Follow these 9 steps to find the fountain of youth bubbling inside you

In the past, men and women searched futilely for the Fountain of Youth. But they looked in all the wrong places. And the wrong kind of fountain. The fountain that restores youth is all around us. And it’s inside us.

Today more people are drinking deeply from the water of that fountain, enjoying youthful vigor and an outlook that eluded those in previous generations. For the first time, Americans 65+ represent one-eighth of the nation’s population. Not too many years ago, anyone 65 or older was considered “old” — ready for the rocking chair, retired from working, retired from life itself.

If you surprise yourself, then you’ll likely surprise others. With your refreshed frame of mind, you’ll be ready to create your own vision of the future.

Those in this Third Age group (65+) are making history. They are transforming the mindset of aging to the mindset of agelessness. In the ranks of on-the-go citizens today are people in their 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond and they are showing youngsters in their 50s and 60s how to stay active. 

The secrets to long-lasting health and agelessness lie in these eight steps, which I call The Growing Young Formula:

1. Leave Your Comfort Zone and Be Willing to Try a New Way

Check in with yourself on a regular basis. A lot of us greet our retirement years with “aha at last!” It’s what we assumed because it’s been handed down to us as a hardened concept. Stop living this automatic perception of retirement. Paint a new picture for your life. It’s a challenge, but oh so exciting.

In my own life, I’ve gone outside my comfort zone many times:

• At 71, I performed in a tap dance show
• At 77, I went zip-lining and “Tarzan swinging” with my husband, Charlie, in Costa Rica
• At 78, I wrote my book Growing Young

Throughout my 60s, 70s and 80s, Charlie and I have set off on our own for self-guided adventures in countries throughout Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and Iceland. Click here to continue reading.