I focus most of my writing and speaking on the topics of Health, Fitness and Personal Energy and living a Positive and Functional Senior Life. But I was thinking to myself that what good is more Physical Energy if there is nowhere to go with it, nothing to do with it, or no place to use it.
The answer, of course, is to find a purpose and live it. This is another of the themes that Dan Buettner addresses in his powerful book, Blue Zones. In the book, the describes one of the key elements in living to 100 years old, is to have a purpose for your life. He cites, for example, the people of Okinawa, who use the term Ikigai, which is defined as “reason for getting up in the morning”. In Nicoya, Costa Rica, another Blue Zone, they use the term Plan de vida which means “Plan for the day”. All too often, as we age, we stop thinking in terms of having a purpose and more in terms of leisure time, relaxation, etc. I often hear, “I’m too old to start anything new” or “I just want to kick off my shoes, put up my feet and relax forever.”
But those same people tell me later that “Retired life is boring, I have no purpose. My life is meaningless and unfulfilled. I’m ready to give up.”
Is there something you wanted to do during your lifetime that you never got around to that you would enjoy doing? Is there something you can do NOW that can provide you with fulfillment or purpose? Here are some random thoughts:
Volunteer work or other means of contribution by helping others.
Living long enough to be around for your grandkids (weddings, first grandchildren or great grandkids).
Leaving a positive Legacy for your kids and grandkids.
Simply living as long as possible for it’s own sake.
Maintaining good health and feeling good.
Having a legacy project.
Caregiving a spouse
Goin’ fishin’
Other . . .
The point is that you can’t do any of these things without a certain degree of Personal Energy, a bit above and beyond what the average mature senior has available.
Here’s a fact. Older men and women who have a purpose in life are happier, healthier, live longer and feel better about themselves than those who don’t. That’s backed up by medical studies from some of the most well known medical institutions in the world. Psychologists have been studying this phenomenon for years and have found that as you get older, if you live your senior years with an intention and a purpose, your mind and body are better off than those who just exist in their old age. “Lives of quiet desperation” someone once called it.
So look through the list above and find a purpose, and then take action. Maybe where you live can become a “Blue Zone” too.
Thank you for reading this SeniorFlow Moment. Please leave a comment or your thoughts in the comment section below.