Now that the dust has settled following the race that we're told 'stops a nation', most people will have returned to their everyday life where their main gamble is making sure the buck stays where it belongs. A few days after, all that remains are the hard-luck and 'shoulda' stories that no one else really gives a damn about hearing. And to think that in no-time flat, most people will remember only the name of the winner, even fewer the name of the horse that came second, and only any other as long as it differed in some way (you backed it, it had five legs, or whatever).
Even if The Cup is of no interest to us, there are three main lessons an event like this can teach us.
- The first and major lesson is the need to have something to look forward to. In the Life Quality Stakes, always having something to look forward to is most important. Research continues to show that death-rates decline leading up to a major event. Even in the Death Camps during the Holocaust, deaths decreased leading up to Christmas as the prisoners (predominately Jewish) looked forward with optimism at being freed by Christmas. When release did not happen by this hoped-for time, deaths increased. When people make-it to the magical 100 years, they, too, need to set new goals if they're going to make it to 101. If living longer, better is what we aspire to, making sure of a future event is an essential requisite. And that future event can differ for most people: it certainly needn't be a horse race.
- Then there's the associated lesson of celebrating. Melbourne Cup celebrations have multiple upsides. Hotels profit from people who love to lunch. Those who turn up for work, dress up (or down), engage in office cultural events such as the office sweep, and share 'inside-information' with workmates. When we reach an event we've been looking forward to, celebrating its arrival or its achievement is important; consider it as a reward. Anniversaries, promotions, winning a contract, or whatever can qualify. Rewarding oneself by celebrating an event is important if adding years to life and life to years is intended.
- A third lesson can be the wake-up call provided by the event itself: we realise that time seems to pass at blink-speed. One of the things we have in common is that we have gone from feeling bulletproof to being aware of your vulnerability, seemingly overnight. You might consider, for example, how many more Melbourne Cups you'll be around for and resolve, from this day forward, to make every 'post' a winner. Whoa! I'm not being morose. The media still trumpets the story of Phar Lap winning The Cup: that was 84 years' ago. John Lennon never made it to The Cup, but it's like he sang, 'Life is what happens to us when we're busy making other plans'.
Whether or not you're into The Cup doesn't really matter. There are two pieces of advice that we need to keep in mind, daily. The first is from Billie Burke: 'Age is something that doesn't matter unless you're a cheese'. The other comes from George Burns who said, 'You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old'.
Dr Neil Flanagan is an active participant in the ageing process. You can download a free copy of his bestselling book BLINK! The Speed of Life (How to add years to your life and life to your years) when you visit http://www.neil.com.au
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