Purposeful Growth

Seniors everywhere should be interested in this. Research published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that senior citizens who are actively involved in normal household and daily living activities live longer than those with sedentary habits.

In a rigourous study over eight years of men and women ages 72 to 80, those with the most active energy expenditures daily were 50% more likely to survive than the lower energy expenditure groups.

The really good news for seniors like myself is that these folks in the most active range weren’t marathoners or physical fitness buffs. They simply did housework, gardening, walking, climbing stairs, volunteering, and other activities that any reasonably healthy person can do. Note, watching TV was not listed as an active physical activity.

Furthermore, this was not a case of the healthier people being able to do more, therefore they lived longer because of better health. People across the range of activity levels shared the ills of the elderly: more than half the participants had arthritis, heart disease, or diabetes.

The research study was funded to discover if normal daily living activities, termed free-living activities, could extend life. The researchers used sophisticated techniques to measure energy expenditure rather than relying totally on reported activities.

Regardless of your age, research studies show that activity level enhances your health. Physical exercise strengthens the immune system, reduces stress, burn calories making weight maintenance easier, and now is shown to extend life in those age groups most vulnerable.

What can you do?

• Walk
• Clean your home
• Park far from the mall doors and walk
• Climb stairs instead of using elevators
• Garden
• Use a push mower to cut your grass
• Turn off the TV
• Play with your kids, grandkids, or the neighbor’s kids
• Ride a bike

You get the picture. Be active. Do things that get your body moving. Use it or lose it.

The full report in all it’s scientific jargon is available at no cost  here.

When you have clarity about your purpose in life you have the foundation for an easy life. An easy life is not a life of leisure, but a life devoted to activities congruent with purpose. With purpose we are focused, energetic, and fulfilled by our daily activities, even when we are expending huge amounts of energy, which we tend to do when they are purpose-serving activities.

At some time in life every human being confronts two questions: Who am I? and Why am I here? Faced with the magnitude and complexities of life we try to understand the confusing and contradictory declarations and definitions for successful living we hear around us. But we’re looking in the wrong place. The answers are not outside of us, but deep within.

We each  crave to locate our unique position in the Universe–the “who am I?” question. Each of us possesses, from birth, a fundamental identity that separates us from others. These characteristics do not render us better or worse than others, simply different–with a unique ability to offer excellence in some form to human-kind.

At first thought, it might seem that self understanding
should come easily. After all, haven’t I lived with me all
my life? Environment, culture, and upbringing seem to
conspire to keep self understanding a secret, something to
discover only after an arduous journey. Born with special
abilities and characteristics, we submit to the instructions of
our parents, teachers, coaches, friends, and culture. Our
uniqueness is covered, layer upon layer, by the
characteristics treasured, honored, and acceptable to our
surroundings.

To understand who I am at my core, I must reverse the
process, peeling off each layer until my core is once again
visible. Meditation is the key starting point for this
process. It is only with a quiet mind that we can clearly hear
the inner messages of who we are.

Recalling activities and situations which bring great joy–fulfilling pleasure–will stimulate the process of self understanding, as will recalling what we did for fun when we were young–about eight years old. With the understanding of our unique assets–those traits that enable us to excel–we will naturally progress to our purpose in life–that vocation which utilizes our strengths in pursuit of our purpose.

These then are the fundamental steps to understanding purpose in life:

• Meditate to hear your inner wisdom
• Reflect on your personal fulfilling pleasures
• Recall the activities you loved when you were young
• Inventory your unique skills, those abilities in which you excel
• Assess your values, those characteristics of you that are non-negotiable
• Combine all these insights and look for the areas of life that combine passion, attraction, excellence, and value congruence.
• Remember that purpose is more about who you are being than the specific things you are doing

Without vision and purpose in life our daily activities seem meaningless. Our lives become merely an endless succession of challenges to face and they become routine and uninspiring. With purpose clearly in mind, we are able to confront life’s challenges and move past them, knowing that we have something important to return to. This keeps us centered and strong. With purpose, our decisions come easier. We simply pick the decision that best fits who we are and aligns with purpose.

Purpose in life is often called vocation, or calling. But it’s
more than the work that we do, it’s who we are. For reasonably priced Purpose in Life coursework, including Life Purpose Coaching, see my programs at http://www.yourcoachtosuccess.com/.

Related Articles:

Ten Steps to An Easy Life
Believe in an Easy Life

Book Recommendations:

Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation

Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow : Discovering Your Right Livelihood