In short, we are frickin’ possessed by “de-aging.” There’s even a Rejuvenation Olympics, a “reversing age” competition launched by tech millionaire Bryan Johnson (who I wrote about earlier: Longevity Heroism or Narcissism?). The Rejuvenation Olympics website quips, “You win by never crossing the finish line.”
The anti-aging industry is the world’s second-oldest profession. People have been searching for the Fountain of Youth for thousands of years. And, yet, aging is a fact of life. Yes, we can positively influence how we age through our habits and behaviors, but face it, folks, aging is a fundamental part of living (and, ultimately, dying).
Many of you have heard me refer to Dr. Becca Levy’s research at Yale, in which she’s shown that when someone 50+ shifts their mindset about aging from a negative to a positive, they gain seven and a half years of additional life. This offers more extended longevity than if you stopped smoking or started exercising at age 50. And, while we have all kinds of Public Service Announcements to address those healthy habits, where are the pro-aging PSAs to help us understand what gets better with age?
I’ll give you the answer: they are few and far between, which is part of the reason we started MEA and why I’ve written “Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better With Age.” I figured the world is full of ageist messages, so why not offer a pro-aging guidebook.
I was fortunate enough to join podcaster Scott Galloway for this pro-aging episode that was recorded a few months ago, but went live last week.
And, if you’re in the Stanford area on Nov 6 or 7, I’d love to see you at The Century Summit as I’m the opening keynote speaker.
-Chip