hmmm…..
“Healthy
at 100” is the name of a book by John Robbins.
Featured in an article in the New York Times yesterday, the book was
actually written in 2006. It cites
research done in 1983 by a psychologist at Baylor University named Larry
Scherwitz. He taped conversations by
approximately 600 men, with a third of them having heart disease. In an interesting research twist, Dr. Scherwitz
documented how often the men used first person pronouns like I, me, and
mine. The research revealed that those
who spoke in the “I” mode were generally the most likely to have heart disease,
and even more interesting, when these same men were followed for several years,
they were the most likely to suffer heart attacks.
The
conclusion would be that thinking of others before thinking about yourself will
keep you healthier and help you to live longer.
This is a sermon that doesn’t need to be preached in my
congregation. We have a 90+ year old who
regularly volunteers at our local hospital; she was at the hospital five days
last week assisting staff who needed her.
Oh, and that’s in addition to volunteering at the Chamber of
Commerce.
So,
for the rest of us, if you want to live longer, by all means, eat right,
exercise and get regular check-ups. But
don’t forget to think about someone else, at least for a little while each
day. Add that to your regular
routine. Mr. Robbins and Dr. Scherwitz
say it won’t hurt; in fact, it might keep you healthy a lot longer.
hmmm…..
No comments:
Post a Comment