You’ve heard the expression, “You are only as old as you think.”

If you are like most people, you politely chuckle at this idea. But is it really silly or, is it REAL?

We discussed the Placebo effect in the last post. Where the Mind actually alters the body to match it’s beliefs. What if aging were simply a set of beliefs?

For decades, biologists have been confused about aging. According to their data, a person should live to be at least 125 years of age. Yet, that doesn’t happen. To further confound the issue, the cells renew themselves all the time. In other words, in a few years, all your cells have been replaced. ALL OF THEM!

So, why do people age? Let’s look at aging comparing it today with 50 years ago.

In 1960, a person who was 60 years old looked old and acted old. Today, 60 is not an old age and people don’t look or act old. Why? Beliefs. The general belief is that people live longer and the Mind/Body connection makes it so.

So what is the effect of such statements as: “I’m getting too old for this?” or “I can’t do X because I’m too old?”

It becomes reality.

Arthur Stillwell, in his classic book, Think and Grow Young discusses how the Mind and beliefs affect aging. He mentions a famous case of the time, (the book was written in 1921) of a French woman who went totally insane in her twenties and aged very little in 50 years!

This corresponds with other reports of people who have lived a long life. There are documented cases of people in recent times living in excess of 200 years. Almost unbelievable except that the body renews itself every few years. Why should we age?

What you believe you make a reality. We all think born, grow old and die. Perhaps we should think born, grow up and live a healthy live indefinitely.

Are your attitudes making you old? Think about it!