by Elaine Sihera

Created on: May 03, 2008   Last Updated: January 14, 2012

There is no secret to ageing gracefully, or disgracefully as I prefer to call it. Many younger people fear ageing, but there is nothing to fear about it. Just because someone else might have problems in old age, or look really bad for their age, does not mean that will automatically happen to you. Each of us is an individual, influenced mainly by our genes, by our surroundings and, importantly, by the way were brought up and the perceptions we have of our life. Genes apart, ageing depends entirely on how we approach it. Approach it in fear, and a fearful accident-prone life is all you would be sentenced to because one cannot have positives out of negatives. The body can only deliver what we think, so we are the ones who either age ourselves badly or age well.

There are six major tips to how we age, and if they are followed to the letter, ageing would be a cinch, as I am living proof of that. When I think about it, the following is what I have subconsciously followed, without any real effort at all or set regime. I know that when I am 70, 80, 90, I will look exactly the same as I do now because I seem to be getting better with each year. It is getting difficult to tell which pictures were taken at 50 and which ones at 60! I am certainly not complaining.

In order of their importance, the six tips are:
1. YOUR THOUGHTS. Ageing gracefully begins with your thoughts. Everything in life starts from our thoughts - all inventions, intentions and actions. So why should it be any different with age? What kind of thoughts do you have? Are they fearful, complaining, whingeing, victimlike? Whatever you think, you are. If you believe you are ugly and awful, soon enough your thoughts go out there, affect your interactions and come back to confirm themselves through the reactions of others. I tell myself everyday, when I look in the mirror, how gorgeous and wonderful I am. How grateful to have such an amazing life, and just even having a pulse! And guess what? People keep telling me how gorgeous and wonderful I am! There is a connection there somewhere, whether we believe it or not. People cannot treat us better than we treat ourselves, so we have to set the standard for others to follow. If we believe we are crap. So be it. We will be treated like it. So thoughts are the most important things for setting the quality, direction and essence of our lives.

2. LEARNING. Following closely on your thoughts is what you do with your brain. READ, LEARN, EXERCISE that brain. Anchor yourself

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