We Can Do This!

Recently my son sent me a short video that made me stop and think ....  It reminded me to put things into a positive and proper perspective.  I found it intelligent and important.  Hope you do too.

The video described a psychology experiment from the 1970's that showed what I find to be remarkable results.  Five men in their 70's and early 80's were invited to a rather unusual retreat for one week.  While there they took care of themselves even to the point of carrying their own luggage and cleaning up after themselves.  

Shortly after their arrival, they realized that they had gone back in time.  They were to live as if they had returned to twenty years prior to their arrival. They were to talk in the present tense about their careers and  about the world news of years ago.   All the magazines lying around were from 1959.  The only music available was from the 1950's. The only TV shows they could access were in black and white.  

Time travel backwards.  What happened by the end of the week long experiment? Apparently without exception, these gentlemen stopped seeing themselves in decline.  Their bodies even changed.  Their vision and hearing improved as did the strength of their grip, memory, flexibility, and posture.  Even their symptoms of arthritis improved.  Impressive right?  The results showed the strength of Mind over Matter. It's worth repeating.... The results strongly illustrate, maybe even prove, that one's body listens to one's mind. 

The thing is... I think we all know this at some level.  It is just that we don't always behave as if we know it.  It's the self-fulfilling prophecy all over again.  If you believe you can do it, you can... and the opposite is also true.  So my vintage friends  and even ones not so vintage ... I am reminding myself that I need to stop "rehearsing the story of decline".  I need to stop thinking about what I cannot do anymore, perhaps with the exception of ice skating, and ask myself if there is a way that I could accept a reasonable challenge, and then give it a try. 

In a world that so values youth, I personally want to stand tall and do a good job of it. We also need to remember that there is often an esteemed value in vintage and antique. Are you with me?  We can do this!