Growing Younger: Tapping Into the Fountain of Youth!

I had my birthday yesterday and it was tremendous fun. 

Yes, it seems each year my numerical age seems to go higher.

None of us want to get older, do we? Let’s face it, for thousands of years people have been in search of the mythical fountain of youth. Imagine what would happen if someone discovered the fountain and bottled the water. I bet most of us would be lined up to buy a few ounces no matter the cost.

I recently ran into a distant relative, someone I had not seen for several years. I was shocked at how much he had aged. The lines in his face had deepened. His hair had greyed. He seemed depressed, lethargic. I wondered to myself, “What happened?” So I delicately asked how he was doing. He shared stories of a messy divorce, a dissatisfying job and increasing health problems. When I asked how he was spending his time, he sighed, “I go to work. Come home. Watch the news. Surf the ‘net. Fall asleep on the couch. Then start the cycle over again the next day.”

Not long after, I encountered a family friend. I had not seen her for five years and was amazed at how young she looked. Her face was bright. She was vivacious, smiling and excited about life. Her energy was contagious. I was curious, “How did she grow younger rather than older?” I asked her what she had been doing. She shared honestly her challenges with finances, a job search and a stressful turn of events with one of her children. Then her attention naturally turned to the rich meaning she was finding with life. She had decided that no matter what life brought her way, she was going to live one moment at a time and experience peace. From her perspective, the best was yet to come.

I marveled at the contrast between these lives. Fascinating—two people both experiencing some difficult years and yet with starkly different outcomes in appearance and energy.

It got me thinking. How can a person remain youthful while navigating life’s inevitable ups and downs? Perhaps we can stay young and vibrant regardless of age. I know I would like to feel like Ellen Glasgow, author of The Woman Within. She said, “Though it sounds absurd, it is true to say I felt younger at sixty than I felt at twenty.”

Here are some key ways to tap into your inner fountain of youth. If you consistently use these ideas, you may just grow younger next year rather than older if you consistently practice these ideas.

1.  Take care of your body. Do the basics. Eat fruits and vegetables. Drink enough water. Get a good night’s sleep. Take a short nap when your body calls for it. Stretch your muscles. Stay active and fit—at least get out and walk for twenty minutes a day. Your body’s well-being is an excellent investment. After all, you have your body for your entire life journey. Treat it with great respect.

2. Cultivate your relationship with God. Don’t reserve spirituality for emergencies. Experience God’s Presence all the time. Use daily spiritual practices like prayer and meditation to tap into stillness. Tune in to the Voice of God within you. Invite the peace that passes understanding. Notice the many ways God cares for you every day. Be child-like: trust God even in the darkest times. Those who remain aware of God’s workings are brighter and more joyful.

3. Keep positive company. As American playwright Tennessee Williams pointed out, “Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.” Be wise in who you select for your inner circle. According to Jon Gordon, author of The Energy Bus, you should beware of “Energy Vampires.” He says, “They are everywhere. And they will suck the life out of you if you let them.”

Give yourself permission to keep the negative, complaining, judgmental, energy-draining pessimists at a distance. Instead surround yourself with positive, encouraging, nourishing, uplifting optimists. “Optimists are right. So are pessimists. It’s up to you to choose which you will be” (Harvey Mackay).

4. Stay curious and learn. Too many of us stop exploring new topics and skills simply because we earned a high school diploma or a college degree. No matter how much you think you know, it is a speck in comparison to what is offered in the vast and ever expanding library of life. Keep reading. Explore art, music, science, technology. Whatever captivates the child in you—that is what will keep you young. Getting in the creative flow eliminates all sense of age and time. Live in that space.

5. Revel in life’s simple things. Take the time to savor your food, dish by dish and bite by bite. Take an occasional moment to deeply breathe the fresh, free air. Enjoy the warmth of the sun. Cherish the smiles and laughter of children and the loving exchanges with your spouse.

