Ah, Happiness, that sometimes elusive emotion we all strive for.  Now that we Baby Boomers are in our 50’s and 60’s, retirement is on the horizon, Happiness can, but shouldn’t,  seem even more elusive.  After all, our bodies are changing, our minds are changing, we change jobs or retire and most of our kids have left the nest.  Hopefully, they haven’t had to come back, yet.

This is a lot of change happening in our personal universe all at the same time.  Some of us adapt to these changes easily and quickly.  “The good news is that with age comes happiness,” said study author Yang Yang, a University of Chicago sociologist. “Life gets better in one’s perception as one ages.”  And Duke University aging expert Linda George say, an older person may realize “it’s fine that I was a schoolteacher and not a Nobel prize winner.”  I believe we all have special talents and skills and we are perfect the way we are.

Others, maybe not so much.  Seriously, this is a lot for our brains, bodies, pride and egos to handle.

So, how do we deal with aging and continue to live life with zest and swagger? Here are some tips on how to become and stay a Happy Baby Boomer.

1.  Life is Simple.  don’t get bogged down with all the little details, keep loving yourself, happiness comes from acceptance-of yourself, your situation, your challenges  and “who” you are; remain true to yourself.

2.  Realize that life “is what it is“, in other words we’re gonna get older no matter what, we can’t stop aging.   “It’s all good“, meaning just deal with it, and make life a good experience.  We might as well, “enjoy life, there’s plenty of time to be dead.” (TEDX Pune, Aisha Chaudhari, Being Happy and Living in the Moment.).

3.  Realize Happiness is a chosen Attitude, it only comes from within our minds.  Choose to be happy, focus your thoughts on good things, be grateful for what we have, and control your thoughts.  You can say to yourself, “I Declare I am Happy”, or “I choose to be happy today”.  Block out the negative ones.  We must become the Master of Our Brains.  Our brains are just like the worlds’ best computers, they do what we tell them to do.  At least most of the time.  So, tell your Master Computer Brain to Be Happy.

4.  Be in the present and expect an awesome future.  Don’t get stuck in the past.  As the old  saying goes, “That was yesterday, today is TODAY!”  We enjoy life more when we focus on the moment, what we’re doing, right now, at this moment. Get lost in it, enjoy it and do your best.  However, it’s fine to remember and reminisce about past events and activities and accomplishments.  This can cheer you up at a sad time.  The key is not to dwell on past regrets.  Remember the good times, enjoy the present moment and have something to look forward to in the near future.

5.  As for our aging bodies, KEEP ACTIVE!  keep working on your Bucket List.  That’s the secret.  Take walks, alone, with your dog, with a friend or two, no matter how far you can walk.  Dance, move that body, all of it, even those hips.  Swim, exercise, or learn Tai chi.  Even the simplest Yoga stretches and movements help your body and mind be healthier.  The better we take care of our body now, the longer it will last.  Other ways to feel valuable and to feel satisfied is by volunteering and helping others.  There’s hundreds of ways to do this.

6.  Chill out.  Stop being so serious, relax, tell jokes, sing, get a hobby, Laugh Every Day! Be Social and you’ll keep the blues away.  In an ABC news article “81-year-old George O’Hare, a retired Sears manager in Willowbrook, Ill. He’s active with church, AARP and does motivational speaking, too. His wife is still living, and he’s close to his three sons and four grandchildren. “I’m very happy because I’ve made friends that are still living,” O’Hare said. “I like to go out and speak in schools about motivation.”  “Happiness is getting out and being with people, and that’s why I recommend it,” he said.

7.  Most important learn to Love Yourself and Be Your On Best Friend!  The voices in our heads can be very self critical.    When that happens tell the voices to go away, scat, and shut up, because they are wrong.  We can forgive ourselves for the past and mentally move on to the present.  Wake up each morning and count your blessings, own your potential and who you are.  Be proud of that and have confidence in it.  Imagine what it would be like to best your own best friend, what would you say, how would you act?  Now, go do it!  Start being your best friend TODAY!

And as a reminder, Happiness leads to success, so why not Get Your Happy On right now!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this chat,  thanks, John