We have all heard those words and the importance of paying attention to food, exercise, and stress if we want to live long healthy lives. We especially hear it this time of year. But what if there is more to it than that?
While researchers who study longevity acknowledge that these factors play an important role, they have now determined that there is an even more significant factor – how a person reacts to hardship. A person’s attitude in difficult times carries enormous power.
The term that researchers used for this characteristic is “conscientiousness.” They defined this as referring to someone who is “organized, prudent, and persistent in their pursuits.” These people are responsible, not impulsive, and are planners. Experts were a bit surprised that it wasn’t those who are carefree and more laid back who lived longer. Actually they discovered that “cheerful and optimistic people lived shorter lives.” One of the reasons for this is that conscientious individuals tend to face and tackle obstacles head-on.
Dr. Peter Martin states that these individuals also – don’t assume the worst in situations and they don’t constantly compare themselves to others who have been more fortunate. This helps them to prevent feelings of never being good enough.
One other important factor that caught my eye from this study was the fact those who had a spiritual world view, having faith that they could turn things over to God, lived longer than those who had a more materialistic view. It reminds me of the importance of where we put our focus. As the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”