Thursday, April 7, 2011

Want to Live Longer? Lighten Up!

Just found this interesting article about a very inspiring 104 year young woman!  You go Dot!!!


Yet another plus of being happy, taking life as it comes, going with the flow, putting on a happy face...you can actually add YEARS to your life! 


This is just one of many articles on this topic and again and again the results conclude: happy thoughts and an optimistic outlook = a longer, healthier life. It's another good reminder to not sweat the small stuff and keep things in perspective throughout each day.


Does it really, REALLY matter if you burnt the toast this morning? What about finding a stain on your favorite blouse that you were planning to wear today? Getting caught up in traffic on the way to work...the list in a given day can be endless. Small, annoying delays, set-backs etc. Negative energy that can slowly but surely change a good day into one that you just want to end.


When an annoyance or delay happens, deal with it as quickly as possible and move on. Put it behind you.

Speaking of  traffic jams  put the time to good use, not dwelling on frustration:
  • Sing along with the radio.
  • Take some slow, deep breaths.
  • Think about a pleasant event coming up.
  • Catch up with your knitting or a good book.
  • Gaze at the sky and the scenery that usually flies by in a blur.
                     
the list goes on and on...

Think about how lucky you really are to: have that toast to eat (personally, I like a bit of burn around the edges!), that special blouse that your best friend gave you that will still look great to wear again after a wash. And wow, having your own car and a job to go to and get paid for! Triple bonus! A lot of people who would be happy to have those and don't.  

Choose happiness today.


Make it a better day for you and everyone in your life. Living a longer and healthier life is kind of a nice plus too, don't you agree?

PS: Mr. Cheddar has also been busy today. He has a new cat treat review (there's a dog- variety available too) you might enjoy. As the Ched says: Chiao for now!!!

10 comments:

Noel Morata said...

aloha,

i enjoyed this post, it came to me at just the right time since i had one of those moments today and am trying to put it behind me very quickly.

Mullin Avenue Workshop said...

An excellent post, as always Geraldine, and true of course. It's hard to practise and reminders are always good.
And I have the feeling you do practise this most of the time.
Kudos to you!
Brenda

Tammie Lee said...

lovely thoughts and advice.

I read something you might enjoy:

"to know peace of mind requires a willingness to change, nothing else"

Mark Berkery

Anonymous said...

This is good for me this evening, too. And that is not the first time I have gotten good advice here.

Teri said...

I love coming here. Now I need to teach my husband to stop sweating the small stuff-he is a master at it.
Thanks for always having a great message.

Geraldine said...

Hi Noel,Thanks for stopping by. I loved the cyber-visit to all the orchids yesterday, breathtaking! Isn't it great when we read something at "just the right time" I love it!

Hi Brenda, I actually need to work on this and keep it in mind, all the time. I'm a worrier (is that a proper word?) by nature and rather impatient too. But I'm working on it and I am making progress. Thanks for your kind words.

Hi Tammie, That's a great quote. We control a lot more of our destiny and our daily lives than we sometimes realise. Thanks for sharing.

Hi SandyL, And so many times I stop by your blog and am renewed and refreshed by all the beauty you share there. I'm glad you are enjoying my new blogs, thank you!

Hi Teri,You are so kind. Thank you for all your support and encouragemnt, it's all my pleasure. I loved the Black and White mandala today, wow!!!

Wishing you all a peaceful, happy day and evening, G

SandyCarlson said...

Please tell Mr. Cheddar that Clyde loves cheese!

This is so right and true. Attitude is so much a key to our doing well.

Joseph said...

Dot is quite a lady, what a nice story to read. Life is too short to be caught up with small things that really don't matter. Excellent advice here.

Vesper said...

And you are so right, Geraldine. It's too bad it doesn't come naturally to all of us. We should keep this in mind, maybe read it often so that in the end it becomes second nature...
xoxoxo

Geraldine said...

Hi SandyC, You know I told "the Ched" about Clyde's love of cheese but he didn't seem that impressed. He is a true cat-snob!!! And Clyde, well he's so precious. A pat from me, ok!

Hi Joe, Isn't Dot amazing! Wow. I loved that article too. I was so glad to find this uplifting story to add to this post.

Hi Vesper, How nice of you to stop by my new blog. I'm so glad you enjoyed this post.

Happy Week, G

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