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There was a little boy who never wanted to grow
up. He lived with a group of other little boys who felt the same way. This group
of little boys thought they were happy until they discovered that there was
something missing in their lives. They didn’t have a mother. . . .
That’s how the story of Peter Pan and the Lost
Boys began. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a fairy tale like this came true? Sadly,
we live in a world of reality.
Unlike Peter, we do grow up and as we do, we
grow older.
Juan Ponce de Leon trekked across Florida and
the Caribbean centuries ago searching for the illusive Fountain of Youth. Little
did he know that he would leave behind a legacy that is still alive and well
today!
In fact, this relentless search for youth can be
traced back to ancient civilians who blamed the gods for old age.
Every day we are bombarded with the “not so
subliminal” message that youth and good looks are all that matters. This message
is coming through loud and clear at the same time that we are living longer than
ever before.
Comedian George Burns lived to 100. When
asked if his doctor knew he still smoked, Burns said, “No. . .he’s dead! George
was that rare exception to the smoking rule. But, he did beat all the
odds!
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Dylan Thomas had it
right:
“ Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage
against the dying of the light.”
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Yes, you can change your own destiny. The
only question is whether you are willing to make the changes necessary to fight
the aging process.
There is little mystery about it. We have evolved to
the point where we live in a genetically evolved body that can withstand the
ravages of time as no other point in known history.
Yet, we ingest foods
that constantly attack the immune system. We pour tons of fat down our throats.
We sit behind computers all day with little or no exercise. Then, we become
concerned when our bodies finally fight back.
It’s never too late to flip
the hourglass and start over. While we can’t always remodel an outdated house or
body, we can take steps to see that we take full advantage of every day we have
remaining.
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