Denton County Living Well Magazine March/April 2020 | Page 33

giveness is a major factor in unhappiness.
• Don’t Waste Time, energy or resources
fighting unrealistic goals or conditions you
cannot change. This is not to say give-up
or lower your expectations, don’t be so
hard on yourself. If you find a big distance
between where you are in life and where
you want to be, or if the conditions you
face today have changed from the time you
set your goals, give yourself a break. Give
yourself the time to acquire the abilities to
reach those goals. If your goals are unre-
alistic, evaluate and reset your direction
based on talents and skill levels you have
developed. When tested by life’s conditions
or circumstances, give yourself the time
needed to learn new skills to adapt to the
challenge. Sometimes how we face a situ-
ation is more significant than the situation
we face.
Why do you want to be happy?
Happiness is good for your heart; it
lowers your blood pressure and heart
rate. It improves your immune system
and helps you combat Disease and
Disabilities.
1,500 Americans, ages 65 and old-
er, rated how much happiness and
enjoyment they felt. After seven years,
the participants with more positive
emotion ratings were less likely to be
frail. The same researchers found that
happier elderly people were less likely
to have a stroke; this was particularly
true for men.
Lowers Stress Levels and allows quick-
er recovery from stress-related effects.
Happy people have fewer aches and
pains. Unhappiness causes pain.
Happiness can prolong your life; some
studies show it can extend your life by
seven to 10 years.
“Change your thoughts and
you change your world.”
––Norman Vincent Peale
Nathan Anderson/Unsplash
James Denny is the owner and operator of Imagine Senior Living, LLC
and life-long senior advocate. www.imagineseniorlivingllc.com
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