Feb 25 2009
Power and Purpose Feeds Longevity
I’ve wondered about what keeps some people going for so long.
Not just that they live for a long time, but that they remain productive and creative and active.
Here we have Clint Eastwood, age 78, not just being nominated for his work as a film director, but for song writing and scoring a movie. I believe he is really a genius, not that this has been overlooked, but that he seems to be getting better with age. No one talks about his “retirement.”
Another is Dustin Hoffman. Not as old as Eastwood, but still powerful enough in Hollywood to obtain Leading Man roles in major films and make them successful.
Both Eastwood and Hoffman are powerful figures, creative and productive.
Then there is Lance Armstrong, for so many years the most powerful figure in bike racing. His retirement was painful to watch. What a disaster! He was so unhappy. So now, at age 37, he decides he wants to race again. Most recently, in the 2009 Tour of California, he put up respectable times and placement, racing in support of one of his former Tour de France team, Levi Leipheimer, who won the Tour of California. Lance wants to be active in his sport; and whether or not he ever ascends to his former greatness doesn’t matter. If he is happy, then he should race.
Three men, different ages, still doing what they love. Whether it is power or productivity or creativity or just good genes, I believe personal fulfillment has a lot to do with maintaining one’s purpose and interest in life. I applaud all three and look to them as inspiration.
Good article grugger. I completely agree with you that both power and purpose are a positive influence on longevity.
I definitely think that having something that makes you feel fulfilled or needed can keep someone going.
My grandma will be 90 in April. She has longevity in her genes, but she has always kept busy. From helping my uncle raise his sons to helping my uncle as his MS progressed leaving him bedridden to small things like doing word puzzles, she has kept active and kept her mind active.
I also think it’s a fight that not all have in them.
It is definitely inspiring to see people mentioned on the news who have reached 80, 90 and even 100 doing things like jumping out of airplanes and working out regularly.
~Kelly
http://www.30somethingandsearching.today.com/
Age is a state of mind . . .
My mom is an inspiration for me . . . at 76 years old, she and her boyfriend go dancing at least once a week. She is always on the go and says you die when you stay still . . .
My great grandmother lived way into her 90’s . . . she refused to let anyone help her run her errands and would walk to the bus stop to get around.