"Just keep living"

Rebecca Lanier from Warrensville Heights, Ohio was born in Mississippi in 1892. She celebrated her 119th birthday today! She is still in her right mind, walking, speaking and (having outlived her two children) living with her 61 year old grandson. She still travels the country for family events and she doesn’t take medication for any illnesses or ailments; only a few daily supplements. When asked by a reporter on her 113th birthday what her secret was for a long life she replied, “Just keep living.” Now that’s a piece of advice that I most definitely agree with.

Hearing about people like this on the news is one thing – distant and impersonal – but when you get to know someone like this personally it makes an even greater impact. My fiancé shares a birthday with a 102 year old lady living in Kansas, US. She still lives on her own land, cooks her own breakfast, balances her own check book and makes her own decisions. WOW! What an inspiration.

Now, I don’t think that everybody is destined to live that long, but my motto is live until you die and that is what I plan on doing.

Not only do I want to live till I die, but I also want to be gorgeous when I’m seventy and VUALA! Yahoo also featured an article today on How to age like a supermodel featuring aging tips by woman like Brooke Shields (45), Paulina Porizkova-Ocasek (46), Patti Hansen (55) and Yasmin Le Bon (46) – all woman 45 and older. Granted, when it comes to supermodels (and Hollywood) one can’t know for sure what is real and what is not, but these are some good tips:

Brooke Shields firmly believes in exercise and fitness, taking care of herself (not smoking, sleeping enough, limiting alcohol intake, eating habits, etc) and keeping an open mind. Her philosophy: “Putting yourself in the position where you're not chasing youth is the best way to stay young."

Paulina Porizkova-Ocasek believes in protecting her skin with proper sun protection and wearing less makeup (powder being a big NO-NO after 40). For her ”minimalism is the best approach”.

Patti Hansen became more health-conscious in her 40’s. She puts an emphasis on eating right and she sticks to basic skin care.

Yasmin Le Bon banishes gray and like to mix things up. She believes that “if you look at yourself in a different way, you start to look at the world in a different way."

Then there's me of course :) Drink lots of water, laugh often, make time to watch the grass grow and spoil yourself with a full body massage, a manicure and a pedicure as often as you can ;) ...and every now and again... have that piece of chocolate, burn that luxurious candle and buy a new pair of sexy lingerie. Love yourself!

More important than what you do is how you think. That is the secret for me. Your thoughts become your actions, your actions your character, your character your destiny!

How you think will affect how you live your life, so choose to live till you die, and take good care of your body. Without it there’s not much of a ride to go on :)

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