Full Power to the End! – The “Duracell Effect” and Human Longevity
Posted on | June 15, 2009 | No Comments
What would happen if we were able to stop or at least slow down the aging process? I recently heard Patrick Dixon, Futurist, speaking on the matter of longevity and its impact on society http://tinyurl.com/msyl82. He mentioned a human aspiration that caught my ear and interest: the “Duracell Effect.” Mr. Dixon states that people universally want to live longer, healthier, active lives so long as it is like a Duracell battery, that is, full power to the end.
The basic parameters of aging are changing dramatically, yet public awareness is slow to adjust to the change. The previous model of lifetime employment with one company, retirement at the age of 55 and so on is under question. As Mr. Dixon notes, “The idea of retirement is a late 20th century idea which should be quickly buried, just like it was before.” My father and father-in-law, who have both passed the typical retirement age, quickly realized that retirement was not for them. They now work (at Energetix!) because they love to be productive, dread the typical doldrums of the retired life and long to add value to a world in need of solutions and leadership…full power to the end.
I am teaching a course entitled “Handling Stress without Distress” with Brenau University’s BULLI program to a group of incredibly bright seniors who revealed on first meeting a passion for life and learning. While my students all look to be in their 40s – nudge nudge…wink, wink – the average age is well past retirement age. Of one thing I am sure: people long to be relevant, to have meaning, to be of value and to belong. The question is, how can relevancy be maintained in this new world order, where people are living longer, in a world where 65 or 70 is the new 45? If you think it is over at 60, you’re missing the point in today’s world where opportunity for ingenuity, creativity and generativeness abound.
To begin with, I feel that gains in longevity must be matched by gains in health for there to be a deep sense of happiness, wellbeing and “full power” all the way through. As with many things, we’ve let life and progress get out ahead of us and we have some catching up to do, mentally, physically and in basic lifestyle choices. While many hope for the magic pill that will bring health in the later years of life, it seems to me that we are better to come to terms with the fact that the human life cycle is stretching out very quickly and that a foundation of health is much more important that the simply giving the appearance of health. As Benjamin Frankin aptly noted: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” We must teach our children to make more informed health and lifestyle choices early to improve the quality of life later on…a task no doubt made easier by making the changes in ourselves first. Leadership by example.
Where do we start? With the basics of course! A steady basic yet balanced diet free of highly processed ingredients, low in sugar and devoid of condescension, fanaticism and vanity. Second, a reasonable balance of exercise and rest for one without the other constrains to imbalance. Third, sufficient intake of pure water. Fourth, deeper breathing than is now the norm. Remember: what is normal is not always natural! Last but not least, a nourished, bridled and poised emotional state fed by a deeper, sharper understanding of the principles of living.
What is the point of living longer if you can’t enjoy it due to ill or waning health? We must in piloting terms, “get ahead of the airplane,” that is, regain control through wise and well-timed adjustments to the daily choices we make in living. Many people fear to embark on this journey to wellness for fear of loss of choices, feeling somehow that their freedom of choice will be impinged upon. They are terrified that they will end up living a bleak and desolate life devoid of fun and the so-called “finer things in life,” yet it is exactly that thinking that created the problem in the first place. Consider this approach, aim for the “Duracell Effect” in your life choices and adapt quickly so that you can find a new and deeper sense of fulfillment, enjoyment and relevance in our rapidly changing world. To quote my dear Mr. Franklin once more, “Keep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee.”
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