So many things we believe to be true are exactly the opposite of the truth.
People who want to stay younger-looking think that crows feet on their eyes make them look older and practice not smiling as much to avoid wrinkling. (true fools turn to Botox.) The fact is, it is the joyless resignation of older people that makes them look far older than the gracious crows feet that signal they are still as impassioned and lively as they were when they were younger. And smiling and talking and laughing exercise your face and keep it from sagging to your knees quite so soon.
People trying to lose weight think their fat is just water weight and become dehydrated avoiding too much liquid when in fact, it is hydration that allows your system to bring in the good and flush out the bad that makes your body lose weight. Trying to lose weight by losing water weight is like draining a canal to clear it of accumulated trash. You need the water so the barges can carry away the waste.
Eating too lean will make you look older faster than eating healthy fats in a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy layer of body fat that keeps your skin fuller and more resilient like that of a younger person.
Being un-groomed and natural doesn’t mean you are good as you are…it looks more like neglect. And if you neglect yourself, how will you treat others? This goes for your hair, your toenails, the stray hair in your ears and nose, your pubes and the clothes you wear. A modicum of grooming is not idle vanity or sheepish conformity but signals that you are putting your best foot forward. It’s like the chicken and the egg: When we look better we feel better and when we feel better we look better. And when we feel better, we contribute more to the people and world around us, who in turn, feel more compelled to align with us as well. Enough with the disdain and judgement and fighting. Take care of yourself. Be your best.
Wearing excessively revealing clothes is not sexy. Some older guys think they look good in spandex but is just your own lust or fear of aging out that has its grip on you. You look ridiculous and will attract flies and not eagles. A man with salt & pepper hair or a polished scalp and a bit of a dad-bod in well-chosen clothes is far more attractive than someone showing you their religion. The same is true of his body language and the words coming out of his mouth.
Working out too hard too often will age you more quickly than doing focused workouts less frequently while giving your body time to rest and repair itself in between. This is true for younger men as well, but it becomes terribly obvious in older men. Consistent, shorter focused workouts three times per week will give you better results without aging you than overtraining.
It is not the pump right after working out that is you getting bigger. It is your body sending resources in response to the demand you just put on your muscles. The actual growth happens while you are asleep and your body can focus its energies on build-and-repair. And if you let your body build-and-repair, it will grow bigger and stronger faster than if you tax it with incessant demand.
The same is true of your brain. Everything you try to learn and process in your conscious mind all day long actually takes hold while you are asleep. It’s like trying to clean up the playroom while the kids are still playing. It’s futile. Let the chaos begin! But when it’s lights out, that is the time to clean and organize. That is how your brain works and if you are smart, you will let it. It is at night when your noisy conscious mind is asleep that your brilliant subconscious mind can clean and organize itself and reinforce memories and things you learned. If you stay up all night worrying, you are getting in your own brain’s way of solving problems.
We’re always in such a panic in our modern world thanks in part to the glut of influencers’ sales tactics of Limited Supply and FOMO (fear of missing out.) We’re used to being told, “Hurry! Time is running out! Don’t over-think it! Take action NOW!”…and we panic and make hasty and bad decisions when, in fact, if this was their last offer, they would be out of business next week. There actually is time for you to do things at your own pace. Granted, if your own pace is somewhere on the couch, you may need a little kick in the ass!
Tomorrow’s another day.
Eat well and drink plenty of water to flush your system.
Work out hard and then let your body rest and rebuild itself while you sleep.
Think and learn and then let your conscious brain rest while your subconscious brain processes and reorganizes itself while you sleep.
And don’t forget to work on your calling card as a joyful and thriving human being by exercising your smiles and crows feet!
