Whether we are 20, 50, 80, or any other age, we are all aging. And aging has its challenges, of course. But despite the stereotypes that surround this aspect of our lives I see a sea change at work. More and more people all around the world are discovering there is greater promise and potential to aging than they perhaps realized.

Here are some suggestions for happy, fulfilling aging that work for me. I’d love it if you have some ideas and suggestions of your own you’d like to add so I can do a follow-up later.

The power of persistence

My first suggestion has to do with staying engaged and being persistent (when that is appropriate, of course). Here’s an example. I sat down to work on my blog the other day and a thought came up, “Are you sure you really want to do this? You’ve been putting a lot of energy into this blog for the past two or three years — but perhaps you could find other ways to be useful or you could simply sit back and take it easy.”

I thought about this input from my own thought sphere, but only for a moment. I remembered a project I’ve had in mind for my blog and got busy on it. And as soon as I got busy in this way, everything changed. I was happy. I was being creative. I was engaged with life. So here are my suggestions.

1. Stay engaged

One of the reasons I love blogging is that it makes it possible for me to stay engaged with myself and my world. It brings balance. It keeps me thinking. It keeps me feeling. It makes it possible to find new friends. It brings both joy and disappointment — but though it is a challenge at times, perhaps even a pain, it’s also an extraordinary adventure that helps me to stay young.

2. Keep love flowing.

There is a lot being written these days about how to stay young and happy as we age, but the most important secret of all is a very simple one. It is to keep love flowing through us no matter what our age may be. Because it is through love that we reach deeper and deeper to the eternal essence at the core of existence.

Browsing the web the other day I came across a beautiful poem at Ashton Applewhite’s blog. It’s a cool blog on aging and ageism. The poem by May Sarton, entitled ‘Lighter with Age,” was written in 1978 when Sarton was 66. Here’s a quote from the poem.

“If the whole of life is a journey toward old age, then I believe it is also a journey towards love. And love may be as intense in old age as if it was in youth, only it is different, set in a wider arc, and the more precious because the time we have to enjoy it is bound to be brief.”

Though our physical forms may diminish with time, the curious truth is that our experience of love – our own essential nature – can actually increase.

No matter what is going on or not going on with us physically, we have the choice in every moment to love our life and our world, to love other people, and Nature, and those who are dear to us.

3. Stay active physically

 It is wonderful to see the changes going on regarding attitudes to physical exercise as we age.  No longer are we condemned to early decrepitude. It seems like not a day goes by without some new research showing the crucial part that exercise can play in helping us stay fit and active at any age.

I know that for myself resistance training three times a week with some aerobics in between and a daily walk is critical to keeping a buoyant spirit and attitude.

4. Walking protects the brain

 One of the biggest fears of aging, of course, is the fear we will decline not only physically, but also mentally. But again, there’s a lot of very encouraging research out there that says it is very possible not only to stay physically fit as we age, but also to age with a clear mind.

Just the other day I read a fascinating article from the American Academy of Neurology entitled “Walking a mile a day protects brain from effects of aging.”

Commenting on his recent study, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, Kirk Erickson, said: “As we search for a ‘magic intervention’ to protect our brains from the effects of aging, we may find that this ‘magic’ will come not in the form of a pill, but rather in the form of a brisk walk several days a week. So, I would recommend physicians to prescribe moderate amounts of physical activity that is about what 1 mile of walking per day — to improve brain function, reduce brain atrophy, and decrease the risk for cognitive impairment.”

5. Keep an open mind

Two roads lie before us as we age. We can keep an open mind and heart, inviting change, wonder, spontaneity, and the uncertainty of the unknown. Or we can close down and decide we already know all we need to know. “Being open-minded is going to be vital for Baby Boomers to thrive,” said Jay Firman, president of the National Council on Aging, just recently.

As I mentioned, I’d love to hear any thoughts you may like to share. Also, if you know someone who would benefit from this email, please forward it to them. Thank you so much.

