When she was 80 years old, my Aunt Lizzie walked to the mirror and said, with tears in her eyes, "Oh!  Look at me, I’m so old, so ugly!"

How lucky she was, as she could still walk to the mirror, and see herself!

PUT JOY IN YOUR LIFE!  No matter how old you are, you can enjoy your world, you can learn to control your way of thinking.  You alone have the power over the way you see things.  My Aunt Lizzie could have been happier if she thought of herself as able to walk and to see - not only with her eyes, but also with her mind.

Our brain cannot concentrate on two subjects at the same time.  One thought:  I’m too old to drive - another thought:  I can walk to the store!  Which thought would be happier?

You may ponder:  my family doesn’t love me, they don’t visit me. But you could reason, I’m glad they’re doing so many good things.

Anyone can bring up assets that go unheeded.  They are so much part of our life that we don’t even notice them.

A word of caution: applying the principle of "positive thinking" sometimes distorts reality.  In order to appear optimistic, one says that the dinner was "wonderful,"  when it was salty and dull.  Or one feels "great" even dying of cancer.

The difference lies in seeing the good that is there and enjoying it, whereas the other lies in wanting to believe a reality that does not exist.

Easy to change?  Not at all.  Change is seldom easy.  For seniors it is very difficult.  We have been stuck in our patterns.  But change is always possible:  ONE THOUGHT AT A TIME.

Daily I write down what I’m grateful for.  Every morning I write five things I expect to accomplish -- it’s surprising how this simple method helps one’s morale!

Begin every morning thinking about your accomplishments.  You may think you did nothing special!  But didn’t you raise a family?  Isn’t that an accomplishment?  Of course it is!  What matters is the way you think about your life.

Think of all your good actions.  If you delve only into your regrets, you become sad and guilty.  You cannot change the past, you cannot control the future, but you can influence the present.  THIS DAY, THIS HOUR, THIS VERY MINUTE.

Most important, a positive attitude goes hand in hand with good physical health.  Good health makes you feel better, feeling better makes you more cheerful; people will visit you, and in turn, you’ll feel good, your health will improve, and your outlook in life will go up and up.  What a vicious cycle, a happy one!

That’s what I call a wonderful change in attitude.  Unfortunately, Aunt Liz never changed her way of thinking -- she never read this article!

Don’t despair because the results may not show up quickly, but your new awareness will occupy your mind in a positive way.  This consciousness will not allow room for negative thoughts.  In the end, persistence will pay off.

It’s never too late to put joy in your life!

"Celebrate!  Here’s to you!  Enjoy!"

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