GETTING OLD IS NOT FOR SISSIES

As Bette Davis said, "Old Age Ain't for Sissies." And, boy was she right. The joke of it all is that it will effect everyone eventually, if you're lucky, so why is there so much discrimination about aging?

In a recent Supreme Court case, it was ruled that age discrimination was quite clear in a firing of a group of employees, all but one were...are you ready for this, over the age of 40. 40!!! Children are still living with their parents these days until they're almost 40 and many have moved back home in their late 30s and 40s because they can't make it. I assure you, their parents, who are doing the supporting, are over 40. Just how are the parents to support these 30 year olds if they can't make a living????

There is an inordinate amount of research being done ( by those over 40) in the area of aging and how to prolong life. Americans now have an average life span that exceeds 78 yrs of age. (In Afghanistan, the average life span is about 44 yrs of age. ) The fastest growing segment of the population is centenarians. Yes, those over 100 years of age, with the second fastest growing segment being 85 plus. Who will support them if age discrimination continues.

The American, youth oriented populace needs to start realizing that age discrimination is going to bite them in the butt big time. Just how are people in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, who are certainly healthy and able, supposed to make a living and support themselves and their families. The entire system is so convoluted. People are marrying later. They are having children in their 40s and 50s now. They are buying first homes later in life and working as long as they can because there is hardly a way to save for 'retirement' nowadays. And, yet age discrimination begins at the age of 40!!! This is appalling and just plain stupid.

Will those in their 20s and 30s be willing to support everyone 40 and beyond or even 60 and beyond? I doubt it. Most of them cannot pay back their own student loans. So, to all of you who think anyone over 40 (which is supposed to be the new 20) can't be trusted or is old, what will happen to you at 40? How will you survive and contribute to this world?

We don't want our officials to be too young. We want them to have some wisdom and life experience. Those under 40 that I know and deal with have little life experience and certainly have no idea how to advise or deal with those who have emotional issues dealing with grief or aging or even child rearing. They are not the ones I want to ask for advice for myself.

This nation is hurting itself financially, emotionally, spiritually and more if we continue this inane age discrimination thinking. All ages need to embrace and respect each other. If you can work well into your 100s, bless you. Embrace the wisdom of your elders and their life experience. You will gain from it and our nation will gain from it. If we allow everyone to contribute to the best of their abilities as long as they can, this country will be far better off economically and emotionally.

FEELING BETTER THE EASY WAY

What do you do when you feel blah, don’t feel like exercising, and just want to pig out. You know that if you pig out, you will feel worse. Well, here are some techniques that have been verified to work for the BLAHS and for minor cases of depression and anxiety:

GET UP AND DO SOMETHING. Even if it’s just 10 minutes, do something energetic. Force yourself. Have your friend, mate, kid, get you up to walk for 10 minutes. It is amazing the change in your brain that occurs and the consequent change in your mood and feelings. You may have to force yourself and be dragged, but you will be glad you did it.

DO NOT EAT SWEETS. Most of us have this urge to eat chocolate or something fattening as a so called ‘pick me upper’ when we are feeling a little low, especially in the middle of the day. (I’m guilty of this too.) But, it is actually the worst thing to do and makes you feel more sluggish and tired – even irritable. Instead, grab for some nuts or vegetables. No coffee, not even fruit. A hard boiled egg works better. (I’m sure most people will not take this suggestion to heart – but I had to give it anyway.) (Oh, and need I even add, don't do any drugs or alcohol to feel better.)

DO SOMETHING TO ACTIVATE BOTH SIDES OF YOUR BRAIN. When you feel anxious, nervous, upset, typically only one side of your brain is firing – and it’s not the calming part. In order to calm down your nerves, try this fun little exercise: put out your arms and close and open your right hand, then close and open your left hand. Do this in a moderate tempo and make sure one hand is open before closing the other. Do this about 20 times and you will feel less anxious – guaranteed. You can do it with your feet to – if putting your arms out would interfere with the person in front of you. Put one foot up and down and then the other foot up and down. Easy enough to do.

TAKE B VITAMIN COMPLEX AND OMEGA 3 DAILY. Since your brain is about 60% fat, you need to make sure it gets the right nutrients to feed that fat. Omega 3 will do it for you. Take a daily dose of Omega 3 and a good Vitamin B complex – considered the stress vitamin. Take them with meals or you might get sick to your stomach. You might even notice the effect of the B complex (Vit B12; B6, folate), immediately.

PRACTICE FORGIVENESS. Hard as it might be, forgiving yourself and others who may have hurt you is the best way to remove anxiety and feelings of remorse. It may not be easy, but it is definitely worth the effort. Try this one: “I FORGIVE MYSELF FOR JUDGING MYSELF.” Now you can just say that a few hundred times or you can add, “I FORGIVE MYSELF FOR JUDGING MYSELF AS…..(ex. a bad person, a lousy wife, mother, husband, etc.).” Whatever your issue is. It can be quite astonishing the change you feel and the positive energy you send to the world when you forgive yourself and others.

I have other techniques, but these are just a few to get you started. Try them, they’re easy and effective.