How Culture Influences Aging
- All felt that they were loved.
- 99% had a feeling of connection to something spiritual beyond themselves, thereby avoiding narcissism. This could be God, but it could be nature or something else. They were not necessarily religious or church goers, but were definitely spiritual.
- If they believed in God, it was a God of love, not one of fear. Fear puts the nervous system on hyper alarm.
- Some smoked, some drank, but in moderation out of pure enjoyment, not need. Eating also was out of enjoyment, not need.
- Slightly overweight people lived longer, but there were no centenarians that were obese.
- In general, they did not go to doctors, and had actually outlived them all. Martinez feels that medicine has helped longevity principally in fighting infections (also healing fractures).
- Meaning and purpose in life was crucial. Martinez says that death comes for most people within 6 years after retirement because of loss of meaning or purpose. Mentoring others is a good way to keep yourself going.
- People who look younger than they are believe that middle age starts later than those who identify with the cultural beliefs of aging. He recommends not telling people your age, but rather identify yourself as 15 years younger at a happy time of your life.
- Organizational culture makes people sick. One factor is having responsibility without authority, or a job without meaning. Another health risk is working through mealtimes because it does not allow the body to digest the food. 75% of corporate leaders have gastro intestinal problems because they take their technology to lunch with them.
Beliefs about aging in our culture are not only disempowering, but are making us look/feel/act a lot older and die younger.
Repeat after me “My body remembers what ___ (20, 30, 40–any age at which you were healthy, vibrantly alive and happy) is.”
Then vividly picture yourself as that age. Stand and walk as if you were that age now. Your body is only energy–it can shift.
NOTE: In assisting George Bien, my primary hypnosis mentor, who was conducting fire walks, we were told to have a reason to walk on the hot coals. I repeated “my body remembers what 20 is.” When I got done walking, I noticed that I did indeed look younger, and that held for about 2 weeks.
You may notice that anytime you are in love or fired up in a good way about life, people, events, your body springs alive. You bounce, your face no longer sags, the energy returns to your step and your voice. You feel better and you are healthier. You have to have something that inspires you, that gets the blood flowing through your soul to stay healthy.
The goal should not be to live to be 100 years old, but to live a fulfilled, rich life and then to leave a legacy.
It takes time to do that. By the time you attain significant skills, wisdom and maturity, you are already middle aged or older. Live long enough to give that knowledge and wisdom back so that the next generation progresses and benefits from what you/we have learned. Live long enough to do those things that are important to you, to learn, to grow, to heal this time around so that you don’t drag your baggage into the next incarnation.
I look forward to your comments.
Copyright by Roxanne Louise. However, this article may be shared in free online sources only if this copyright notice and link to http://www.roxannelouise.com and http://unlimitedpotentialhealingcenter.com are included with the content.
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