6. Keep love alive. Appreciate the distinctive personalities and the unique essence of family members and friends. Do not take them for granted. Ordinary interactions become extraordinary memories. You are never too old to share love. Consider the possibility of falling in love again with your spouse. If you are not currently married, open your heart to a deep satisfying relationship.

7. Process life as it comes. Express what you need to express. Cry and grieve when you are mourning. Deal with anger when it occurs. Don’t carry heavy baggage from your past. Forgive. Move forward in power and freedom. Become present to the wonder and richness of each new moment.

8. Play, laugh, be joyful! Youthful people have light hearts. Too much work and worry can bog us down. Listen to the advice of Dr. Seuss, an expert in turning work into fun, “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.” Do not let life’s insanity break your spirit. Find the humor instead.

Remember. Age is only a number. Your state of mind and heart define your true age. Do not assume that getting older in years means you need to become weak, sedentary, or sidelined. As French novelist George Sand (1804-1876) remarked, “It is a mistake to regard age as a downhill grade toward dissolution. The reverse is true. As one grows older, one climbs with surprising strides.”


Be determined to continue the adventure of life. Use your growing wisdom and self-knowledge to bloom over and over again so that even until your last days, others enjoy the fragrance of your life.

Here are some quotes to meditate upon this week:

“At twenty we worry about what others think of us; at forty we don't care about what others think of us; at sixty we discover they haven't been thinking about us at all.”

-- Author Unknown

 

“Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.”

-- Eleanor Roosevelt

 

“To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent - that is to triumph over old age.”

-- Thomas Bailey Aldrich

With all my love,
Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Lessons from the Sewer: Unblocking the "Clogged Pipes"

I am writing and there is a nasty smell in the air.  My eyes aren't as bright today as usual.

Yesterday I realized that something wasn't quite right in my house.  I followed my nose to the issue:  our basement was full of crap (I mean that literally).  For some reason there was about two inches of nasty gunk all over the floor. 

Fast forward to 11 p.m. last night.  I stand outside our house with a Roto-Rooter plumber watching as he investigates the pipes from the street and into our basement.  "A-ha" he says.  I got the clog.  It is gone."  I go in and flush the toilets and run the sinks and sure enough, it is fixed.

BUT, there was still a sewagey mess in my basement.  I could have gotten some professional help to clean this up but I did a bit of research on the Internet.  My husband and I fearlessly took on the mess ourselves.  And, it was DISGUSTING.  The good news is that we have cleaned it up. 

It got me thinking.  Too often we humans let our inner "emotional pipes" get clogged.  Over the years, there is a build up.  Rather than processing the "emotional waste" as we could as each situations arises , we tend to ignore the feelings and underlying issues. 

When the blockage gets too big, then there is a nasty overflow.  It is at these points that we can no longer ignore the mess and we must do the work needed to clean ourselves up inside.

Pay attention to your emotional flow.  Journal.  Write down your feelings each day.  Or, confide in a trusted friend.  Don't hold all the hurt, confusion, pain or despair inside OR - you may find yourself in an emergency inner plumbing situation.

Remember, some situations REQUIRE professional help.  Get that if you need it!  The mess might be stinky to deal with but once it is cleaned up, you will find a new, easier flow to life.

With relief that the mess is gone,
Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Find Your Inner Lion This Week!

This week I share with you my rendition of one of my favorite parables. As you read, consider how different life might be in  the last few months of 2011 if you found your inner lion. The story goes…


Once upon a time there was a flock of sheep living together in a pasture. One of the sheep looked different than the others. His name was Rex. The other sheep repeatedly told Rex that he was just like them. The adult sheep taught him how to act like a sheep—to graze, eat grass, and be part of the group.


For a number of years he lived like a sheep. He would “baa” even though often he felt the urge to roar. One time he did roar and the others made fun of him. He was embarrassed. So he decided it was best to “baa;” he didn’t want trouble with his friends.


When he admitted to dreaming of life in the jungle, the older sheep reprimanded him, “These pastures are good enough for you. Stay here where you are supposed to be.” He often felt the urge to move ahead but others told him he was causing problems. They liked to move slowly as a flock. Rex also wanted to journey independently but the flock felt that was ridiculous.


