A Timeless Attitude...

The Fountain of Youth and Agelessness

Of all the 'secrets' to eternal youth and the quest to stay in our prime for as long as possible, there is none so effective as keeping an attitude of timelessness. All the 'elixirs' in the Universe cannot equal that of the elixir of an attitude of agelessness. And it is my delight to share my secret with you.

I am blessed with an agelessness that transcends most people's beliefs!

Still enjoying the energy of a 40-year old, retirement is not in my vision. I travel the world, leading and facilitating workshops and seminars, training hundreds of people in groups over 3-day all-day-long periods. Always ready to party at the end to celebrate graduation with the participants, my friends call me the 'energizer bunny'.

In my life, I have mostly dated men younger than me, though my first true love was five years older. I lived with a boyfriend who was more than 30 years my junior for ten years. His grandmother told me I was the best thing that ever happened to him. I travelled with him on all his family cruises and to all the family gettogethers. Everyone accepted that we were meant for each other at that time. While in Mexico, his brother even included me in a trip to a strip bar, where we drank beer together, watching the girls do pole dances. And at some point during that evening, I even bounced up on stage and did my own pole dance, though I must admit I was dressed in lots more clothing than the other girls! I'm not a stripper - lol - just young at heart!

Every once in a while, when I am facilitating Leadership Workshops for corporate executives, one of the participants will moan over their despair that they are "so old". When I ask them their age, they reply 45 or 38 or 52, and I scream with laughter and belt out spontaneously my age at the time, which is always at least 20 years older than the one who is whining. Then the whole group lets out an audible GASP, and the room goes quiet for a time.

During the workshop breaks, there is always aline of women waiting to talk to me, and eachof them has the same question

"How do I look like you and have your energy when I am your age?"

I used to get mad at my sister for putting my age on her Facebook posts when she wished me Happy Birthday. I kept telling her, "Karen, please don't write my age for everyone to see!"Then most recently, I started feeling a bit more proud of my age rather than hiding it.

Most recently, I've begun to ask myself the same question - what have I done in my life to still look and act this way at this age? With the energy, vitality, sense of adventure and possibility of someone at least 20 years younger. Both young people and elders seek my company, and I am always included enthusiastically, without any thought of my age.

When I look at other people my age, sometimes they seem old, frail, out-of-date, and no-fun. Many of them have some ailment, are sick, use canes or wheelchairs, or are stooped over and walk slowly.

Some seem prudish, never wanting to talk about sex, which I love to talk about - lol - and many have all sorts of rules about what they can and can't do, or can and can't wear, or what is right and wrong.

Many have stopped dancing, except for doing a slow waltz once a year while at a wedding. The men my age seem uninterested in sex. Many women my age have already stopped wearing high heels, cleavage-showing blouses, or fun dresses.

I don't mean that one should dress inappropriately or act like a teenager. That would be silly. I'm just saying that it seems that people get 'less fun' as they age and are less willing for adventure, mystery and magic. They say it is because they are now "too old" for whatever 'that' is. Why is that?

So I've done some really hard looking at the question people keep asking me - "What keeps you so young?" And in analyzing, I realized there are many things I feel are the causes of my youth, my vitality, my neverending energy, and my zest for life even though I now enter the last quarter of my life.

Here are the things I've discovered are answers to the question, and the secrets I believe are at the source of the secret to staying young - at least, for me.

A mindset and attitude of optimism and positivity: There are many ways to look at life, but I choose to see life in a positive light. I consider that all things are possible and that whatever is happening is happening for my better good. It's not that I don't see things as they are or that bad things don't happen in my life - I, too, get sad and upset. I, too, know frustration and anger. But at the same time, I do my best to consider that my experiences are a GIFT to me, offered to me for my own good and growth. So I welcome my experiences instead of resisting them or wishing them away.

Good healthy whole foods and fine dining: I love vegetables, fresh fruit, lots of greens, and nuts and seeds. Mostly I'm a salmon eater, with a bit of chicken and a steak once in a while. I love pasta. I've never really liked sweets, candy or sugar - not even chocolate when I was small. The only kind of ice cream that sounds good to me is Vanilla and in small amounts. I love smoothies with lots of berries and fresh orange juice. I don't eat fast food, and fast-food restaurants are a No. Pizza is a once a year event. I like haute cuisine foods - fine dining, and lashings of fine sauces. I love a Mediterranean diet - Italian, French, Japanese and Chinese too.

Faith in a Higher Power: I believe that I am connected to all living things, the rivers, the trees, the sky, the stars, the animals, the minerals, and every other human being. I believe the same ethers that create life flow through all and everything, and that I am aligned with the energy that Yoda calls 'The Force'.

I think of myself as an individual expression of a greater whole - much like the waves that leap out of the ocean and form their own shape are still a part of the bigger vast body of water. Or like the fingers on a hand are an individual expression of the ecosystem of the whole body. I come into the world FROM God - not into the world SEARCHING for God. I am connected. All is One.

