Find Something Daily to Enjoy

This is part two of how to live happily and healthfully as you age. There are so many ways to ensure a healthy and happy life as the years pass by. No matter how many of the rules we follow regularly, falling off the wagon does happen sometimes. Being cheerful, eating perfectly and controlling negative emotions are works in progress. Making positive changes and doing them on a daily basis creates habit. It takes three weeks of performing a task everyday to create a habit. Brushing your teeth twice a day is a healthy habit, and if you missed a day you would be well aware of it. Take small steps and be patient with yourself; and you will start seeing positive results and on your way to enjoy life and good health.

Have at least one or even more favorite activities that you love to do. When you don't have the time to get to that activity indulge in a few minutes of dreaming about it. Try to allocate special time for what you love to do. Maybe you love working in the garden, reading, baking, bike riding or just puttering around the house. Looking forward to and having the opportunity to do what you love creates a happy and healthy feeling.

Sit down now and make a list of new things you would love to try. Having these ideas on paper helps them become a reality. Do some research, take notes and even buy a book on the subject to keep you enthused and ready to go.

Being positive and optimistic is always easier said than done. Positive thinking is an activity that should be practiced whenever you are able. Keep a list of things you want to accomplish, places you want to go and dream freely about them. And remember that things we worry most about rarely happen. If you have a bad day try to sluff it off and try to be optimistic that tomorrow will be better. After all life is constantly changing. Someone once said to me "Don't get too low on the lows or too high on the highs as life will change."

Are you really listening when someone is talking and sharing with you? If you are paying attention to people you will learn all you need to know about them. I have found that by listening carefully I really understand people much better. It is easy for the mind to wander so practice listening. Many times people are so eager to have the floor they don't hear what is being said by another.

I love to go in the kitchen and cook a delicious dinner. I always have good nutrition in mind which helps me to create healthful dishes. Dressing up different fruits and vegetables with lots of spices and seasonings makes for a delicious meal. There is something very therapeutic about dicing and slicing by hand. The scent of a delicious dinner cooking is ambrosia. There is also a measure of pride turning out a tasty meal especially if I am rewarded with compliments from my husband. And a glass of wine is sometimes a nice addition.

To whomever you believe in give thanks.

• Thank you for being alive.
• Thank you for the people in your life.
• Thank you for your wisdom,
• Thank you for good health.
• Thank you for all the good food you have.
• Thank you for your enthusiasm and joy.
• Thank you for HubPage community

Treating yourself to something special does not mean spending money. One of the most valuable things you can treat yourself with is time. Take time to be with a special friend, read a favorite book, make a phone call to an old friend. However if you are in buying mode buy yourself something special you have wanted and can afford.

This simple meditation takes only about three minutes. Sit quietly in a noiseless environment. Take in a breath and hold for 5 seconds and release for 7 seconds. Breath with your abdomen. This will quiet your mind and body down and create more focus in your life. I do this breathing technique while I am driving and also a passenger.

The bottom line is that most of us have said and done stupid and ridiculous things in our lives. I could probably write a book on this topic. We can never go back and unrepeat something, so it is just easier to forgive. We also need to be forgiving of other people when they act thoughtlessly. I have had my feelings hurt and actually been upset with other's comments (not on Hubpages). As soon as something is said it is over, and very often it had little meaning and it is usually forgotten.

Keep up with everything in your life and try not to procrastinate. Pay your bills on time. Keep your house clean, make the calls you need to make, run the errands you need to do. Keeping your life current rids a lot of unnecessary stress. Make a list of things to do and enjoy crossing them off as you finish. Daily lists are instrumental for accomplishing a great many things during the day. I treat each day as a day of work and feel I must accomplish all that I can on the list. The list always helps me from wasting time.

Don't push yourself. If you feel really tired and have lots to do. It can be difficult to take some time out when your mind is cluttered. I find when I am really exhausted and cannot or do not want to take on a task that requires thinking, I indulge in a ten minute nap. I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go. If time is critical, close your eyes and take deep breathes for about three minutes. This alone will energize you. Doing a task when you are exhausted, especially one that needs a clear mind will just end up being frustrating for you.

It is a known fact that as you age you lose some muscle mass, which in turn means you will lose strength. I have been using free weights for as long as I can remember.

• Start out with light weights of 3 pounds or even less.
• Find some exercises online for weight exercises.
• Make sure to increase your repetitions. You can increase to higher weight if you desire. I like the challenge of increasing my weights.

A major benefit of working out with weights is that you will notice your arms becoming toned and firm.

• Before making any major changes in diet or exercise consult with your health provider.
• Be patient with yourself and enjoy the results.