Everyone perceives reality through their own filters. And your perceptions of any reality are the foundations of your attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. If you perceive the aging process to be one of decline, decay and loss then that is exactly what aging will become for you. If this is true then we must involve ourselves in a frequent analysis of our existing perceptions. If we find them negative and destructive then we must transform them into more productive and constructive perceptions. When you change your perceptions you change your behaviour and thus change your life.
Let me illustrate.
My sister called our 92 year old Mother to chat. She started the conversation with the usual how are you and what are you doing? My Mother replied, "Oh I'm fine, Pat and I'm just eating a snack of fruit and vegetables and then I'm going for a walk." My sister answered with, "Mom you never eat fruit and vegetables and you've never liked going for walks. Why the change? " My Mother responded, "Oh I read in a woman's magazine that if you eat more fruit and vegetables and went for little walks you would live a long life." She will be 93 in December. How's that for attitude? I hope it's genetic.
We are the products of the thoughts we think. Everything in life is the result of the thoughts we humans, think.
The Secrets to thinking yourself young (Good advice at any age)
*Have a sense of humour and laugh often.
*Cultivate a positive attitude. Remember that our attitudes are our dominant thoughts. All human behaviour is nothing more than attitude in action. If you want positive behaviour cultivate positive attitudes.
*Learn to relax.
*Get exercise daily.
*Watch what and how much you eat and drink.
*The greatest compliment a person can receive at any age is, "You're fun to be with."
* Life doesn't have to be absolutely pain free to be enjoyable.
*The enjoyment of simple pleasures is the path to aging youthfully.
*The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
*When our friends begin to die we naturally become upset and grieve their loss. BUT... we MUST stay focused on living. Live in the hope that we will meet our friends again someday but until then we have a lot of living to do.
*Those who laugh a lot never grow old. They might die after a long life but they will die young.
*You are never too old to become what you might have been.
*Smiling can take 10 years off your face. So what are you waiting for?
*You know you're getting up there when archeologists dig up things you remember from your childhood.
*There is nothing worse than being a doer with nothing to do.
* Stop believing the negative thoughts you think.
*Discover and appreciate the wonder of nature. There is nothing that calms my spirit and fills me with joy more than observing the natural world. When I stand in the solitude of a moonlight night or watch the sun set on the sea or watch a monarch butterfly quietly land on a flower I am filled with the peace and wonder only the natural world can provide. It also gives my aging spirit a sense of continuity and mystery. There is certainly more beyond the horizon than we can imagine.
In his best-selling book the Power of Positive Thinking Norman Vincent Peale suggests that to change an attitude we have to start thinking positive thoughts. He advocates writing an inspirational or motivational quote on a piece of paper and putting it beside your bathroom mirror so you can see it when you are shaving or putting on make-up. I left each quote up beside the mirror for 21 days. That's the time it takes to form a new habit or attitude according to the experts. At the end of that time I would replace the last quote with a new one.
Whenever I had a negative thought throughout the day I would recite the quotes I had memorized previously. Slowly I began to change my attitudes and my behaviour. It really works.
I would like to end with these thoughts. Stop complaining about aging. It is a privilege denied many.
You will be as happy in life as you make up your mind to be.
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Think-Yourself-Young&id=8950637
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