Make someone happy

My friend emailed me recently about a concept called "Blue Zones".  These are areas of the world where people live to much older ages...Okinawa; Sardinia; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, CA (7th Day Adventists).  Along with diet and exercise, the people in these cultures cultivate long-term friendships.  The scientists studying this phenomenon claim that longevity is more a factor of how you live than of the genes with which you were born.  


My friend sent me this idea for the blog because of the deep and long friendships I have enjoyed in my lifetime.  I've always assumed I'd have a pretty long life because of the longevity of my parents - Dad is 90 and Mom is 82.  Now I'm wondering if it is the genes or the factor of friendships that may influence my life and longevity.  My parents have been the most positive influence in my life, they have many friends (or did before most of them died---that's the problem with living longer--your friends die before you.)  My Dad has always reinforced the concept of friendship and treating people well.  My Mom has modeled this concept in her interactions with family, friends, and complete strangers.

There is more to it, of course, than just friendships.  The Blue Zones website lists the power 9:

1. Just move – Develop an active lifestyle, not just exercising to exercise.
2. Purposeful outlook — Have clarity about your role in life.
3. Down shift on stress — Learn to shed stress in your life.
4. Eat to 80% full — Stop your meals when you are 80% full rather than totally full.
5. Plant slant — Use meat more as a condiment than a staple.
6. Wine @ 5 — Drink Moderate drinking has positive benefits.
7. Belong to a community — Belonging to a faith-based community extends one's life in general.
8. Loved ones first — Focusing on family in life and keeping family members close to home will improve one's life.
9. Right Tribe — Having a social circle that promotes healthy lifestyles is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle yourself.  " Okinawans created ”moais”–groups of five friends that committed to each other for life.  Research from the Framingham Studies show that smoking, obesity, happiness, and  even loneliness is contagious.   Assessing who you hang out with, and then proactively surrounding yourself with the right friends, will do more to add years to your life than just about anything else."

Can't believe it, but Jimmy Durante is singing "make someone happy..."  on the radio just now:

Make someone happy,
Make just one someone happy;
Make just one heart the heart you sing to.
One smile that cheers you,
One face that lights when it nears you,
One girl you're ev'rything to.

Fame if you win it,
Comes and goes in a minute.
Where's the real stuff in life to cling to?
Love is the answer,
Someone to love is the answer.
Once you've found her, build your world around her.

Make someone happy, 
Make just one someone happy,
And you will be happy, too.

So, I'll be talking a lot about how I incorporate these concepts into my life in retirement.  Regardless of longevity, these are some pretty powerful goals.  

I'm pretty sure I have numbers 6, 8 and 9 down pat.  

I am so lucky to have my "moais."