Photo: Micaela Malmi Photography.
What longevity means to me…
Life is an experiment, a practice exploring the unknown. I feel like I am constantly collecting data to discover what works, what fits, and what doesn’t. I stumble through mistakes, breathe through the challenges, and make changes when necessary even when they are tough ones. I experiment with the choices I make.
Life is a series of choices, and these choices shape our journey (advice from my mom and dad). There are the little choices. Those choices that take place in my moment to moment thoughts: what to do that day, how to spend my time and with whom, prioritizing tasks, coordinating schedules, what to eat, how to exercise, create quiet time, and getting enough quality sleep. And then there are the BIG choices that involve career evolution, where to live, and how to nourish and maintain relationships with loved ones.
All of these choices, these investments, design my being, my core, and my joy. And the same goes for your own choices. The choices you make will either serve you or deplete you. Continually experiment and be open to discover which ones fit your lifestyle, personality and genuine needs. Our joyful being enhances our longevity.
Longevity to me is a daily practice, and it is fueled through my choices to inspire and celebrate a long life. I find this through choosing to be a student of life and a wisdom seeker. The wonder of learning keeps me vibrant and brings me joy. I love to learn, and practice being open to experience and study life everyday with all of its dimensions and layers. It is an experiment. When life’s beakers explode, because sometimes they do, I begin again. I re-evaluate the choices that led to the explosion. With time, and after a few wrong choices, what’s left is wisdom.
Longevity to me is a celebration of wisdom; the practice of learning to make better choices, slowing down and listening, and going with the flow within the experiment of life.
“One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt
