How To Add Fun To Growing Old

At an event I spoke at recently, I was espousing the multi-benefits of the 5Fs (Fitness, Food, Friendship, Future, and Finances) toward leading a longer, better life. A ninety-two year old in the audience reckoned that there should be a 6th F - FUN. She identified regular doses of fun as a major contributor to her longevity. Despite my response that FUN is generally considered to be linked to Friendships and associated relationships, she wasn't convinced and maintained that there should be 6Fs.
Her position in relation to FUN got me thinking. Away from the crowd, I googled 'Fun & Ageing'. My search didn't deliver much. I found plenty about Fitness, Food, Finances (particularly, how much you need to have enough stashed away for a rainy day), Future (as in, always having something to look forward to), and Friendship, but zit about putting some fun into growing old.
This absence got me thinking. It's yesterday's news that two-thirds of people who ever lived past 65 years are alive today. So, for a large, and increasing, number of people, longevity is a new chapter in life. Yet, the focus of much of research is more on survival than how to get the most from this new chapter - including, of course, how to have fun.
On further reflection, I thought what I do for fun.

• I have fun going for a run. (My wife prefers swimming.)
• I have fun catching up with others at the club. (Groucho Marx wouldn't join a club that would have him as a member.)
• I have fun playing with my grandkids. (A friend of mine reckons George Burns got it right when he advocated having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family - in another city.)

And the list goes on and on. We're all different. What one person finds fun may not appeal to another. So, there can be no one recipe for how to have fun.
Fun involves attitude, and attitude is a choice. You can have fun if you choose to, and conversely. Some attitudinal questions could include:

• Is it FUN to be alive? (If not, choose to do something about it.)
• Am I a FUN person to be with? (If not, choose to do something about it.)
• Am I receiving my daily dose of FUN? (If not, choose to do something about it.)
• Am I getting FUN out of being in my current group? (If not, choose to do something about it.)

We know that choosing attitudes (and goals) motivates toward taking some action. It's only then that success can be achieved (namely, progressing from where you are to where you want to be). Success, of course, is an essential precursor to leading a satisfying life. So, if you want to have fun in your life, it will involve making a choice (or choices).
If you'd like to explore further adding some fun to your life, Google 'Fun Theory'. The gist of The Fun Theory is that if you want to change behaviour, make it fun: when people start having fun, their behaviour is likely to change. Not only will you be entertained by the examples but also see how having fun can be catching: having fun can even create fun for others.

If adding years to your life and life to your years is of interest to you, Dr Neil Flanagan can offer you several things for free. When you go to http://www.neil.com.au you can download a free copy of Dr Neil Flangan's bestselling book BLINK! The Speed of Life as well as information about a life-quality pill that he has developed.

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