look younger | David M Masters

So, what are the Baby Boomers’ keys to longevity?

The aging Americans who have lived throughout the most exciting and culturally advanced times in all of history are not accepting society’s or Mother Nature’s definition of aging, and they are living healthier, happier, longer lives than any other segment of the population.

Growing up in the fifties and sixties imbued this segment of the population with the ability to embrace out of the box thinking, reject social programming, and seek individual expression more than ever before, or since.

Of course, there has been spillover into other generations, as their thought patterns permeate the social programming of the powers that be, infect and permeate other segments of American culture, spanning all segments of the populace.

From this expanded level of consciousness, the Boomers are able to see and understand key elements of longevity, increasing human performance, quality of life, love, and joy.

For the most part, the Boomers have settled into American socialized lifestyles but a growing number of them have found or are searching for something more, finding it and living their best lives, living longer, higher quality lives, with more peace, harmony, and love than their peers.

1. Eating habits
2. Nutritional attention
3. An open heart
4. Respect for others
5. Social interaction
6. Individuality, and…

You find certain qualities which they share in common, they eat better, pay attention to their nutritional intake of vitamins and minerals, the building blocks of life. They have an openness to love and compassion, respect others, are part of a social network, embrace and celebrate their individuality.

7. Spirituality

Then there is one more trait they all have in common. For those leading the most high-quality lifestyles for the longest period of time, they all have a method to express themselves spiritually, whether part of an organized religion or in their own individualized spiritual journeys.

These are the people who when tested for their biological age test at 10, 20, 30, and up to 40 years younger than their peers, and they look that much younger, too.

The Boomers who have discovered and exercise their own purpose, message, passion, and mission in life have a higher sense of meaning in life and reason to live a better life, their best lives, and make the world a better place.

Their efforts to expand their consciousness, experiencing all the best things in life, and giving back to others, their communities and the world at large pays exponential benefits of the fountain of youth, which is not some far off sacred secret.

It is within each and every one of us, even if we’re unable to grasp the idea at first blush.

The process, though it is simple, is not easy, and it begins with you. In fact, it is all about you and nothing else but you.

Only you can decide when it’s time to start your journey within and which path(s) you will take along your journey. No one can tell you what is the right way for you, only you can do that.

Your journey, while it may similar in some ways to others, yours will be highly unique and your own. You will erase years from your life, regaining a youthful exuberance and appearance as you roll on and turn back the hands of time, giving you a new lease on life.

Say goodbye to the physiological maladies and issues associated with aging and even which may have come from a life lived less appropriate than you may have if you had the advantage of hindsight’s 20/20 vision.

Yet, even if you’ve lived a life of hedonistic excess, the effects of that lifestyle can be reversed and/or erased at any time. It happens every day. Someone awakens and sees that life is not all that it’s cracked up to be.

Today, you could decide to live a new life, a better life, your best life, and make the world a better place, no matter who you are, what life you may have lived in the past, or how old you might live.

Every once and a while, you are likely to lose your grip, allow anger to overtake you and lead you into an emotional display that, depending on how you handle it, could have negative or positive ramifications.

While it’s easy to give in to your emotions when they well up inside of you, there are other alternatives that can give you control of anger, or any other emotions if you are proactive and inclined to do the work necessary to make yourself the master of your emotions.

People are always their weakest when they are angry.

Knowing what anger is, and what causes it to rise up inside you, is a good place to start when trying to tame this wildcat.

Anger is a fear-based negative emotion fueled by the stress hormone, “cortisol,” that could be triggered by nearly anything, such as, pressure from school or work, unexpected change, challenging life circumstances, feeling as though you’re being attacked (or lorded over) by other people, as well as underlying fears like feeling threatened, perception of impending pain, jealousy, disappointment, low self-esteem, fear of failure, or loss.

Giving in to the emotion of anger can actually have a detrimental effect on your physical, psychological and spiritual health. When you are enveloped by anger, your heart rate speeds up, blood pressure builds, stress hormones are released en masse which creates a toxic cocktail for your body and its associated systems.

Think early physiological deterioration, aging, and failing organ function, memory loss, acute minor motor skills, reaction time, just to name a few.

Getting a handle on your anger is one of the best ways to look younger, increase your quality of life and longevity.

Keeping a list handy where you can note when you are triggered to feel anger and what caused the emotion to make you start to feel angry would help to get an idea of when you might be most susceptible to a potentially volatile outburst.

When you’re experiencing a calm state of mind, and are willing to set aside a few minutes to do so, make a list of things that you can think of that make you angry.

To give you an idea, here’s a copy of a client’s list (used by permission):

• When I get an automated computer voice and a long list of numbered options when I call a business for assistance
• Dealing with impatient customers at work
• Having to deal with my mother-in-law (she doesn’t like me much)
• Crazy drivers on the highway during my commute
• Checking my stock values and finding they’ve decreased again

Here are some ideas that help keep the wild beast at bay when you’re feeling like your bubble of calm is about to burst

Chill out; literally. Grabbing something cold and refreshing, like a frozen drink (or a drink with a lot of ice), a slushee, shaved ice or ice cream can hit the spot, and the temperature jolt to your system can have a calming effect, reducing your potential angry outburst.

Take an exhilarating break by taking a walk, or a hike (subject to time and available access). This helps take care of your body, while cortisol (the stress hormone) subsides and is overrun by happy and healthy hormones, such as endorphins, endocannabinoids, dopamine, and serotonin.

If you’re in a private place, you can always crank up the tunes, dance to the music, or sing along as best you can to your favorite song(s).

Write a letter. You don’t have to send it, just write out your emotions, how this person, place or thing made you feel angry. If you’re keeping an anger diary, be sure to leave space for something good that happened today, also.

Do things differently. If you’re exposed to an activity regularly during your day which set off your anger response, alter your routine so as to avoid that particular trigger (like taking an alternative route to and from work, etc.).

These are just a few ideas to get you started on taking charge of your anger, placing you in the driver’s seat of your emotional storage facility.

Knowing what sets you off, and having some tools to interrupt your pattern can move you quickly toward a healthy, happier life, shaving years off your appearance and supporting your long and more satisfying life.