You're Only Old As The Era You Love!

30 years ago , Dr Ellen Langer, experimented, involving two groups of men in their late seventies and early eighties. One group remained in a 1979 environment, but was encouraged to reminisce about life 20 years earlier. The second group was placed in a house surrounded by props from 1959 and encouraged to watch Fifties’ films and debate Fifties’ news topics. The study, Langer found, revealed that the elixir of youth may lie in the workings of the brain. When tested, the second group emerged with improved physiological performances: their blood pressure dropped; their cognitive abilities and memory greatly improved; one man was even able to cast aside his walking stick.
That study only proved (what I have always thought was true) –that thinking differently can help wind back the clock. “If you go back to an atmosphere where you could do things, where you were king or queen of the heap, it will bring back those memories. And if you truly believe [that you’re in that environment] then your body will follow where the mind has gone.” To work in business environment and to remain current, one must have all the trappings of the 21st Century - Ipod, Ipads, Blackberries, multiple cell phones, multiple computers , you know what I am talking about. Well, unfortunately to survive, I have all of those and more in my life, but as soon as I leave my office, I turn all of that off and go back to the future to live 100 years ago.

My Edwardian grandfather lived always a measured life - meal at specific times daily, time to sit alone in a room and enjoy for its own pleasure – a good cigar and drink his whisky, time to read and write and reflect. Nothing every changed, he enjoyed life on his own terms and in his own time frame and I believe that helped him live comfortably into his late 90's. No stress. There was no multi-tasking in his life. Well before Martha Stewart, his life was always surrounded with beauty and beautiful things. Not expensive things (although he did have those) but with items that pleasured him and gave him solace and comfort. He taught me to enjoy a drink and a cigar, a love of books and their bindings, of eating a great meal in quiet and pleasurable surroundings, to enjoy just sitting in a room alone and quiet. The world today, in my opinion is going stark raving mad, but for me, its 1908 and it is here you’ll find a very happy man!