Maybe you are not buying the readiness for emergent help in my previous blog. Okay, I get it. So how about living out your days as a contributor? There are two types of people in this world. Givers and takers. Suckers and inflators. People who expect others to take care of them and those who not only take care of themselves, but take care of others. Which are you? Which will you be in your 70’s and 80’s?
Somehow we have bought a bill of goods that says we have to live out our lives needing others to help us. Nursing homes, senior assisted living and hospital stays don’t have to be your destiny! Who would ever believe for that? It isn’t enough to hope that it doesn’t happen to you. It is time to take control of your last two or three decades. It is time to stop being a victim to aging like it is a disease that you catch. So many diseases and conditions are absolutely preventable. We somehow believe that we may get lucky, like winning the lottery, and have a good end of our life. Nonsense! It is also nonsense that some genetic coding is going to destine you to Alzheimer’s or heart disease. The more research, the more we are finding out that these are lifestyle issues. You have a say in how you live!
However, it is not a magic bottle with a genie in it to grant you your wishes. How you live today will determine your tomorrow. Yes, even if you are young and healthy. We know people who were fairly healthy and developed problems. We know people who didn’t live healthy and didn’t have many health issues. Those are the exceptions. What about guys like Jim Fix, who popularized running in the 70’s and died at 52? Is your name Jim Fix and were you born in 1932? Did you suffer with an enlarged heart and before you started running you lived at horribly unhealthy lifestyle? If not, then don’t worry about it. You are you. Be your best. Take care of your body. Determine in your mind to live healthy for as long as you live. Do the things now to ensure the highest probability of living out your days in great health and fitness. Even if you don’t think you can extend your life with a healthy and fit lifestyle, you will live out your days healthy and fit.
To maximize your contribution in the last decades of life, being healthy and fit is a no brainer. I not only don’t want to be taken care of, (except for my kids sending me on long vacations to fantastic places), I want to take care of others. I want to hike with my grandkids. I want to play on the floor with my great grandkids, carrying them like a horse. I want to work, garden, speak, write and help others become really fit! How about you? If you could map out the health and fitness of your last two decades on this earth, what would that look like? What do you have to do to make that happen?
Comentarios