Staying Young

Let me see a show of hands. How many of us want to stay young? Just what I thought. We all do. We want to remain of sound body and mind, be able to kick up our heals from time to time, think deep thoughts and be able to articulate them when the occasion calls for it, and even have people tell us we look good without tacking on those three awful words: "for your age." Of course, it is one thing to want to remain young but another to actually do it, especially when aging is an indisputable law of nature, the existence of which no one disputes. Regular exercise, sound sleep, a healthy diet and remaining mentally active are among the ingredients hard science has identified as helping us remain vibrant both mentally and physically as we move past middle age.

As many non-scientists have their own theories on how to stay young, I would like to add mine to the list. I believe being a good communicator can help one keep a bounce in their step longer than they might otherwise. Good communication is more than just focusing one's own needs and goals at the exclusion of others. It involves developing and maintaining an outlook of inclusion. Also, it includes taking the insight you have gained from others and, with their assistance, coming up with ways to meld together yours and theirs in order to create a connection and mutual understanding. Looking beyond one's own interests and not allowing yourself to become insular in thinking and even action is the key.

This could very well be communication's great gift to us all. Communication pioneer Edward Bernays once described public relations as the act of creating an "harmonious adjustment" between different publics. Simply put, that can only be done if both parties have gathered solid information and understanding of another. To me, being an inclusive thinker is a better way of keeping one's mind and outlook positive and sharp. Granted, Father Time eventually takes over no matter what we do or what our outlook might be. But being the opposite of self-absorbed can certainly help make its inevitability less overwhelming and imposing.