The Secret to Life

Welcome back everyone!! And we are off to a new and exciting semester of learning and new experiences.  I for one cannot believe how jammed packed the weeks have already become with class, work, and homework.   As I receive my syllabus for every class, I am already stressed about the upcoming assignments and exams.  And I must say I was not too thrilled when there was a surprise assignment on the first day of classes. Granted, it was only a two page reflection paper on a 20 minute video clip.  But, it was just not something that I had planned to do.  Even though I know flexibility is something necessary in life, it has never been my strong suit.  

This assignment was entitled “How to live to be 100.”  I can honestly say, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I would learn about myself and how much I would enjoy this assignment.  In the video this gentleman talks about the secret to living to be 100 is not a magical cream or diet.  Rather, it is comprised small discrete lifestyle choices such as plant based diet and taking the stairs regularly.  Two of the main secrets to living a long life was taking time to downshift and being involved in a faith based community.  It was surprising how universal these themes were when he compared multiple “long living” communities around the world.  Furthermore, he said that these individuals lived a long life because they took on the values and norms of the community around them, resulting in a positive peer pressure.  

After reflecting upon this, I was amazed just how easy the secret to living a long happy life was; pray and go to church.  The rest will take care of itself.  We know that our faith community will continue to pray for us and challenge us to grow deeper in our faith.   And it even turns out it is good for your health =) 

Peace,

Dana