The Miracle of My USA

I was going to tell you more about what I’ve learned about increasing longevity and enjoying excellent health through all the years of your life. But something else has been on my mind this past week.

I have been reminded many times through my writing and reading, that everything I do should be connected to that good ole USA. Okay, do you remember what USA is for me? It’s pretty simple and, no, it doesn’t stand for the country I live in. It’s an acronym I use to remind myself to live a life of Unconditional Self-Acceptance.

I know a lot of us struggle with accepting and loving ourselves unconditionally. We can be so very self-critical. But even if you’ve worked hard to have good, positive inner self talk and can truly say to yourself that you love and accept who you are, negativity can still sneak in. It’s not a given that once you’ve learned to accept yourself unconditionally that you’ll always accept and love yourself unconditionally.

You just have to give that USA some thought from time to time, and if you do, you will discover that living with that USA on the top of your mind will really lift your life. It can do this for pretty much any part of your life, from your career to your relationships. 

It’s so easy to forget about the meaning of my version of USA but it really can make a huge difference in your life. If you make Unconditional Self-Acceptance a super big goal for yourself, and think about it on a regular basis, you will see that by being more and more accepting of yourself and your life you’ll find more success, happiness, and contentment. And that’s because it’s that negativity and self-doubt that can really bring us down.

Whenever I focus on my USA, it helps lift my life in so many ways. It improves the way I do business as well as giving me the confidence and dedication I need to write my books. It has even lifted the quality of my tennis game. I’ve also seen how it can improve my relationships with my dear and wonderful hard-working wife, my super kids, and all my wonderful grand kids. Because when I can accept and love myself, it’s easier to love and accept everybody and everything about the people around me. And I mean everybody. Yes, everyone from new friends to long time buddies and, of course, family members!  

I’m sure you’re familiar with the feeling of being around people who don’t seem to like themselves very much. It can bring everybody down. So, if you stay focused on the good ole USA, you’ll be in a position to lift the lives of everyone around you instead of bringing them down.

It really does work. I say it even borders on the miraculous.

More Than One Path to Longevity

A number of years ago, when I was writing one of my later books, The Next Step to Waking Up the Financial Genius Inside You, I decided to bring up a subject that I knew some might find surprising to be in such a book.

In that book I wrote about how impressed I was by the work of both Dr. Roy Walford and his daughter, Lisa Walford. They both wrote books on longevity. It’s a subject I’ve long been very interested in.

Doctor Roy Walford, who you may know, was the attending physician in the famous Biosphere experiments and was probably one of the world’s leading experts on longevity. One of his books, Beyond the 120 Year Diet, really grabbed my attention when I found it. The book by Lisa Walford that really sparked my imagination was The Longevity Diet. There is so much great information and advice between those two books.

They just seem to be so dead on accurate about the keys to great health and longevity. However, as I read and reread these books and learned about the strategies and practices they suggested, I realized that we really could dramatically increase our chances of excellent health throughout our lifetime, possibly pushing the maximum lifespan to well beyond 100. The thing was though, I came to understand that it was likely to be very difficult to do what they recommended.

Did I want to be super healthy? Did I want to live a superlong life? The answers to those questions are easy – yes! However, I had to seriously think about whether I could follow these suggested practices and stay with it. And I just wasn’t sure.

Because I wasn’t sure, I kept looking for more answers. And what I did learn was that there are several different ways that I could increase my longevity and enjoy excellent health. I will share what I’ve learned with you on my next week’s blog.

I have to say, it’s really working as I approach my 80^th birthday, on my way to 105 and maybe 120 or more!

Following the Super Agers

A few days ago, I read a very interesting article in the AARP bulletin titled “Super Agers” that talked about aging and how, without a doubt, we will all die someday. Ouch! I didn’t like that last part but I don’t think anyone has figured out a way around that bad deal.

The super great article really got my attention because I am only about 5 months away from turning 80 years old. That’s a very big number!!

The cover of the November 2023 AARP bulletin reads, “Some people in their 80’s and 90’s stay sharp, retain their memories, and have youthful energy and enjoy life deeply!” Then in that article, they talk about how super agers live longer with better physical and mental health. Now, how do they do that? Is it something they eat? And can you and I super age too? 

In the article they explain that “some people 90 plus have the memory, thinking skills, and zest for life of people decades younger. Researchers are starting to figure out why and how more of us can age the same way.”