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Why I am happy and fulfilled at 79 is a post from: The Happy Seeker - Living with grace at any age

Soon after the Germans began bombing London in 1940, I was evacuated, like many London children, to the safety of the countryside. I was sent to live with my Aunt Eva, who lived at the end of a country lane near a tiny hamlet called Yelland Cross in North Devon.

I didn’t really know my Aunt very well. But one of my jobs in this strange new life separated from my parents was to fetch a jug of milk each morning from a farm a couple of hundred yards or so down the lane. I would carry the empty jug down to the farm, and Mrs. Wicketts, a warm but rather shapeless woman, her face deeply worn and lined by years of hard work, would pass the jug back to me filled to the brim with warm, fresh, frothy milk.

I share this little story because as I sit here at my computer this morning, I realize vividly that although my outer expression and appearance has changed since that lonely, unhappy period of my life, my spirit has not changed at all. The pure, timeless presence that is the source of my existence — and the source of your existence — is the same now as it was when I lived with Aunt Eva and walked home each morning with a jug brimming with fresh milk.

A door to find inner peace

We live in a time of trauma, tragedy and hardship that can break your heart. A time in which one in every four US women aged 45 to 59 is taking antidepressants. When one in ten of the overall population is on antidepressants. And when two-thirds of the US is obese or overweight.

But hardship can be a door to find inner peace. This is a time when a sea change is possible in our lives. It is not only possible, it is beating at our doors. It is knocking louder and louder at the door of our heart every day – the call of our own inherent greatness.

It doesn’t demand some great achievement, though.  We don’t have to be special as the world rates these things. We don’t even have to be enlightened.

All we have to do is to be still for a moment, and look. There it is. The feeling of our own pure, pristine presence. The sheer happiness and joy of our own eternal presence that is always here. It never changes. It is always the same. It is always at peace. It is always free. It has no part in such earthly phenomena as aging, or death.

Fear dissolves as we reconnect with that part of ourselves that has no part in the whirlwind of change ripping through our lives and through this world.

Tips and resources

If we love our body, we will treat it well and feed it well, as well as possible at least. We will give it the essential nutrients it needs to function at its best and support our spiritual being in these difficult times.

In this regard I continue to be very impressed with the efforts of a company called Wholefood Farmacy, of Tennessee, to assist our general health and well being. The ingredients to health, happiness, vitality, and longevity are no secret. Every major nonprofit health organization in the world has been offering the same advice for many years. Eat more fruits and veggies, drink more water, exercise on a daily basis, lose weight if you need to, don’t smoke, avoid toxins, and reduce stress.

“We have seen the future of medicine and the future is food,” said Dr Mitch Gaynor, of the New York Strang Center for Cancer Prevention. The Wholefood Farmacy combines delicious, organic, healthy foods with convenience and affordability, along with non-toxic personal care items. (Please note I am an affiliate of this company).

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Find inner peace in your own pure presence is a post from: The Happy Seeker - Living with grace at any age

This is a guest post by Daniel Offer. Daniel manages an interesting Facebook application called Emoinstaller. Emoinstaller allows you to add extra Facebook emoticons as well as Facebook smileys to your Facebook chat experience in just a couple of clicks.

Do you tend to beat yourself up by bringing past personal mistakes or shortfalls into the present? Do you tend to live with a lot of regrets or wish you could have a do-over in life?

If so, you aren’t alone. Most people have experienced embarrassing moments and have made a few mistakes along the way—it’s part of life. Unfortunately, it’s easy for thoughts of past negative experiences to pop into a person’s mind when they least expect it which can cause havoc for living successfully in the present.

While reliving past mistakes can seem like a form of penance, rehearsing regrets will never repair things or help you feel better. Constantly re-living bad experiences can chip away at self-confidence and undermine new risk taking opportunities.

When less than perfect things happen in your life, you can choose to either dwell on them or let them go. There’s a lesson to be learned in every experience, good or bad.

Since going back in time or having a do-over isn’t an option, you’d might as well learn the lessons and move on. You’ll be mentally healthier and emotionally happier if you do.

