Proud baby boomer? Are you kidding? Getting old sucks.

I’m slowing down. I forget things. This damn heart condition. And I need a new hip. What’s to like about this aging thing?

Billions are spent on finding the cure for disease. Everything we should and shouldn’t eat has been dissected. We all know we need to exercise—the internet gives us more work-out options than we care to try.

But one of the most unexplored aspects of aging is the mind-body connection.

Mindset

The most crucial element in pursuit of a long, healthy life is mindset. How do you view the world around you? What do you believe the future holds for you? Why can you get excited about in your future? What do you fear?

Mindset

All these things contribute either positively or negatively to the aging process. Your attitude about the future will have a greater determination on how the rest of your years play out than anything else.

Time for a New Hip?

Say you’ve been dealing with hip pain for many years. Rehabilitation of your hip is out of the question. You have been advised by friends and your physician to undergo hip replacement. You’ve been hesitant. You’re scared. That’s natural.

You could let your fear put off the surgery. Suck it up and ride out the pain day in and day out. Limited mobility. Frustration with not being able to do what you could ten years ago. Embarrassment that your wife has to “do the heavy lifting” around the house. But man, surgery is scary business.

Or you could put on another pair of glasses through which to view the world. Have the operation. Understand that there will be pain. Accept that surgery requires healing and recovery. You’ll need physio to regain your strength and movement.

But it will all be worth it: playing with the grand-kids, evening strolls with your wife, doing the walking tour on vacation. Oh, and doing many of the things pain-free you haven’t been able to do in years.

Freedom.

Regardless of your state of health today, tomorrow can be different. You can change your health. You can change the quality of your life. It all starts with a decision. Remember this about mindset: tomorrow ≠ today.

Change the channel. A new mindset and you can chart a new course for your life.