Thriving Beyond Fifty -Book Review

Canada's Keynote Humorist

Thriving Beyond Fifty-78 Natural Strategies to Restore your mobility, avoid surgery and stay off pain pills in your 50’s and Beyond by Will Harlow Looking 50 is great if you're 60. ~Joan Rivers Are you afraid of aging? Be honest? What’s ‘old ‘nowadays? 90? 80? 20??? Age has been a good source of comedic material for years! Why? Because most people are afraid of it. Big Bad AGE. We make fun of the things that scare us. That’s one of our brain’s favourite ways of coping with stress. Just look at the following one-liners from people who I’m sure were afraid of aging. I've learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes. ~Andy Rooney The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again. ~Erma Bombeck I'm at the age where food has taken the place of sex in my life. In fact, I've just had a mirror put over my kitchen table. ~Rodney Dangerfield But FEAR NO MORE. There is a fantastic book with a great outlook and lots of juicy info that can help you change your attitude towards the oncoming years. The book is called Thriving Beyond Fifty. Will Harlow is an expert and author who shares valuable information about healthy aging. His practical insight about the physical, emotional and psychological changes that come with chalking up a few more years are a must read. Harlow argues that age is just a number. He says that it’s an attitude and having a positive attitude towards age can be instrumental when it comes to aging well. As I say in my keynote, Relieving Work-Related Stress with Humour, positive thinking (which definitely includes humour for me) can have such a huge impact on our well-being but especially, as we get older. Harlow encourages readers to embrace aging as opposed to fighting it. He says to look at aging as a natural, inevitable process of life instead of fearfully dreading and/or trying to avoid it. Thriving Beyond Fifty echoes many of key elements to aging gracefully that many other authors and experts have championed before such as; nutrition and a balanced diet, healthy mental and physical activity, maintaining strong social connections with family, friends and community, having a sense purpose/giving back and always striving to constantly better oneself. However, Harlow also has a unique spin that he uses called ‘ageless living’. Again, he ties this into having a positive mindset and challenges readers to reframe their attitude towards aging and embrace it with a youthful outlook no matter how old they are. He encourages readers to live a vibrant life at any age. Harlow also offers hands-on, practical advice about financial and estate planning, retirement and end-of-life care. This planning encourages readers to actively secure their futures but at the same time, create peace of mind throughout one’s life. In conclusion, Thriving Beyond Fifty Thriving Beyond Fifty -78 Natural Strategies to Restore your mobility, avoid surgery and stay off pain pills in your 50’s and Beyond… encourages readers to welcome and embrace getting older. Harlow’s shout out to a positive, youthful mindset at any age is fundamental in his message. He’s resourceful, positive and provides lots of practical and insightful how-to information when it comes to ageless living. Now, if you are still hiding under the covers and don’t want to deal with the inevitable then at the very least laugh at your fears. Check out a couple more one liners from some classic comedians who probably also hid their fear – using humour. I'm at an age when my back goes out more than I do. ~Phyllis Diller My grandmother was a very tough woman. She buried three husbands and two of them were just napping. ~Rita Rudner He's so old that when he orders a three-minute egg, they ask for the money up front. ~George Burns Until next time folks, laugh long and prosper.