When we get past 60, our attitude plays a major role in determining how the rest of our life will pan out. When we understand a little about the mind / body connection, it becomes obvious that how and what we think affects both our physical and mental health. If we think we’re young, active and involved with life, we probably will be. If we think that our productive life is largely behind us and this is the beginning of the end, then we’ll start being “old”. As Henry Ford famously said “If you think you can, or you can’t, you’re right”.
It’s really our choice. If we haven’t been afflicted by a serious disease, it’s our attitude to life that really determines whether we wish to be involved with life and involved in our community. The volunteering movement is a great example of how people who want to give something back to the community can make a significant contribution to the life of other people. Of course, helping others is a great source of happiness and satisfaction, so that good deeds help both the giver and the receiver.
We probably all know, or know of, people who are over 70 and are still making a positive contribution to their own lives and the lives of others. You will notice that they all have a positive attitude and believe that they “can do it” rather than they “can’t” A few well known examples are – the Queen, Ita Buttrose, Mick Jagger and Bob Hawke.
Now not everyone has a 100% positive attitude. That’s a very hard goal to achieve. Life is generally a mixture of good and bad experiences and we are normally effected by them. We all have voices in our heads that tell us we can’t do this or that. These voices tend to get stronger when we’re going through a bad time. It’s a matter of how much notice we take of them. If we’re constantly hearing negative messages it’s probably time to take some action to turn the negative thoughts into more positive ones. The good news is that we can make this change and if you do, you’ll probably be a happier person. There are plenty of books about positive thinking and how to be a happier person. There are also courses on these topics and most counsellors can give you some personal guidance if you need it.