Laughter and joy: I love a good belly laugh - loud and raucous, and I do my best to find humor and fun in everything. Even amid sadness or regret, I sit in my joy. Joy for me isn't an event that happens to me; it's a place I come from. I bring my happiness to the situation; I don't get my happiness from my circumstances. And because I am joyous at the foundation of who I am, I laugh a lot and find humor in it all. I always say, "Life is a joke, but you have to stand back far enough to be able to see the punch line."

Great Sex: And lots of it. And an understanding that sex is good, fun, and an expression of love and unity. Not to take it so seriously, and at the same time to understand it is sacred. And the willingness to be sensual, even if I am not having sex with the person. Sensuality and seduction are marvellous - rejoicing in the power to attract, to play with one's energy and to flirt shamelessly.

A Purpose in life that is bigger than just me and my personal desires: I think it is essential to find a way to make a difference in life and contribute. To give back, do something that helps others, and leave the world a better place from having lived a life.

Music, Singing, Dancing and Movement: I love moving my body, being swung around on a dance floor, using my voice, listening to thunderous rock songs, and being lulled to sleep by classical music. It is all Food for the Soul. Everyone has heard they need to exercise, but what is really important is movement itself. Move your body. And Dance and Sing. Dance often, and sing loud. Move your body to the rhythm of life.

Swearing: I love saying Fuck, & Goddamn, and Oh Hell! Something is freeing about that.

Meditation: I started meditating when I was twelve years old, and I meditate daily to this day. There is something special about closing my eyes, taking a deep breath, relaxing my body, clearing my mind, and connecting with my inner source of light.

Taking risks and having adventures: I loved the times I was scuba diving in the ocean, sailing a boat on 30 feet seas, riding on a runaway horse, and speaking on a stage to 20,000 people, even though they all terrified me at the time - the terror was part of the fun of it. Like an electric bolt to the system, a way to really feel you are alive is to be terrified.

Gratitude: I am so thankful for my life, for my journey, for the world I live in. It hasn't always been easy, and if I focused on it, I could probably find lots of things to be angry or sad about. But I don't focus on those things. I intentionally, and with rigor and determination, focus on the things that I am grateful for, and I give thanks for those things continuously.

Breathing deeply: I do breathwork every day. I take long and deep breaths and exult in the fact I am alive and breathing. I pretend my breath comes from the furthest horizon in front of me, and I breathe out until I feel I've breathed it back to the most distant horizon. Breath is no small matter to me. It is the thing that connects me to everything else in the Universe. When I breathe deeply, I take a moment to celebrate that I am alive.

Drinking good wine: The feel of holding a pretty wine glass at dinner, sipping a cold Chardonnay or a smooth Merlot and getting a little buzz on - nothing better.

Water with lemon: Water, water, water! I drink lots of water. And I drink good, pure water. I love a big wine glass filled with sparkling water splashed with lemon juice. And my morning routine is to down a whole glass of still water and lemon juice before I do anything else after I wake.

Listening and presence: I feel I am a human being - not a human doing. Every day, I practice being still, and I listen. I listen to the birds, to the sounds of water in a creek, to the rustling of the leaves in the trees, and to other human beings who need to be heard. I consider listening to be more important than speaking. Listen first, speak if you must, but listen first. And always listen to the voice inside calling you forth to do things of good purpose.

Love and hugs: I love being loved and loving others. Let yourself love hard. At times, it might end in heartbreak, but it will be worth the tumble. Be in love with someone or something. Love the flowers. Love the animals. Love another human being. Love the journey. Love the ups and downs of life. Love that you are alive.

Enjoy whatever age you are: I love this time in my life. I enjoy myself at whatever age I am.

Those are the things that keep me young. I don't know if they make up the actual Fountain of Youth, but I know they work for me. And I notice enough people notice that there is something magical about my 'youthening'.

When I see old friends, they say, "Oh my God, you haven't aged a bit! You actually seem younger!".

Well, dear friends, that's my secret to the Fountain of Youth - a timeless attitude, taking good care of my body, mind, and spirit the best I can, and enjoying wherever I am at this moment. That is agelessness.

Marcia Martin

Global speaker, corporate executive coach, transformational thought leader, and changemaker extraordinaire, Marcia Martin has trained over 300,000 people around the globe how to look in a very direct way at the prison they have created in life that limits them from reaching their full potential.

Dame Marcia (knighted in 2008) spends her time consulting entrepreneurial and corporate companies in leadership, communication, collaboration and championship performance including Capital One, Hard Rock International, Warner Bros., InterContinental Hotels, McCain Foods, and Evian Water.

As one of the Founding Members and Sr. Vice President of Erhard Seminars Training - est - (later known as Landmark Forum), Marcia Martin was personally mentored by innovative academic thinker Werner Erhard for 10 years in the art and technology of Self Transformation and Human Development, and helped take the est organization from inception to millions of graduates worldwide. She has consulted, trained or coached some of the greatest thought leaders and authors of our time including Jack Canfield, Tony Robbins, Lynne Twist, T. Harv Ecker, and Robert T. Kiyosaki.

Her programs teach all aspects of The Golden Triangle of Personal Power -Communication Mastery, Relationship Competence, and Enrollment Prowess.

W W W . M A R C I A M A R T I N C L U B . C O M