How to Let Go of Regrets

Since you can’t change the past, try to let go of it and the corresponding regrets with these tools:

• As soon as feelings of regret and self-doubt appear dismiss them, unless there is something within your power to repair a situation.

• Don’t base what you do today on mistakes of yesterday.

• Don’t treasure hunt through your past, or anyone else’s, looking for problems.

• Don’t use your past as an excuse.

• Forgive people. Every person is a product of his own past that has little to do with you. Don’t get wounded by another person’s stuff.

• Give up habits that aren’t serving you well.

• Stay away from toxic people such as those who are still reliving the past and attempting to bring you into it.

How to move forward

Everyone has the opportunity to start fresh every single day. If you are committed to stop living in regret and to begin living a fresh life, consider your answers to these questions:

• How will you say no to things you should say no to, and yes to new adventures?

• What habits need to be broken?

• What negatives might crop up in the future and how are you prepared to deal with them?

• What or who might you need to let go of?

• Who do you need to forgive?

Choosing to change your thought processes and habits makes a positive difference.

New Steps to Take

Picture the life you want to have. How will it be different starting today? How can you make today more meaningful so that you don’t regret missed opportunities tomorrow?

Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Appreciate your job and the people therein more, or make a leap for the job you’d rather have.

• Clean up your language and temper.

• Close the office door and take a vacation without a cell phone or laptop.

• Entertain more.

• Exercise more often.

• Hug family members frequently.

• Invest in a personal hobby.

• Participate in charities, church events or say yes to other invitations instead of isolating.

• Say kind words to your family members and others.

• Spend more time with your spouse and family.

• Stop complaining or criticizing. Adopt a happy spirit.

• Visit extended family more.

You can’t have a do-over in life, but you can try to live your best life now. Let go of regrets. Be a guardian of your own life by saying no to events or people that might cause you to have future regrets.

Be intentional about carving out important habits now so that at the end of your life you won’t look back in regret. Be confident of your choices and decide that if you do make a mistake, embarrass yourself or have something else go wrong that you will learn from the experience and pick yourself back up.

That is how to live a life with no regrets.

Any thoughts on this post? Please share.

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How to live with no regrets is a post from: The Happy Seeker - Living with grace at any age

Little moments tend to be underrated in our society. We fantasize about “big” moments still to come that will surely bring us happiness and fulfillment — but it is often the little moments that really have power to change or bless our lives.

The touch of the divine

Many years ago, as a young man, I gave up my life in England and went to British Columbia in response to an irresistible urge to find true meaning and freedom.

It was all very exciting and wonderful. I got a job as a reporter on the Daily Colonist in Victoria, such a beautiful city. But I was troubled at times by a nagging doubt or question about whether I was really doing the right thing in my life — whether I was really on the right path.

One day I picked out a book from the library called Cosmic Consciousness, by Richard Bucke — you can see where my interest and passion was in life — and decided to take the book with me to Beacon Hill Park. It’s a beautiful park in Victoria overlooking the ocean.

It was a gorgeous summer day. The sun shone out of a cloudless sky, and the ocean was shining too, stretched out all around me like a shimmering blue carpet. I sat down on a bench and opened the book — but before I could read a word, a tremendous sense of stillness and confidence swept through me.

It’s hard to describe that moment. It was like God touched me on the shoulder and said I really was on the right track with my strange, solitary quest — a quest no one in my family had been able to understand – to find the truth of my existence.

I knew in every fiber of my being that all I had to do was to keep on going.

I left the park glowing with a deep sense of peace and happiness. I didn’t know how my destiny would work itself out, but I knew everything would unfold just as it should as long as I played my part.

The true potential of now

As change rips through our world with over increasing velocity, life is calling to each of us to open our heart more fully than ever before to the true magic and fulfillment that is always present “now.”

It is in the moment — and only in the moment — that we may sense, and know, the presence of the divine. Not some strange external presence but our own presence, our own peace, our own wisdom. The pure, timeless perfection and love of our own being.

Trust your own being. It is calling to you now in the sacred stillness of your heart. You will never see your true face in the future no matter how hard you try.

