Last weekend my family had a big celebration. My grandmother turned 95 years young.
And let me tell you, she is one amazing woman!
What separates my grandmother from many other people, is that she is incredibly courageous and brave. Plus, she is one of the most energetic, warm and kind people I know.
I’ve seen my grandmother’s fearless nature ‘in action’ many times. I vividly remember how she covered me with her small body during a disastrous earthquake when I was a teenager.
When I was younger, I visited her and quietly watched as my grandmother talked to her adoring students. This made such an impression on me. She taught Russian language and literature for almost 50 years.
Are you surprised that I became a teacher?
I’m amazed how at any age my grandmother has always been surrounded by people. She loves to make new friends, learn about them and genuinely cares about others.
If you visit my grandmother today, you’ll notice she is slower in her step, mostly because she is hard of seeing and hearing. None of these, however, stop her from reciting (by memory) many of her favorite Russian poems and sharing her opinions on today’s politics (American and Russian).
What have you learned from people around you about good life and longevity?
You’ve probably heard of Dan Buettner, or, at least, about his project through the National Geographics. It later became a book called The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People.
Dan studied specific places in the world where people live longer and better. They include Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan and Ikaria, Greece.
There are 4 main characteristics that each of these communities share:
1. People eat well
They eat mostly plant-based diet (that means tons of antioxidants and phytonutrients), some consume red wine, others incorporate large amounts of herbs and spices and others eat a lot of fish.
2. People move more
They do not necessarily engage in conventional exercise (like gym), but they move a great deal on a daily basis.
3. People stress less
They lead a less stressful existence and what’s even more important, they have a clear sense of purpose.
4. People have a lot of love in their lives
In other words, they have strong social support networks. No, I am not talking about your favorite online social network. This time it’s all about friendships and true human connections with people that love and support you.
These lessons are quite powerful, but incorporating many can be tricky in our society.
Most of us give up on the New Year’s resolutions related to diet, exercise and stress relief within days, weeks or months. Unfortunately, in order for these to work, the changes have to become permanent part of your life.
So, what’s the solution?
Dan Buettner in his TEDMED talk shows an example of some of the more problematic places in the US and how health of the entire community can be changed through small changes in our surroundings and in our policies.
It’s exciting to hear how environments could help us to be healthier. Yet, it all starts with building communities that care and fight for better lives.
When you ask my grandmother today, what’s the secret to a great and prosperous life, her response is “You have to be a fighter!”
Questions: Do you have a friend or family member who’s your example for living a long and meaningful life? What’s their secret? Please share your thoughts in the comments.