We must believe in positive ageing and accepting the challenge head on, feel good about ourselves, keep fit, active and healthy, and engage fully in life as we grow older. It’s then that we will love getting older. Getting older doesn’t mean decline or despair but is a reason for celebration, says DR PUSHPA CHATURVEDI
It was peak summer late evening some years ago when electricity power cut was at its peak. One fan and a small light was all I could use. I was living all alone at home in a rural medical institution. To the casual observer, my nest seemed empty. But God was with me and I was in gratitude and at peace with myself.
Soft music was playing on my battery-operated player as I was happily stretched on the sofa with a book. There was a sudden knock on the door.
I opened the door to Dr Prerna, my lecturer, who was there to discuss some professional matter. I smiled and welcomed her. The first thing she remarked was: “Ma’am I love the way you so happily engage yourself all alone in this heat and power cut and keep smiling always. My relatives are always complaining and unhappy when they visit me in this rural medical college residence.”
Adopt a Positive Attitude
So you see , the most important way to make the journey of ageing graceful and positive and approach the twilight years with some style, grace, humour and see wrinkles as lines of love, laughter and wisdom, is all about our attitude towards life. Adopting a positive attitude and acceptance of circumstances puts a glow on your face, irrespective of whether you are staying alone in your seventies and beyond.
Setting a goal gives life a purpose. I am sure our purpose is that we all want to live a long, healthy, happy and meaningful life. We want to spread happiness and peace and practice gratitude for what we have. Health is our top priority. Happiness follows health. Health is wealth. So look after your physical, mental and spiritual health.
Gratitude can reverse ageing stress and ill health by balancing heart rhythms and the nervous system, boosting immunity and hormonal equilibrium, increasing production of the anti-ageing compounds in our body.
Remain Independent and Engaged in Healthy Activities
The goal should be to be able to remain independent, active, and engaged in healthy activities which nurture our body, mind and soul. For achieving this goal, we need to start preparing from a younger age rather than thinking of it later, as a lifestyle cultivated earlier definitely pays dividends better in later life.
I believe in the motto that the busier you are, the happier you are. Being busy with creative activities, reading, writing, adventure outings, connecting with nature, connecting with family and friends, helping out in household chores, cooking or even following your heart to engage in meaningful, fruitful social activities leaves one no time to brood or grudge life.
Learning Something New and Creative
I also believe that growing older in age is never a bar to learning something new. This I have practically experienced with the grace of God. The opportunity to create something new and beautiful always gives an enormous sense of satisfaction and empowerment. We open our mind to new ideas with a flexible attitude, thus enjoying the essence of our creativity which helps us to maintain youthful vitality.
As we grow older, we must eat less but eat healthy, nutritious, easy-to-digest, low caloric food. As our body ages, it becomes less efficient at digesting high caloric foods. Remember the age old saying, “The secret of living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure.”
What meditation and our positive attitude does to our mind and soul, yoga and exercises do to our body. Bringing them into our daily practice will help us keep our body, mind and soul healthy. Meditation reduces stress and increases positive states of mind. Now there is scientific evidence to prove that meditation slows age-related loss of grey matter of the brain, which is needed for good mental health and memory.
Exercises like walking, gardening, yoga and pranayama boost mood, improve sleep, counter anxiety and depression, improve reflex time, help prevent age-related memory loss, as well as help in digestion, thus preventing constipation and piles commonly seen in inactive individuals. Many changes that physiologists attribute to ageing are actually caused by disuse. Using your body more actively will keep it young.
Use Mind Control
Science tells us that 30 per cent of health problems and longevity is genetic, but 70 per cent of these issues you can control with your mind ― by the way you think, your attitude, your lifestyle; by a healthy daily routine; and with a heart full of gratitude to God as you count your blessings and don’t take them for granted.
Accept the changes and limitations which come with age and love yourself more as you grow old. It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long healthy life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.
We must believe in positive ageing. We must accept the challenge head on and feel good about ourselves; keep fit, active and healthy, and engage fully in life as we grow older. It’s then that we will love getting older.
Getting older doesn’t mean decline or despair. It’s a reason for celebration!
Featured Image by Dr Pushpa Chaturvedi
Dr Pushpa Chaturvedi, a paediatrician with over 50 years’ experience, is an educationist and researcher, with over 100 research publications, mainly on social paediatrics in renowned medical journals. Ex-Professor and Head of Department of Paediatrics, MGIMS Sevagram, Wardha, she is a thinker, writer, poet, artist and a spiritual blogger with over 500 blogs to her credit. Dr Chaturvedi is also a keen traveller, music and nature lover.
More Stories by Dr Pushpa Chaturvedi
A beautiful narrative Pushpa ji, on the art of living which is hidden in the heart of loving life as it keeps opening before us through its various openings. As you have so neatly addressed it, all that is required is setting the theme of a positive mindset and a creative approach to life and then our enactment on the stage of life becomes highly self actualising and fulfilling.
Often we attribute it to a state of pathology while saying that someone is growing old or has grown old and overlook the entire growth process which is involved in it. But once we look at it as a very natural growth process, then entire life becomes a sort of schooling toward maturation which in itself is a fulfilling exercise. Where is the source of remorse then when one gets creatively involved in it?
As I see it, the perfectly ripened suntanned fruit atop the tree alone knows what it takes to make it a tasty fruit! Similarly, one’s learning through a whole lot of experience in life fills one in experiential fullness, settling in bliss. But, to have this sense of fulfilment while reaching at the zenith of life one has to set the theme that leads towards it quite early in life. And to that end, as you have conclusively said, “mind control” is the only way to gracefully accept the offerings of life as it comes, taking opportunities and shortcomings equally alike.
Truly, nothing like ageing positively then, for a profound love is always involved in positivity.
Baturam Nayak
Thank you so much Baturam Jee for adding your very lucid and positive thoughts here .
It was your blog on ..winning the war against old age …which inspired me to write this on the request of Oswald Pereira Jee and I feel happy I could convey my thoughts in my writing to inspire others to love the concept of growing old and love self more.
You have said so well here …
“As I see it, the perfectly ripened suntanned fruit atop the tree alone knows what it takes to make it a tasty fruit! Similarly, one’s learning through a whole lot of experience in life fills one in experiential fullness, settling in bliss.”
Wishing all here happiness, good health as they add years 🙏
very well written ,,, DTU
Thank you so much kishore bro .Your love for music and art has been a great inspiration for me 🙏🙏
very well presented –DTU
Beautiful article and is reflective of graceful transition to this phase of your life Ma’am. We hope to follow in your footsteps and keep the inner child in us alive! To more adventurous 🥂Best wishes, Meenakshi
Thank you Meenakshi 🌹♥️