Vitality is a result of your reaction to two things: 1) the aging process and 2) the changing environment. Your vitality determines the quality of your life, so it is important to get a handle on it.
Many people try to hide from the aging process, don't they? It hurts me to see men or women who could be charming, interesting people, but they are stuck in an adolescent attitude and want to continue looking like they did at 16. For fun one day, I was walking behind three women who were trying to "fool Mother Nature" and failing badly. I spoke up loudly enough for them to hear as I said to my friend, "Isn't that lovely — a mother and two daughters?" The fun was letting them figure out which one was seen as the mother!
Charles Kettering said, "Expect and enjoy change." The environment is constantly changing and our reaction or response determines how successfully we maintain our equilibrium.
I am convinced that there are three currencies: time, money and energy. Often we start out short of money, but long on time — and certainly energy. As we progress, it makes more sense to pay somebody to do something that would take more time than it is worth. Energy is the toughest one to handle. Just when you get to the place that you get time and money in balance you start running out of energy. I remember being young and staying up all night because I couldn't get the motor shut off. Now I still have the same 24 hours, but not the physical juice to get as much done.
As an interesting exercise I listed the enemies and friends of energy. Here are a few that I have found:
Enemies
1. Boredom — The minute I get bored, my energy just drains out. I can check this by measuring the amount of time that I sleep or watch TV. Early in the American history we suffered through a black plague known as TB. Personally, I think we are suffering through a black and white plague known as TV. And there is no charity dedicated to the eradication of this plague!
2. Sophistication - Being blase and having the "I know" attitude saps energy quickly. Haven't you known teenagers who couldn't say, "I don't know" because they were too afraid that someone would tell them something they didn't already know? True sophistication admits that the world of ignorance is truly more exciting than the world of knowledge. The "I want to know" attitude generates energy.
3. Conflict — A Mayo doctor told me that you can't physically hurt yourself working; but you can do irreparable damage through conflict. Conflict is the area between my desire and my duty. For example, when I want to work — no problem. However, when I would rather be doing something else, my desire and my duty are far apart and I experience conflict. Personal conflict follows the same principle — we get caught in the middle of a push-pull situation and conflict ensues.
4. Worry — Most worry is done between the rumor and the facts. That time-frame is the source of great consternation. I was a professional worrier until I learned the simple truth that is etched on my skull: Wait to Worry. The energy I depleted worrying about things that either never happened or were much more manageable could have fueled many a home project on Mary Alice's "honey do" list. I learned the hard way that "the things you worry about today are the things you'll laugh about tomorrow."
Friends
1. Excitement — I always say that there's nothing wrong with me that a little excitement can't cure. Did you ever miss a vacation because of sickness? Probably not too many. But remember Sunday night when the big problem loomed ahead of you on Monday and how you could feel yourself "getting the flu?" Too many marriages suffer because the excitement has disappeared. Try this experiment: ask your married friends how many would do it all over again. Too often when the answer is no, the reason is simple: no excitement.
2. Expectancy — Do you ever go out with a group of lifetime friends and marvel at how much they have aged? People who age quickly have very little expectancy in their life. They have forgotten about the power of future planning. A psychiatrist said to me (non-professionally, of course) "make longer plans as you get older." At first that seemed in opposition with intuition. But think of it this way — when you start accomplishing all your goals and you have nothing to look forward to, you start dying. This principle can be taken to an extreme. I recently heard of an 84 year old man who was sentenced to 20 years in jail for theft. The court certainly had an attitude of expectancy, didn't they?
If the best thing that is going to happen to you has already happened then I'll guarantee you you're aging faster than somebody who's looking for something bigger than has ever happened. Keep on looking for the greatest thing to occur. I always tell Mary Alice that "the best if yet to be!"
3. Blowing up psychological barriers — If Churchill had died at 65 he would have been remembered as a failure. It was late in his life that he made his greatest contributions. Age is a psychological barrier. Beating the traditional barriers of education, location and physical limitations can give great energy. Who would have thought that Rochester, Minnesota would be the home of a world-class medical clinic like Mayo? Where there is great vision, great things happen and psychological barriers are exploded.
4. Spiritual Maturity — I spent the day with Dr. John Good of MIT. He gave me thoughts that I had never had before. He was trying to find a meaning for life — he went through philosophy, comparative religions, science — all without success. Finally, I said to him, "John, what is the meaning of life?" "Well, I gave up philosophy for it was a morass. It teaches you what you should do, but it doesn't give you the power to do it. The gospel of Jesus Christ gives you the power to do what you should do." The only way to live a truly vital life that gives us the way to face aging and change is to have spiritual maturity.
Life is wonderful and is worth living. I want you to live rich and die rich. Vitality is vital.
