Fortune Cookie Friday: Young At Heart
Yesterday was Halloween. We didn’t have many kiddos trick-or-treating to our house because our house is on a busy street without sidewalks. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t have fun. We wore fun costumes, ate candy, and watched scary movies like I did as a kid.
Although much older, I enjoy living life like I did as a kid. I don’t mean I don’t do any work, act immature, or refuse to make my bed. Okay, that last one isn’t true—I hate making my bed. What I mean by living life as a kid is that I remain young at heart.
Our quote today is from Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter Sir Tom Stoppard, who reminds us to hold onto our youthful souls. It’s essential to tap into that youthful spirit as adults.
Think back to when we were kids, playing games, learning new things, spending time with friends, and nap time—ah, nap time. Those things don’t have to end as we grow up. We can utilize those same activities, even if they don’t look exactly the same, to help us live more fulfilling lives.
Adulthood has many responsibilities and expectations, which can be very stressful. Having an “old soul” can help utilize the wisdom we gain over the years, but adding a youthful spirit can make that wisdom wonderful. Our youthful spirit is our source of vitality, creativity, and resilience.
Vitality
Being young at heart can help your heart and your health. Researchers1 found that older people who felt younger than their actual age had a lower death rate than those who felt their age or older.
Kids have lots of energy, but we don’t have to lose that as we get older. We may have heard the phrase “use it or lose it.” A youthful spirit helps us be more active. That daily activity can keep our bodies healthier and make us feel younger.
Exercise is important for health no matter what age. Get involved in a sport, go to the gym, or even take a daily walk with your dog. Not only do these activities do wonders for our bodies, but they also reduce stress.
Creativity
Our world doesn’t have to become old and cold. We should embrace the innocence, wonder, and curiosity we had as kids.
We can read books, take a class on an exciting subject, or dive into a new hobby. Stimulating the brain causes neural growth even later in life2,3. On top of that, when we engage in activities that bring us joy and fulfillment, we gain a sense of purpose. A youthful spirit helps us foster that creativity and gives us a sense of accomplishment.
So go ahead and build sand castles or grab some markers and color. Better yet, color outside the lines and see where your creativity takes you.
Resilience
Life is fluid. We go through growing pains throughout our lives, not just as teenagers. It’s not easy to accept our bodies changing. Yeah, we have some control over what happens to our bodies with what we eat and how we exercise, but nature can have other plans.
Being young at heart means embracing change and adapting to ourselves and the world around us. We can start by having a positive mindset. A positive attitude, or as Rev. Eugene Coplin of Project L.E.E., Inc. (Learning & Earning Experiences) calls it, an “attitude of gratitude,” helps us navigate challenges.
Positive thinking has also been shown to improve our health, even for those suffering from disease4, not to mention the attitude of others around us. This brings me to another point of being young at heart—connections.
As we age, we should cherish the personal connections we make in our lives. People with a youthful spirit stay connected with family and friends. We are social creatures, after all. These connections provide a sense of belonging and purpose. They help ward off loneliness and stimulate the mind.
We all age, but we don’t have to grow old. Stoppard’s quote reminds us of that. We can reminisce about our childhood or put those memories to good use. The magic of a youthful spirit can help us live longer, happier, and healthier lives. When we carry our childhood with us, we can remain young at heart.
Citations
1. Rippon I, Steptoe A. Feeling Old vs Being Old: Associations Between Self-perceived Age and Mortality. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(2):307–309. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.6580
2. Moreno-Jiménez, E. P., Flor-García, M., Terreros-Roncal, J., Rábano, A., Cafini, F., Pallas-Bazarra, N., Ávila, J., & Llorens-Martín, M. (2019, March 25). Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is abundant in neurologically healthy subjects and drops sharply in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Nature News. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0375-
3. University of North Carolina Health Care. “Stimulating brain circuits promotes neuron growth in adulthood, improving cognition and mood.” ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com
4. Carver, C. S., Pozo, C., Harris, S. D., Noriega, V., Scheier, M. F., Robinson, D. S., Ketcham, A. S., Moffat, F. L., Jr, & Clark, K. C. (1993). How coping mediates the effect of optimism on distress: a study of women with early stage breast cancer. Journal of personality and social psychology, 65(2), 375–390. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.65.2.375
