It’s All About ‘Tude

Dr. Joshua Miele

I was having a pity party the day before a Ballroom Dance Competition. It was hot, I was tired, my legs were sore, we hadn’t rehearsed enough, I’d never remember all my steps, and on and on. I was being such a grump even my dogs were avoiding me. Fine. I can take a hint.

I settled on the couch and looked through some good-feel websites, hoping to get myself in a better place. I did more than that. I found a sensational source of positive inspiration, in the person of Dr. Joshua Miele, who at all of four years old, was burned and blinded by acid in a most unfortunate event, yet went on to create an extraordinary life for himself – and others. Dr. Miele has devoted his career to inventing ways for vision-impaired and other disabled people to navigate through life without bumping into obstacles and facing innumerable issues in the course of their day-to-day. Now, at 53, married with children, Dr. Miele is a Principal Accessibility Researcher with Amazon! He is charged with developing ways to make Amazon’s many products accessible to all, a job he relishes.

So much for my pity party! Dr. Miele speaks of never having considered himself a victim. He doesn’t think of himself as a walking tragedy, either. Just as someone who has had something happen that needed to be dealt with. His attitude is what fueled his desire to achieve a happy and successful life and by doing that he can help others do the same.

Attitude! It truly is what makes the difference. It’s not what happens to us, but how we respond to it that determines how any given event impacts our lives. Dr. Miele’s story reminded me once again, how much more important it is for us to mind our response than it is to moan and groan over the whatever. It’s irrelevant whether the event was traumatic or – like my pre-competition whining – simply annoying, our willingness to adopt a forward-looking, solution-oriented attitude can make all the difference between finding happiness versus dwelling in misery.  

I got myself up off that couch, strapped on my dancing shoes, and practiced my routines for the umpteenth time, only now with renewed hope and enthusiasm. With a panting audience of two happy dogs once again in attendance.

 

Secret to a Happy, Long Life: Embrace Aging

When it comes to aging, have confidence in your future. If you have a negative attitude about aging, odds are your attitude will have a profound impact on your later years, even on how long you’ll live.

A 2014 University College London (UCL) study interviewed over 9,000 people with an average age of 65. Those who had an overall sense of well-being--defined as having control, doing something worthwhile and having a purpose in life - were 30 percent less likely do die over the following a 8 years than their least wellbeing counterparts. UCL Professor Andrew Steptoe, who led the study noted, “The findings raise the intriguing possibility that increasing well-being could help to improve physical health. There are several biological mechanisms that may link well-being to improved health, for example through hormonal changes or reduced blood pressure.”

What do you value about getting older? If you say "Nothing!" you’re in trouble. If what you see before you as you advance through your 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond is deterioration, ill-health and decrepitude, well then, you’re in for a very unhappy time, and probably won’t live that long.

Another UCL study, this time in 2015, found even further proof:  after suffering a heart attack or angina, the most pessimistic patients were twice as likely to suffer from additional serious health conditions over the next four years than were optimistic patients.

If all you see before you is a depressing future, it’s not too late to change that perception. Take on an appreciative and optimistic attitude. Seek out what makes you happy and fulfilled. If you do, you’ll find plenty of reasons to live a long and purposeful life. Be appreciative every day for who you are. Train yourself to talk differently, positively, to yourself. You’ll be amazed at just how quickly your mind responds, and how your experience of your life shifts into a much happier place, the precursor to gratifying long-life.

This shifting perception is critical. From birth, we are changing every second of every day. What society calls aging, is nothing more than another change in our life’s journey. Whatever your chronological age, maintain and practice appreciation. As is true of any good habit and practice, the more diligently and sincerely you embrace appreciation, the more you will enjoy its physical and psychological benefits.