Mature Resources - Columnists

By Dr. Michael Brickey, Ask Dr. Ageless

"Except for the dying part, getting older is so fabulous, I love it….everybody I know is better older. They are more relaxed, they’re more mellow, they’re more alert as a friends, they have a confidence ... You really do acquire a kind of ‘I don’t give a damn’ about what people think, which is so liberating. I love this age now.

~Candice Bergen

Research finds that Ms Bergen is right.

Read more: Candice Bergen Is Right, Life Gets Better with Age

Dr. Michael Brickey - (a.k.a. Dr. Ageless)

When we were kids we had lots of heroes-perhaps they were football stars, cowboys, movie stars, TV stars, rock stars, or even our parents or teachers. Many people outgrow their heroes and don't replace them with new ones. Perhaps they think heroes are just for kids. If you want to be youthful, do what youthful people do. Youthful people have heroes.

I often see clients who see trust as an all or nothing issue. They either trust someone or they don't. This is a bad idea. I can't think of anyone I trust on all matters, e.g.,

Read more: Who Are Your Heroes

Dr. Michael Brickey - (a.k.a. Dr. Ageless)

The news emphasizes what's wrong and it is easy to get the impression that seniors' health and well being are getting worse. Not so. The National Institute on Aging released its study, 65+ in the United States: 2005. The study found that for Americans over 65: ~Disability rates dropped from 26.2% in 1982 to 19.7% in 1999 despite the group including a higher proportion of seniors over 80. (Note that a chronic health condition, e.g., arthritis is not considered a disability unless it causes functional limitations in activities of daily living.)

~Poverty rates dropped from 35% in 1959 to 10% in 2003 (much of the improvement is due to Social Security).

Read more: The Report Card for Seniors

Dr. Michael Brickey - (a.k.a. Dr. Ageless)

We all want to just be able to take a pill and feel, look, and be younger. I also would like to buy a lottery ticket and win millions. The pill may happen in your lifetime. But in the meantime, the solution is a little more complicated. My take is that you need a four-pronged approach:

Read more: What it Takes to Defy Aging