There
was a little boy who never wanted to grow up. He lived
with a group
of other little boys who felt the same way. This group
of little boys thought they were happy until they discovered
that there
was something missing in their lives. They didn’t have
a mother. . . .
That’s how the story of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys began.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a fairy tale like this came
true? Sadly, we live in a world of reality.
Unlike Peter, we do grow up and as we do, we grow older.
Juan Ponce de Leon trekked across Florida and the Caribbean
centuries ago searching for the illusive Fountain of Youth. Little
did he know that he would leave behind a legacy that is still
alive and well today!
In fact, this relentless search for youth can be traced back
to ancient civilians who blamed the gods for old age.
Every day we are bombarded with the “not so subliminal” message
that youth and good looks are all that matters. This message
is coming through loud and clear at the same time that
we are living longer than ever before.
Comedian George Burns lived to 100. When
asked if his doctor knew he still smoked, Burns said, “No. . .he’s
dead! George was that rare exception to the smoking rule. But,
he did
beat all the odds!
Dylan Thomas had it right:
“ Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” |
Yes, you can change your own destiny. The only question is
whether you are willing to make the changes necessary to fight
the aging process.
There is little mystery about it. We have evolved to the
point where we live in a genetically evolved body that can
withstand the ravages of time as no other point in known history.
Yet, we ingest foods that constantly attack the immune
system. We pour tons of fat down our throats. We sit behind
computers all day with little or no exercise. Then, we become
concerned when our bodies finally fight back.
It’s never too late to flip the hourglass and start
over. While we can’t always remodel an outdated house
or body, we can take steps to see that we take full advantage
of every day we have remaining.
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