The 3 Most Important Things In Living A Long & Healthy Life
This 20 minute talk by Dan Buettner is an inspiration for those of us wanting life to be a continual celebration that gets better and better as we age not just a slow, steady unavoidable decline. From his travels and studies of the most long-lived communities on earth, he has clearly identified the most important things we need to know about living a long and healthy life:
- Eat a plant based diet
- Move naturally – organise your life so that you can exercise doing what you need to do. For example, sit on the floor so you burn calories getting up, mix things by hand rather than using a food processor, walk to the shops rather than allowing convenience to make all your choices for you.
- Be part of a community, belong and feel at home with the people you move through life with. Cultivate a healthy outlook on life and always, always, have a reason to get up in the morning that fills you with joy.
The most important realisation seems to be that our ability to live long and healthy lives is not about one thing in particular – it’s not about diet or drinking red wine every day. It’s not about cardiovascular health or hygiene or having all of our physical needs met. It’s not just about feeling good and being happy either (although, I think most of us would settle for this no matter how long we live!). Longevity is about the rhythm and flow of life and having a connection to and understanding of the bigger picture.
It seems in our western culture many of us often wind up feeling isolated, alone and purposeless with no real sense of connection to others. I’ve felt my life being drawn down this same path over the past few years – maintaining and building friendships seem like too much hard work and it’s easier after a long days work to relax with my husband, do what we need to do for our boys and just sit and watch a DVD while life cruises along.
Recently however, a small tendril of hope has been seen wisping gently out of my heart – I want to feel part of something again! I’ve been part of spiritual communities in the past and of course, at school and college and networking events it’s easy to relate to those around you and feel connected but I let that get run over somewhere along the mad highway of a busy life . So, I’ve decided to create my own community around me by my actions and by the wise distribution of my time. I’ve begun to really nourish and give to the people in my life – to show them my appreciation by my presence and by helping them out with the simple things – by listening, by vacuuming the floor, by using a skill I’ve been trained in. This giving is not born out of some sense of obligation normally reserved for family. I’m not doing it because I’m getting paid to or because of some future merit I’m earning. I’m doing it because I can. Pure and simple.
This kind of giving isn’t easy for me – it doesn’t come naturally and requires effort but the sense of connection and of how by just being me and showing up I can impact on the lives of those around me is satisfying in a whole new way. This is a way I want to continue for as long as I possibly can!
How do you create these elements of longevity in your life now?
How do you create and nourish your community?