I have conflicted feelings about getting older. On the one hand, I’ve known people who have passed before their time and so I know getting old is a privilege. On the other, I’ve seen the quality of life that comes with getting older and I know it’s not a cakewalk. If you would have asked me what I thought my quality of life would be if I lived to be 100, I would have said not great.
That is until I met Dr. Gladys McGarey.
Dr. Gladys is 102 years old and she has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. She recently wrote a book on the secrets of health and happiness. We had her on the podcast this week to talk about her life and secrets to longevity.
Sometimes Life Sucks
Some of the most positive people I know have been through tremendous hardship. Dr. Gladys believes that we don’t get over traumas, we live through them. “Sometimes life sucks and along comes a time when ‘Whoa, isn’t this wonderful?’” explained Dr. Gladys. She said that if you are constantly looking for what scares you, you’re going to be scared all the time. Focusing on the bad does not help.
Our friend, Dr. Hope Seidel, had similar advice for me while talking about the journey of parenting. She told me to ‘look for the perfect.’ Life can be a disaster, but look for what it’s teaching you. Look for the things that are going right. Look for the things that bring you joy. Find the perfect even in the disaster.
Listen to our conversation with Dr. Gladys and tell us what you learned. We hope she inspires you too.