What are some magical moments in your own life that have really made a difference?

Worried a bit about aging? Check out my groundbreaking new course on “The true promise and potential of aging.”

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A moment of magic on a park bench is a post from: The Happy Seeker - Living with grace at any age

Are the winds of change blowing more strongly in your life? They sure seem to be blowing more strongly in my life.

But there is one thing that isn’t changing at all — and that is the balance that undergirds this universe of love. Life loves balance. It loves to get busy, and move, and create. But paradoxically, it also loves to be still. It loves to come to rest, and be at peace.

Take the big blue spruce tree that grows outside the front door of our town home here in Denver. This tree is a master of this mysterious process we call life. Right now, it is still as can be. There’s not even a suspicion of movement. Every branch, every needle rests in an ocean of perfect calm and peace.

But strong winds are forecast for later today. I know it won’t be too long before this large, impressive tree is very busy indeed, branches moving this way and that as it dances irresistibly with the power of the wind.

Sometimes life calls for everything we’ve got

Sometimes life really puts us through our paces too. It calls for everything we’ve got, and then some, like it did for me these past few months when I was working on finishing my course on “The true promise and potential of aging.”

I’ve written some books in my life, but I’ve never attempted a course like this before. There were times when I wondered if I would be able to finish the course — or if I even wanted to finish it. So many new things to learn. So many surprises. Such a lot of plain hard work.

The days immediately preceding the “launch,” as it’s called in blogging circles, were really crazy — a gazillion things to organize, and tie together – not only the course itself, but things that would help spread the word about it, like guest posts and interviews here and there.

But I’m so glad I did finish the course. I’m so glad I didn’t quit, and throw up my hands.

The joy of friendship and mutual support

One of the particular joys of doing this course has been meeting many new friends. There is an extraordinary movement of mutual support, friendship and cooperation moving in this world. Let us not imagine for a moment that any of us are alone in our projects and dreams.

All the forces of love and creativity are on your side as you initiate new projects and aspirations – or meet old challenges with fervor and love. Just consider this beautiful letter that I received this morning from a woman who commented on one of my posts:

“I’ve given birth to my new website and blog. I launched it five months ago. This is a whole new world to me — the world of social media and blogging, connecting, community building, etc. Our kids are born into it, with the lingo as a part of their lives.

“I am a mid-lifer, very soon to retire from my school social work career of 20 years. As I write this I realize I am also giving birth to a new life phase, with retirement from my job right upon me (June 30th). I will be mindful of operating much more from my right side of the brain as I open myself up to what will evolve. It will be hard shedding some of that left side of the brain – the structure, routines, full knowledge of exactly what I’m doing- and go with the more creative, spontaneous part. But I’m ready, willing and excited by it.”

Life is trustworthy

Most of all, as I finish one phase of my own course, and prepare for the next — some one-on-one conversations and explorations with those who’ve signed up for a personal support session with me — the bottom line is this. Life is trustworthy.

Love is trustworthy. The truth that already exists at the core of your own being is trustworthy. Our own true character is trustworthy. Wherever we are in life’s ongoing continuum — busy as all get out, freaking out at some new challenge, enjoying a few blissful moments of rest — it’s all good.

We are here to bless the world with our presence

It’s the drama we call life, and in one sense, paradoxically, we are not touched by any of it. We are spiritual beings whose true home is nowhere you can find with a physical eye or a telescope or a map or even a belief. It can’t even be described.

We are Children of Light, here with a very simple mission — to bless the world with our presence. Thank you again for your interest and support, both for my blog and for my course on “The true promise and potential of aging.”

Incidentally, something else that has knocked my socks off these past few days is the big jump in my subscriber count. Up from 870 subscribers to 1341. A warm welcome to each one of you, new or old.

As years pass by, may you discover more and more vividly the simple truth that only our bodies age. Our unconquerable spirit does not age at all. I wish you peace, happiness and abundance. May you never give up on your dreams. If you wish, please do share any thoughts on the above.

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Hang in there and trust is a post from: The Happy Seeker - Living with grace at any age