One day Rex was grazing near a stream. He approached the water’s edge for a drink. As he bent to drink, he caught a glimpse of himself in the water. That day, for the first time in his life, Rex really saw himself. He noticed that he looked nothing like a sheep. He was a lion! He was different, unique. He was strong. He looked regal with his fur coat and mane. For a moment he was overcome with excitement. This small glimpse confirmed to Rex that he was not just an ordinary member of the flock.


The next moment fear came up. Rex had grown accustomed to a life as a sheep. He was comfortable in the flock. What would the others think if he followed his heart and emerged as a powerful lion? Yet, Rex was bored. He was tired of living like the rest of the sheep. He wanted to break free.


Though he felt scared, courage began to build in his heart. Knowing his true identity gave Rex the guts to use his strength to move away from the group. He left the pasture. Freedom was finally his. He had found his voice and he roared at the top of his lungs. Gradually he became quiet in his confidence. He could choose to roar or be quiet. He explored the highlands and moved at his own pace. He found the rhythm of life he had longed for.


He finally felt comfortable in his own skin. At last, he was in sync with himself.


Many of us are so conditioned that we remain in groups even after we’ve outgrown them. We follow the crowd blindly trying our best to fit in. We are careful not to stand out too much so that we are accepted. We stick with the status quo even though we long to break free, to express ourselves in ways that resonate with our spirit.


We live prisoners to mental programming that has caused us to believe “we can’t”, “we shouldn’t” and even “we can’t follow our hearts.” And so we live in our heads playing over and over again the negative programs we’ve picked up along the way. We feel boxed in and miserable. Yet we wear a sheep-like smile to give others the impression that we are “doing just fine.”


I encourage you to look in a mirror this week. Really look at yourself. Look beyond the surface. Take time to see yourself with new eyes. Take off the glasses of self-judgment you’ve been told to wear. Ask yourself, “Who am I and how do I want to live my life?” Let answers come from your heart rather than from your head.


Smile as you see yourself. Let go of ideas of style and physical attractiveness. Instead, notice the uniqueness of your face. Gaze into the bright and sparkly gleam of your own eyes. See the genuineness of your smile. You are incredible, aren’t you? Enjoy this moment of self-appreciation. Feel your energy as you dare to admire yourself.


It’s ok to do this. You aren’t an egomaniac if you do. You are simply connecting to your spirit as it expresses through the body you’ve chosen for this journey. If you find yourself unable to do this, ask yourself why? Then see if you can’t at least find one or two things that you like about yourself.


Now, try to hear your own voice. What is it that you have not been saying that you have in your heart? What is it that you’ve held back for years because you feared others might judge you or mock you or even reject you? Imagine for a moment the way life might feel if you finally gave voice to your truth. As you look in the mirror practice saying those things that you’ve suppressed. It is time for your truth to emerge.


We are all born as lions. But then we are trained to be sheep – accepting without question, limitations imposed on us and sticking with the group. We plod through life even when we sense a strong, purpose and direction in our heart.


Roar, lion, roar. Break free, lion, break free. This is the way life was meant to be lived. You don’t have to stay with the flock in a pasture that’s dry and tasteless to you. Speak your truth, lion, speak it loudly.


Your assignment this week is to notice whether you act like a lion or a sheep. Do you follow the crowd hoping to fit in? Or, do you move at your own pace following the inner yearnings of your heart? Just notice. Don’t judge yourself. There is nothing wrong with the choices you’ve made so far. However, by observing these choices, you can begin to see new possibilities.


Each day this week sit for at least 1 full minute and look in the mirror. Get to know yourself in a whole new way. This time, do it without the judgments and labels others have given you. Who are you at your core? Feel the fire of passion burning within you. Open to this energy and embrace your freedom.


Freedom is available to you in each moment. Dear Lion, begin to choose freedom.


“A truly strong person does not need the approval of others any more than a lion needs the approval of sheep.” Vernon Howard

Roaring with you,
Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/