101 Ways to Age Gracefully

This book on healthy active aging presents 101 research-based practical tips conducive to living life long and well. We begin the aging process at birth, so 101 Ways to Age Gracefully is for all ages and stages of life. Making healthy choices early in life will enhance life’s journey. Starting at any age can make a difference. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy is 81 years for women and 76 years for men. We are living longer and want to live happy, healthy, and independent throughout our lifespan.


    Age is a chronological number; old or young is an attitude and lifestyle. Make it your goal to die young, as late in life as possible.


    Genetics plays a significant role in how many candles you will add to your cake. Attitude and lifestyle choices also play a major role in length and quality of life. This book is written to bathe your brain with positive thinking and healthy tips like a shower cleanses your body. We take time to shower/bathe most days of the week; we also need to take time to cleanse our brains with positive and inspirational thoughts and activities.


    You are in the driver’s seat of your life journey. Living life intentionally is making the decision to identify your values, the things that are important to you, and make choices in your daily life to live life according to your values. That being said, the journey, no matter how well planned, may take you on detours along the way. Life usually isn’t a straight and even road; there are curves and bumps, high paved roads and low dirt trails. When life’s challenges take us off our desired path, we can make choices to get back on track, try a new direction, or stay in the ditch and wallow.


    Each of us is a work in progress; we are all just a bunch of people making our way through life. There is no such thing as perfect; there are always ways to get better. There are no perfect people or families; remember that the Facebook posts and Christmas card photos are usually the highlight reels of life, not the bloopers. We will make mistakes; close family members and friends will make mistakes. People may do stuff that lift us up or drag us down. Health issues and accidents come from out of nowhere, sometimes changing life significantly and forever.


    When things don’t turn out as planned, remember that things turn out the best for those who make the best of the way things turn out. That is why family and friends are so important. That support network is the net that cushions the fall and helps the rebound. Faith is also important; believing in something bigger than life can help us take the steps we need to get out of the ditch, back on the trail, and on to a high paved road.


    Aging gracefully is about choices we make each and every day. Implementing these 101 ways to age gracefully can add years to your life and life to your years.