As I stood in the living room and watched our neighbor, Dr. Moe, from across the street back his rumbling, shiny Sunday car out of the driveway, I realized I was smiling ear to ear. At that brief moment in time, my heart was singing. I was happy. Yes, I was happy about a 1969 Firebird, despite the fact that I was a Camaro person back in the day. For those not in the car know (or not the least bit interested), you were either in the Camaro or Firebird camp, but never both.
Anyway, with my car allegiances long gone, seeing my neighbor drive off in his Firebird with a header-tuned roar, just made me giddy. This may sound odd, but I’ve had a fascination and love of cars since I can remember. In the photo above on the left, Christmas morning 1967, I was six years old and with the tea set taking second place, I was holding my prized present for posterity—a model car. And on the right, Christmas 1964, my very first, drivable car. Some of the happiest and most enduring memories of childhood include cars of all kinds. Ever since, cars have held a special place in my heart, and reading, looking, and talking about cars puts me in my happy place.
Happiness correlates to longevity
As the reverberation of Dr. Moe’s muscle car faded, I started pondering this brief moment standing in front of our picture window. How important are these bright respites in our lives and to longevity? Turns out, very important. Happiness impacts our overall health and well-being in many ways, yet I’m not sure it’s something people put their energies towards in the same way as diet and exercise. In fact, at first blush, it feels selfish to think about making happiness a priority, but perhaps it’s time to reframe this thinking.
Happiness is linked to a whole host of health benefits, which not only add up to a longer life but a more enjoyable, purposeful journey. Happy people have less stress, which has a direct correlation to health—less chronic inflammation which in turn means better overall health, fewer hospital and emergency room visits, and less substance abuse and mental health issues. Happy people generally maintain better social bonds and connections, which is an essential, life-giving support system as we age. They also are more apt to be active and exercise, which is vitally important. And happy people tend to be more resilient to the inevitable storms that occasionally sweep in. All in all, making happiness a priority is critical to our longevity strategy.
Cultivate and nurture happiness
Abraham Lincoln famously said, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” He was a wise man. Happiness is a mindset that is firmly within our control, especially if we cultivate the foundation of gratitude that provides fertile ground for happiness to take root. We can purposefully act happy, which influences our feelings, and affects our behavior. This is something I need to remind myself daily. My natural tendency leans reserved, at times serious (I like to think I’m thoughtful) and to compound this, my default is a scowl...as I’ve heard from my husband. Sometimes when I catch a reflection of myself, I’m shocked because I look a little grumpy—which I’m not really feeling—so I have to remind myself to smile and relax my facial muscles…which actually does wonders to lighten my thinking as well.
Our environment greatly impacts our happiness. Disneyland used to boast of being “The Happiness Place on Earth” and while you may surmise it was purely because of the fairytale world that transported guests into another state of being, it was also due to the cleanliness Walt Disney insisted on. A clean, pristine environment promotes a sense of calm, security, and well-being. In fact, I can remember when Disneyland was closed every Tuesday for deep cleaning, maintenance, and touch-ups—it was that critical to Walt’s vision and guest experience.
Likewise, we can design our surroundings and lifestyle to foster happiness. The other night we had dinner with our neighbors who are both in the literary world and their home was filled with books. Literally. Beautiful floor-to-ceiling bookcases encased their dining room, a built-in case tucked under the stairs, bookshelves lined the great room walls, and coffee table books were dotted about. My husband, Andrea, and I also have a passion for books, so dinner in a dimly lit, book-filled dining room felt like a warm embrace. (Great conversation and yummy food helped as well.)
Andrea and I have the same philosophy in decor, most every item in our home on a shelf or wall has a special meaning and emotional resonance. There is a cookbook case in our kitchen that has memorabilia from our travels and my childhood intermingled with the books; I often find myself lingering on a piece that evokes wonderful memories, creating a comforting and happy pause during the day. What we surround ourselves with has a great influence on our happiness and well-being. My design belief has always been if you select items and furnishings you really love, that echo in your soul, they will work together in harmony and create that happy place.
We can also intentionally cultivate the interests that make our hearts sing. As I’ve gotten older, I realize these often fall by the wayside as life becomes busy and overwhelming, which means I need to purposefully nurture those interests. For me, these are things I can trace back to my childhood, such as my fascination with cars or cooking. I can remember as a child sitting on the kitchen counter, watching my mom cook and spending hours flipping through the Better Homes and Gardens red checkered bound cookbook. Now, often at night before bed (in lieu of TV) I find it very relaxing and comforting to skim a cookbook and read through a few recipes.
Intentionally happy
Andrea, my husband, and I often joke that if we had “all the money in the world” we would have a multi-car garage to house our collection of cars. Even if we lived in the countryside where no one saw them, we would still be collectors because it’s an interest we both get great pleasure from. While we have not yet amassed that fortune, I still enjoy reading about cars, talking about them with our son, and listening to the thunder of Dr. Moe’s muscle car…which is enough to make me smile.
Spending time with my family chatting around the kitchen island, having friends over for pizza night, walking in the morning sunlight with my husband, hiking in the elder mountains, sending quick notes to let people know I’m thinking of them, eating lunch on the patio, taking hot baths, and practicing gratitude—these are some of the simple, attainable pleasures that I can intentionally choose to do which have a big effect.
Happiness is a key longevity puzzle piece that is firmly within our control. It doesn't cost a fortune; rather, it requires us to tune into ourselves, exercise discernment, and make purposeful choices. Small, daily choices that add up to living well, aging great.