The Top 10 Things I Have Learned About Life Since the Half Ironman: The Return

My apologies for a bit of a delay in continuing this Life Lessons saga, but the main character has been very busy at work and at play, and I have only now found a moment to sit down at my dining room table with a cup of coffee to write this third installment. I hope it is worth the wait.

Back to where we left off with the story. I believe that brings us to #6...

THE TOP 10 THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT LIFE SINCE THE HALF IRONMAN

#6 "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." - Mark Twain I remember the day my sister Eileen turned 21. I was a spry girl of 17, nearing the end of high school and feeling that my sister had finally reached over-the-hill status. When I turned 21 myself, I, of course, felt like I was at the prime of my youth, embarking on a new chapter of my life, still very early in the Book of Kathleen. Now at the age of 36, I do not feel much different than I did at 17, i.e., feeling that I am still young with the best years ahead of me (and that my sister is still an old lady! :). And yet, I know that in the eyes of a 17-year old, or a 21-year old for that matter, I am likely the person who has gone past the crest of the mountain and is headed down the other side with a cane in hand.

Or maybe not. Over the course of the past few months, I have been humbled by the sincere comments of a number of young individuals whose path I have crossed who assumed that I was their age (think 26 rather than 36) and not the Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe.

Life Lesson #6: Botox works.

Just kidding! For the most part, I do not think these comments result from my physical appearance other than the fact that I am not out of shape, don't have gray hair, don't wear tons of makeup, and don't wear mom jeans. Take note: Doing any one of those things can age you by at least 10 years. For men, cross off mom jeans and add one of the following: (1) sporting a comb-over; (2) wearing high-waisted pants; or (3) failing to trim your nose or ear hair.

Instead, I think it is my general youthful attitude and playful outlook on life (some may call it immaturity...) that keeps me from aging in the typical sense of the word. A few years ago, I would argue, I was actually much older in Kathleen Years than I am now (as opposed to my age in People Years or Dog Years), because I temporarily lost my childlike sense of adventure when I was dealing with the stress of my divorce, move and career change. During that time, I also virtually stopped working out or caring about what I wore or weather my shoes matched, possibly leading others to believe that I was aging and losing my vision and ability to recognize the difference between brown and black pumps...

True story. I had two pairs of identical shoes, one black, one brown, and I wore one of each to work a few years back. Totally hot.

But what I have learned by observing others whom I perceive to be old or young without having any idea of their age, is that aging is mostly mental, only slightly physical and very minimally genetic, and there are a lot of things you can do to keep yourself young if you are willing to work at it. Interestingly enough, there is an entire Web site dedicated to telling you how to reduce your "real age" - www.realage.com. This site was created by Drs. Oz and Roizen of the YOU book series (and frequent guests on Oprah). I encourage you to visit RealAge, take the free questionnaire, and learn what your "real age" versus your numerical age is and what steps you can take to drop down in Kathleen Years. Here is a summary of my top 10:

1. Never outgrow the desire to ask "why?" and never assume you already know the answer.
2. Be willing to try anything once and consider giving the things you didn't like a second chance.
3. The key to youthfulness cannot be found sitting on your couch, watching TV and eating ice cream. No matter what you choose to do, go out and experience life.
4. Hang out with others who are young or young at heart.
5. Stay connected with modern society - turn off talk radio and listen to a hip radio station, get on Facebook and read Us magazine.
6. Do some type of physical activity every day without excuse.
7. Don't smoke.
8. Get plenty of sleep.
9. Floss your teeth.
10. Smile often, laugh heartily, give generously and NEVER lose your sense of humor.

T.S. Eliot once wrote: "I don't believe one grows older. I think that what happens early on in life is that at a certain age one stands still and stagnates."

Go forth and move forward.

Until next time...