The great article goes on to talk about a guy by the of name of Vernon Smith who cranks out 10 solid hours of writing and research every day. His career is incredibly demanding. He is on the faculty of both the business and law school at Chapman University. And his hard work really pays off—Smith’s research is consistently ranked as the most cited work produced at the school. But what might be even more amazing is that Vernon Smith is 96 years old! Hey… who says you can’t be strong mentally and physically at an old age?

The article goes on to say some very interesting and encouraging things. Mostly, it is encouraging to know there are things we can all do to help encourage great mental and physical health as we age. The four top habits found among Super Agers are that they:

1. Keep physically active, doing a lot of things referred to as natural movement like walking and gardening.
2. Eat healthy, focusing on a plant-based diet.
3. Have an active social life.
4. Have a purpose and keep challenged.

These are all things we can be doing now, and can keep doing the rest of our very long and active lives.

Find Your Formula

Having a ton of money does not make for a perfect life and I’m pretty sure that most of you would agree with that. Still, a lot of what I have written about in my life is about making big money because there are lots of great things and big benefits that large amounts of money can do for you and those around you. I think my readers here would probably agree with that too. But, if people know how great wealth can be for them, why are most people not wealthy?

I’m pretty darn sure I know the answer to that question and it’s not one of the answers many people might think it would be. Not having wealth isn’t because they …

… don’t have a very high IQ.

… didn’t earn a college degree from a top school.

… didn’t win the lottery.

… didn’t come up with a stunning new invention.

… didn’t get a big inheritance.

So, if those are the reasons why most people aren’t wealthy, then what is it?

Well, there’s actually several reasons, but the biggest factor is a failure to follow or use a proven formula or plan. And believe it or not, that reason is a pretty darn simple one to do. Notice that I didn’t say it was easy to do. Following a formula or plan can take a lot of hard work and it does take time. But once you have a plan, you simply follow it.

Sure, there are a lucky few that make fortunes almost overnight, getting a big inheritance, discovering a new invention, or winning the lottery but those cases are very, very rare and can’t provide most people with a way to wealth. Most fortunes are made over many, many years by following a solid, time-tested, and proven financial formula.

It’s rather sad that so many people still think and dream of the day they are going to suddenly “strike it rich”. That myth is constantly fed by the rare but widely reported occasions when someone does get lucky. Those very exceptional cases are magnified by the media, and it keeps people holding on to “the dream”.

But winning the lottery or inventing the next big thing is not something you can plan for, much less depend on. Planning and finding a formula that works is the only way to make wealth happen for you. There are never any guarantees but if you plan, work hard, and keep at it, you are more than likely going to reach your goal and you’ll certainly be much better off than if you sat around waiting for wealth to find you.

So, don’t just dream about having large amounts of money. Do something about it. I have sure-fire formulas that you can read about in my books like The Next Step to Waking up the Financial Genius Inside You. Find your formula, make a plan, and get on track to improving your life with great wealth.

Reinventing Yourself

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the idea of reinventing yourself. If you’ve done this before, just think back on that great feeling of fulfillment brought about by the process of reinventing yourself. Although it’s not something we do all the time, it can be a huge boost to your life when you do.

Let’s take the physical part of our lives for example. Think about pushing yourself to lose weight and get in great physical shape at age 45, 55, or even 65. Building muscle, staying lean, and gaining flexibility can improve your health to the max. But can it be done?

Sure it can! Is it easy? Of course not. If it was, everyone would do it. But is it worth it? Well, that all depends on you because I’m not saying a super health goal is the only way to go. What goal you have that pushes you to reinvent yourself is up to you. Maybe it’s a whole new career, starting a new company, sailing the South Pacific, or any one of a hundred different things. But whatever you choose, at whatever age, it all can be done and it is so well worth it. And while you reinvent and redefine your life, you will also be reinvigorated, giving so much more life to your, well, life!

Now, reinventing yourself doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and a lot of effort to redesign your life. It takes setting your mind on your goal and the changes you want to make and sticking with it. But, oh, the results you can gain! The results are a life that is so well worth the wait and all the hard work.

Right now, take a few moments to imagine your own ideal life.

• What does it look like?
• How does it feel?
• Who’s there with you to share and enjoy it?
• Where are you going to live?
• How are you going to vacation?
• What are you going to give back to the world? (You have probably noticed that when your give to others it raises your mood and happiness levels so much.)
• How are you really going to make a real difference in your life?

Now, please know this — you can have all that you just imagined, exactly like you visualized, if, for one, you want it bad enough and, secondly, you are willing to make a plan, write it down, and follow the steps that you outline. I can’t pretend that reinventing yourself is easy, but all the best stuff we do for ourselves in life usually comes from hard work which just makes reaching those goals that much more fulfilling.

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