Apr 22, 2010

Optimism is life enhancing

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination," Jimmy Dean.

ABC news covered research from the Science of Centarians. The most important characteristic of people who are alive, fully functioning and healthy at 100 years and older is: optimism. That makes sense. They featured a delightful woman who is 101 years old. She still plays the piano at a restaurant for 2 hours in an evening. She said that every morning she wakes up she is grateful to be alive and putting her feet on the floor. Has she had a problem-free life? No. Her husband and two children have preceded her in death. That could be fodder enough for bitterness if one chose to respond in anger and resistance.

What if it is really just a habit, whether one sees the positive or the negative in one's life? We all have both. Which more often catches your attention and which do you spend mental energy mulling? A habit which has served me well is to look for what is right in my life. It is worth considering.

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