Habits for Life
Reader's Digest recently
posted an
article on their website entitled, "12 Habits of People Who Look and Act
Younger Than Their Age." In a society where physical fitness and
trying-to-look-younger-than-you-are is emphasized, many will want to
know these habits. After all, who of us wouldn't like to be a little
more physically - and mentally - fit?
Here are the
12 Habits (with a few editorial comments):
1. Get
organized.
People who live well-organized lives tend to live longer than less
careful types, perhaps because they look after their health better and
avoid risky behavior. (Oh no! Please, don't look in my office!)
2. Shop
'til you drop.
Social contact, better physical fitness, and greater mental agility are
the key factors. (I hope my wife doesn't read this! )
3. Have some curry. Curry may boost your mental abilities,
according to research out of Singapore. (Does eating curry several
years ago during a mission trip to India count?)
4. Sing together. A study done among a group of adults found
that singers in a group were in better health, used less medication,
were less lonely, and had fewer falls after a year than a similar group
of non-singers. (See Ephesians 5:18-20.)
5. Log on.
Search the Internet to
keep your brain active. (I don't think many in the younger generations
will need any encouragement in this area.)
6. Play with grandchildren. Benefits include giving you the
chance to pass on family values and traditions and to teach practical
skills. (The Bible has taught this for centuries. See Deuteronomy
6:1-4, for example.)
7. Don’t
retire young.
Researchers have found that many long-lived, successful
professionals worked (at least part-time) well after retirement age.
8. Love your age. Think positively about your time of life and
you’ll live longer. (That sounds like being content in every
circumstance, Philippians 4.)
9. Embrace thick skin.
Psychological hardiness (mental resilience in the face of stress,
anxiety, and depression) is crucial for survival, especially as we get
older.
10. Don’t
assume you need less sleep.
It’s a common myth that we need fewer hours of sleep as we age, but
evidence suggests this is not true.
11. Go for walks with your dog. Dog ownership can provide a
physical and emotional boost. Walking together will improve your fitness
and protect against feelings of loneliness.
12. Have faith. Research shows that positive emotions
associated with attending religious services - such as hope, faith,
forgiveness, joy, compassion, and gratitude - can help to reduce stress
and regulate the body chemicals that protect us against it.
Faith in God
-- a trusting, active faith -- is good for much more than your physical
health! Without it, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). It
is the appropriate response to the great love of God who gave His Son to
die for our sins so that we can have eternal life (John 3:16).
In order to be
saved from our sins and receive the gift of eternal life, we must place
our
faith
and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in
repentance
(Acts 17:30-31),
confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be
baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).
Then, we must - by faith - continue to walk in the light of His Word,
for as we do, the blood of Jesus continues to wash away our sins (1 John
1:7).
The 12 Habits
are helpful. We should make the most of life now. But the greatest
thing we can do is to accept God's prescription for eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Won't
YOU?
– David A. Sargent
*
http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/habits-of-people-who-act-young/. Many
thanks to Sandy Hall for sharing this article with me!
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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