and our perspective of life is our reality. Therefore, if we want to change our reality, we simply start adjusting the way we see the world.

Many people put too much consideration into their age and what they should be doing. Personally, I feel that age is just a number. Our capabilities are not determined by how old we are, but by our mindset and our physical health. Eternal youth lies within a healthy mind. Today, I was just told that George Bush, Sr. went skydiving yesterday for his 85th birthday. That’s truly inspirational! People are afraid of aging and that’s not how life should be. The whole human experience is all about living, learning, and enjoying it at the same time. Life and death are inevitable; why not enhance our experiences and reap the most benefits?

While mental health is our focus, we should not neglect the importance of physical health. The mind, body, and soul are all interconnected. Negative feedback from the physical body, such as pains, aches, and diseases can affect the mind and our perception of life. Regular exercise and healthy eating can help ease the stress off the physical body and promote healthy well-being of the mind, body, and soul.

A long and happy life begins with having a healthy mindset. I hope to become a centenarian myself one day and still live the life that I cherish and enjoy now. Today, I’m able to answer the two questions I mentioned in the beginning with another question: “Why not become ‘that’ person?” =)

[ad#mindset and mentality]