Social Media Savy

A recent article I read highlighted the risks posed by social media, in particular the huge amounts of personal information we often provide so freely. Being Christmas, I thought it a good time to remind everyone that social media is a public forum. Don’t put things online that you wouldn’t want your worst enemy to know!

Here are a few important tips to keep you, and your family, and house, safe this Christmas: Continue reading Social Media Savy

What can you do to extend your life?

Live Long and Prosper

“Live Long and Prosper”. The phrase made famous by the Vulcan’s on Star Trek has been an aim of mankind for an age. Modern medicine and higher wealth and standards of living are making in increasingly possible. What can we do to live longer?

As a financial planner, a great deal of my time is spent helping people achieve the second part, “prosper”. It involves an array of strategies from savings plans, investment strategies, tax and strategic management and providing an understanding of what funds people need to meet their expectations. It can be a very technical field which I love. The former part is a little more challenging, and I regularly spend time investigating modern research into longevity.

It is not just eating right and exercise that can help us live a longer, more prosperous life. A number of factors including our parents, our surroundings, social relationships and importantly, our attitude have significant influence.

Positive Thinking

Positive thinking tends to be a key attribute in many people outliving the average. Many people see milestones such as 40, 50 or 60 as significant steps that mean they cannot do the things they used to. Having a negative attitude about your job can also be working against you. Even just thinking these things can lead you to slow down, “age” and not be able to do what you did before. That same process happens at 25, 55, or 75… The power of the mind will impact greatly on your power in life.

If you want to live longer; it is important to feel good about yourself!

We will explore more factors in living longer in future articles and blogs. Until then, “Live Long and Prosper”!

Smile

‘One day most of the family was together in the mailroom, busily sorting through stacks of letters.
Will was on the floor playing. He looked up and said, “Mommy, Daddy can’t move his arms anymore.”
Dana said, “That’s right, Daddy can’t move his arms.”
“And Daddy can’t run around anymore.”
“That’s right; he can’t run around anymore.”
“And daddy can’t talk.”
“That’s right; he can’t talk right now, but he will be able to.”
Then Will paused, screwed up his face in concentration, and burst out happily, “But he can still smile.”
Everyone put down what they were doing and just looked at one another.’
– Christopher Reeve, B.1952, From “Still Me”

Christopher Reeve is an inspirational person who has helped develop spinal injury research and propelled it forward decades. This quote was provided in a small book entitled “Smile”, a gift book given to me by my good friends Ian and Katrina Burrell.

How to live to be 100+

Dan Buettner, best selling author, explorer and writer for National Geographic, explores some of the characteristics of longevity. Sometimes its both who you know and what you know…

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Some of the interesting points include keeping yourself moving in little ways, having a good friendship group around you, knowing how to eat to avoid excess, and not retiring!

I have to thank |b for bringing this to my attention, I shall return the favour with a few more longevity articles I have, keep posted for more!

I would love to hear some feedback on this, so by all means, please comment.