Centenarian Wisdom

I remember reading a study about the common lifestyle habits of centenarians, or those who have lived to be 100 plus. These all resonated with me and they seemed obvious. At the same time, these very commonsense practices made these people exceptional. Here are the elements I remember.

They all had:
1) strong family and/or social circles and volunteered or gave back to their communities.
2) an abundance of love in their lives.
3) an ability to laugh easily and a joyful disposition.
4) an ability to release painful memories or situations. They processed them and moved on.
5) resilience.
6) simple, healthy diets.
7) a routine of physical activity.
8) an openness to new ideas and an enjoyment of learning.

I may have missed some, but this is the essence.

These are all things that I have a choice about and that are available to all people, regardless of economic or social status. Sounds simple, right? Well, I think it is . . . and it isn't because the mind has a way of wanting to create situations to make it feel needed. You know, problems it needs to resolve--things it needs to manage.

You probably wonder where I am going with all of this. I don't really know, Ha! Ha! If I did I most likely wouldn't be writing about it. I'd be one of those people that you occasionally see walking down the street who is beaming and laughing for no apparent reason. I love seeing people like this, it's contagious! I know I've heard people say, What is up with that person? as if they are wondering about their sanity. Once I saw a guy practically floating down the street. He was singing and had the biggest smile on his face. I think I made some query about the source of his joy and he said gleefully, Nothing really.

So, if it’s just a matter of giving my mind something it feels satisfied doing, so that it doesn’t create havoc, I’m imagining a new job description for it:

1) We have gone to a self-reporting system, so that means the only one you need to manage is yourself.
2) For all your years of good service I am giving you a less stressful job—just pay attention to when you are taking on too much and getting frustrated and go on break.
3) Think of ways to boost morale among co-workers.
4) Make sure that everything is functioning smoothly in the physical plant (my body) and if it isn’t, don’t ignore it until it becomes a problem.
5) Notice beauty, or acts of kindness, and stop to reflect on them as inspiration for new innovations or creative projects.
6) We no longer need a projectionist, because we are going to a holographic medium. We think you can easily come up to speed, if you choose to apply for this position.
7) We’re putting you in charge of visioning positive solutions for the greater good of the organization and helping to manifest them.
8) You can now stop activating the alarm system to test the emergency preparedness program you have developed. Half the employees are now out on stress leave and the other half have opted to start tele-commuting.
9) You will never become obsolete in the organization; because your value is not how much you assertively take charge of, but rather how you keep things running smoothly without needing to be noticed.

Thanks for your good service!
- Control Central (The Heart)


Each person has inside a basic decency and goodness. If he listens to it and acts on it, he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most. It is not complicated but it takes courage. It takes courage for a person to listen to his own goodness and act on it.

~ Pablo Casals

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

~ Winston Churchill

When we yield to discouragement it is usually because we give too much thought to the past and to the future.

~ St. Therese of Lisieux

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

~ Alvin Toffler