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Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey

79 is the New 60

Feb 02, 2023 08:14AM ● By Joe Dunne

This month I was blessed to have reached a milestone in my life—a 79th birthday.  It was hard for me to look in a mirror at 70 and accept that number, and today it’s not that much easier. I know that acceptance is a key to running a smoother life and a contributing corner stone of a well-balanced personality, but 79! I still feel 30-something.  

 Years ago, a favorite college course on “Interpersonal Communications” introduced me to Looking Out, Looking In, a self-discovery view of how to develop and fit into a moral society. I’m happy to report to myself that at 79, looking out at the world, I still feel like a kid. I’ve had to learn a lot the hard way and I’ll always be a work in progress—working on the inside and caring about the outside. But the gratitude I feel to have reached this milestone is enormous. Life has been good to me, and I hope that continues for a long time. With good health, hitting 100 sounds terrific.   

Along the way, I’ve become aware of a few things. I wish I could have known these things 55 years ago, for my sake, as well as for my children (ages 53 to 20), but I needed life to teach me what is really important. Here is only a small sample of what I discovered when I started paying attention.

Smile often, society needs it | Believe in yourself, and take good care of you | Don’t judge others; you do not have that right | Be real, be you, be honest | Treat all people with respect | Risk Love | Always take Full Responsibility for yourself | Accept life as it is delivered to you | Be humble | Question what needs to be questioned | Remember being right is, not always that important | Make mistakes | Take risks | Develop integrity | Help others | Be grateful; every day is a gift | Stand for something | Hug a lot of people, especially your family | Know your human rights | Have empathy | Watch what you eat, I still believe it is key to good health | Learn to meditate | Make a difference in the world | Live with passion | Nurture your soul  |Be a lifelong learner, saver, and memory maker for yourself, and your family | Chill out. Worry will never put another day on your life | Remember “It is not what you know in life that is important; It is what you do with what you know that matters.”

Learning that I was responsible for my own happiness has been one of my life’s great  lessons. I was always looking for someone to fix me, to make me feel better, happier. I wanted someone else to make life softer, easier but that was just a dream. I should have been looking in rather than looking out. Today I know that “I am responsible for me,” for my thoughts, behaviors, actions, and decisions. Once I finally learned that, I realized that I wouldn’t have it any other way because it also means that you are responsible for you, and I do not have to shoulder that responsibility. 

So I’m glad that 79 is the new 60. I still have time to develop, learn and grow, and make progress in my life’s wonderful journey.


With peace, love and laughter,

Joe Dunne, Publisher

5 Top Tips to Finding Your Next Doctor

1 Keep an Open Mind! Healthcare has come a long way. Today, you have access to practitioners that branch outside of traditional medicine and aim to identify the root causes of conditions while using alternative treatments that may help you get the relief you need. Just because it’s not a pill, doesn’t make it pseudoscience.

2 Build Your Health Care Team. There is no one doctor that can be the be-all-end-all for your health needs. Be sure to have a team of practitioners with different “lenses” and areas of expertise who will treat the root cause and not just the symptom(s).

3   Environment Influences Healing. Health is multi-factorial. Your mental and emotional environment plays a pivotal role in your healing potential. Your doctors and their staff should create an office atmosphere filled with positivity so you can get the most out of your care.

4 Your Story Matters.  Before you begin any treatment, be sure to have a comprehensive consultation to discuss your health concerns. Find practitioners who welcome questions and will take the time to listen and treat you with respect.

5 Report of Findings. When it comes to our health, we often make decisions without understanding the risk versus benefits. Knowledge is an important part of the healing process and is essential to make conscious, informed health decisions. Find practitioners who take the time to explain their exam findings and the recommendations for treatment in ways that make sense to you.

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