This week I was blessed to attend two talks that deeply touched my heart – one was from William, 88 years old and a successful entrepreneur, business consultant, and philanthropist. The other was from Deborah, 93 year-old and founder of two of the top spas in the world, author and prominent activist.

After both their talks people were saying things like, “Wow, I can’t believe they are that age!” This actually made me a bit sad that living so well later in life is a surprise rather than the norm. Thank God for people like William and Deborah who are showing us that aging is an asset not a liability – as long as we make choices today that set us up for vitality in the future.

Being in their presence inspired such a sense of enthusiasm for simply being alive so I wanted to share some of their wisdom with you. Here are a few highlights:

1. The importance of how you begin your day. William gets up every morning and goes to the mirror and laughs out loud, which he demonstrated for us that lit up the room in laughter. He says starting your day with joy and not taking yourself too seriously is key to stay young at heart.  Deborah encouraged us all to spend at least 30 minutes connecting with our bodies and being in the present before checking or turning on any device (yes! I so agree!!).  She also said to be grateful for this “Good Morning;” it is not yesterday or tomorrow’s good morning, it is today.

2. Longevity requires planning. Both emphasized the importance of putting disciplines and practices in place that set you up to age well – and it showed! William demonstrated his boxing moves and Deborah does Pilates 5 times a week, travels the world, and has the energy of someone less than a third of her age.

Aging can be graceful but it requires making smart choices now as an investment in your longevity. Simple things like taking care of your teeth (floss!) and ears, exercising regularly, and eating healthy and chemical-free food in small portions go a lot way.  If you are not taking care of the amazing body you are gifted with now, you are destined to not get better with age.  Make different choices today for a vital tomorrow.

3. Find your passion and gifts. It was clear that both William and Deborah love what they do. They have each found ways throughout their life to use their unique gifts in both business and volunteer contexts.  They passionately encouraged us to find our passion and some way to express it because we all have one. Settling or giving up on our dreams is a recipe for assisted living (which Deborah calls “assisted dying”).

Your age is not a handicap & your dreams do not have expiration dates. It is never too early or too late to begin anything @christinhassler (Tweet this!)

4. Create and nurture friendships. Love and connection is vital to our vitality so we need to consciously be surrounding ourselves with not only our family (spouse, parents, kids, etc) but also with a soul family.  Friendships are paramount to a well-lived life.  We all need to have at least two friends we can call in the middle of the night who would come running.  Being active in our communities and volunteering are wonderful ways to make new friends.

And have friends that are at least 20 years younger and 20 years older! As this was said, my girlfriend I am here with who is 20 years older than me nudged me and smiled.  I deeply value our connection and learn so much from her – and vice versa.  Now I just need an awesome teenager to hang with 🙂

5. Renew goals and keep learning. Our comfort zones and routines promote aging.  Staying young requires being a student and taking on new challenges – doing crossroad puzzles is not enough!  Consistently set new goals for yourself that require you to stretch, meet new people and have a beginners mind.

I hope these insights inspire you to invest in your life with more intention. As someone who is passionate about health, I know what a difference life-enhancing choices make – and I intend to still be here blogging (or whatever it will be called then) when I am 93!!!

I also hope you will take some time to connect with the elders in your life and community, they are an untapped resource with wells of wisdom to share.

Love,

Christine

p.s. I have BIG NEWS!!! This year I have felt the inner calling to serve more people with coaching and the way to do it became clear.  Now anyone with a question can book a FREE 15 minute laser coaching session with me.  Go here for details.

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p.p.s.  My summer retreat sold out quickly with a wait list so I am hosting another one in the fall. Spend a weekend with me letting go of any expectation hangover for good and find peace in the present and clarity about your future.  This will fill up fast so check out the details and email jill@christinehassler.com soon. Go here.