Monday, June 1, 2009
Much of the physical and mental decline that usually accompanies advancing age is considered normal, but it's not. The truth is, women allow decline to happen because they fail to understand their ability to manage their aging process.
The failure to stop controllable decline is the result of two things:
1. An inability to recognize and deal with deeply imbedded cultural norms and traditions that regulate attitudes and behaviors. This happens because most women are not aware of the power of cultural influences, and even when they are aware, many are unable to buck convention because it's easier to "go along" than to deviate from tradition. It takes a tough mindset, but once women realize how they are manipulated by the culture, every woman can muster the determination to stop what's contributing to her decline.
Here's an example of a cultural norm that exacerbates deterioration: Acceptance of age 40 as middle age. The lifespan has increased by 30 years in the past century yet age 40 is still considered middle age. Most women not only accept age 40 as middle age but also accept the decline oriented cultural baggage that goes along with it.
2. Failure to recognize and control two vital internal entities -- the survival and anti-survival instincts. Everybody knows they have a survival instinct –the will to live. We want to live but we are born to die and as a result there is a constant tug of war between our survival instinct and our anti-survival instinct – the "existence manager" whose job is to get us to the end of life.
Here's an example of the push and pull between your survival instinct and existence manager: You know you should engage in a consistent exercise regimen but too often when you decide to walk on your treadmill or go to the gym, your existence manager offers an enticing reason why it's okay not to work out. A woman who is aware of the constant rivalry between her survival instinct and her existence manager and exerts control over which entity prevails will have enormous power over how well she ages.
Learn more about how to manage your aging process in No More Little Old Ladies!
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Barbara Morris is a pharmacist, ageless diva and advocate for lifelong productivity. Sign up for her content-rich monthly Put Old on Hold Newsletter. Contact:
Barbara@PutOldonHold.com/760-480-2710