Live longer 5+1

I just read an article from May 18, 2018 in The Week publication, How to live a decade longer. It cited a new Harvard study analyzing the medical records of over 123,000 adults over 30 years. It suggested that you can add a decade to your life by “following five basic lifestyle habits, not smoking, eating a healthy diet, exercising for 30 minutes a day, maintaining a normal weight and limiting alcohol intake.”

While I agree wholeheartedly to the five habits, I would like to offer a sixth one, find your purpose.

McKinsey’s study on centered leadership showed that meaning (purpose & passion) is five times more powerful than any other dimension. Of all the energies needed to perform at your peak, spiritual energy (feeling purpose, living your passion, doing what you were meant to do) is the most powerful. If every day you could have a career that allowed you to use your strengths and passions, you would be productive and create amazing results. Continuing this day-after-day can bring you to distinctiveness.

Living your passion can also add years to your life. People are continually shocked by my age. While I try to live a lifestyle consistent with the five habits, the biggest contributing factor to my more youthful appearance is living my mission, feeling an immense inner peace.

What is your purpose?