Positive Thinking Leads to Longer (Fuller) Life
I’ve been working with restaurants involved in the health and wellness sector for a while now, and through that job have seen all sorts of personalities. However the one that pops up the most is the health-fitness junky hell-bent on living by as ‘perfect’ of life as humanly possible–sometimes even beyond the realms of human possibility. These customers are usually the sour-faced uptight and Gandhi-gaunt looking type…they sit at a table alone scouring the room for anyone who dare to–gasp–sip a glass of wine or even–double gasp–look like they ENJOY being healthy. The world around them is constantly plotting to deliver them any number of cancers and diseases if they let up even the tiniest bit, say by allowing a cooked vegetable to touch a raw one or a grain of salt to fall on their plate. Mostly though you can tell this type by their complete unhappiness–a true sign that they’ve entirely missed the point of health and wellness.
Granted I’m over-exaggerating this ultra-conservative type, but you’d be surprised how often people falling in this category pop up, especially in NYC. I know several nutritionists in New York who know the type well and often report that they need to be treated for eating disorders and other mental health problems. In short they look at health/wellness as a law that is nothing more than any other law–it must be obeyed unwaveringly at all times, no questions ask, and at the expense of anyone around them. The saddest part about this person is that they look so noticeably unhappy–so weighed down by the huge amount of responsibility they plopped on their shoulders to live ‘perfectly’ by the rules.
The irony of this personality lies in the inevitability of all life to be a gift given by chance. You can spend each moment of every day preventing free-radicals from swirling around your body, step outside and be ran over by a car. Nothing is as counter-preventative to aging as the grill of a Honda. The flip side to this is that there are many people who live what I call an even healthier life than the religiously health-nut. Sure they may indulge in a slice of chocolate cake once in a while, maybe have an espresso here or there, and even an organic cocktail or two. But they also smile, share stories with friends, enjoy the sun, the air they breathe and each bite of food they eat. They are warm and gracious to those around and open to the moment–whatever that moment might bring. They are living the most out of their life rather than living by a set of rules and restrictions they think will prevent them from aging–and if they were hit by a truck maybe that lovely bite of cake would be the last thing they remember.
Scientists too are realizing how much emphasis should be placed on positive thinking in the health world–and even possibly more so than positive diet and exercise. The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology released a report showing that ” In a study of 660 people, those with more positive perceptions of their own aging lived an average of 7.5 years longer.” Check out the report here.
In short, it is great to have guidelines and to constantly be approaching a healthy lifestyle. But everything about your lifestyle should be approached in a healthy and balanced way–something not accomplished through just diet and exercise. ‘No man is an island’ and we all depend on the world around us and our interaction with each other to add depth and meaning to our lives. The challenges we face with difficult personalities and the warm moments we spend with loved ones or valued friends is equally if not more important than any diet at shaping who we become, how healthy we are, and how full our life is.
By: Joe McCanta
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