Dear Friends,
Today I’m passing along a link to a podcast I came across and often revisit: People I (Mostly) Admire.
This episode in particular—Pay Attention! (Your Body Will Thank You)—was eye-opening because it helped me realize how I’ve been carrying around various stories blocking me from seeing who I truly can be.
In this case, it was my experience of being 70 years old. I didn’t realize I’d told myself a story about being 70—about what happens when you’re this age, i.e., “It’s all downhill from here,” and how life will get progressively harder. I know I wasn’t particularly happy about being 70 but I didn't know how not to be this old. I just shrugged my shoulders and said to myself, “Well, that’s how it is.”
Then something fun happened. Bryn, after listening to this podcast, embarked on an experiment. She decided that instead of being 75 she would be 20 years younger. And a very remarkable thing happened. She felt younger! She’d let go of the thoughts reminding her of being older. She felt lighter and her body did too. When she was 75, she thought a camper van wouldn’t make much sense to her. But at 55 it makes a lot of sense. So, she bought one and is going camping this weekend!
I decided to do the same experiment. I didn't try to think myself into being younger nor did I say special affirmations to try and make it so. What I did was more like method acting: I began to regard myself as a younger woman and accept that that’s who I am. Upon reflection, I realized I could do this because I believed the research—it’s been replicated several times—and because it’s an NVC thing to know that when you change how you think, your body follows suit.
Doing this experiment (dare I say it?) has changed my outlook on life. I feel freer and happier. It’s a great relief from the doom and gloom energy of aging.
In this podcast, you'll learn that it isn’t just our imagination. Research shows that the stories we carry become the stories we live. What a powerful message! It reminds me of that cliché, “Don't believe everything your brain tells you.” When I believed I was 70 I felt hemmed in by the presumed limitations of aging, and sad that most of my life was gone. Being 50 feels like joy, vitality, ingenuity, and even the need to feel sassy. It feels like there’s a lot of time left to play.
I hope you enjoy listening to this podcast. Let me know what you think, OK?
~ Denise
