The Longevity Project

Today's comfort-seeking, me-myself-and-I, have-it-all-now proponents
should take heed to the findings of The Longevity Project: Surprising
Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade
Study by Howard S. Friedman PhD and Leslie R. Martin PhD.

Conscientiousness is the key to living a long happy life. Very old school,
but I couldn't agree with it more.

Conscientiousness
- n. the quality of being in accord with the dictates of conscience; also known
as principled and religiousness
- n. the trait of being painstaking and careful;
also known as carefulness, meticulousness, thoroughness, diligence, and
stringency

According to The Longevity Project, conscientious people know how to
weather out problems. Conscientious people also have good habits which
keep them out of harms way. They also know how to "self-heal" --- it's in
their nature to find their way to happier relationships, happier careers and
happier situations.

Okay this is oversimplifying things a bit. What Dr. Martin and Dr. Friedman
are hoping for is that we read The Longevity Project and discover for ourselves
what the studies reveal about living a long and happy life.

I've always believed that there's value in putting in a good day's work.
Ideally, you have work that you love; work that keeps you productive
and adds meaning to your life. Not there yet? Then keep on trying!

Establishing good relationships in one's family, work place and community
are equally important. We are social beings that need the love and the support
of others. Just to emphasize, they need it and so do we. Something to consider -
relationships need time and attention for them to grow.

Then there are goals. H and I are big on projects. We always have one in the
works. It's exciting to know that there's something to look forward to down
the road.

Last but not the least, there is faith in God. We pray, go to mass, avail of the
sacraments, and do acts of charity. Of course, we've made mistakes. That's
why I'm glad that God has His arms wide open when we've come to our
senses.

Yes, this all sounds like a lot of work. If you're conscientious, you'll learn
how to figure it all out. Hehe. Of course there are days when we get tired
and wonder if we've gone cuckoo for doing the gazillion things that we do.
That just means it's time for a breather. Then it's back to fighting form. If
you're asking, "Is it worth it?" My answer, "Definitely, astoundingly yes!"