Maintaining a good positive attitude makes all the difference throughout our lives, but it is even more important if you want to grow old gracefully. Are you the kind of person that sees the glass as half-empty or half-full? BE POSITIVE! Only you can give yourself an attitude adjustment if you need one. Growing older can mean getting better, too. Here are some tips on maintaining a healthy attitude.

Keep a sense of humor about life. The old adage "Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying" is a good example. If you feel that things are getting you down, look for some humor in the situation. Ella Wheeler Wilcox expressed it best, "Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone."

Make time for your friends and family. If you're too busy or they are too busy take the time to drop a note or send a card. Let them know you're thinking about them or missing them. As you grow older, you also grow in experience. The wisdom and information you have is valuable. When a loved one respects your opinion and perspective enough to ask you to share your life's knowledge, give advice, or tell what you did or would do in a given situation, it is one of the greatest compliments we can receive. If being alone is a problem for you, get yourself a pet that would not burden you with more attention that you can handle. Pets can enhance your daily life. If you don't have the physical strength to clean up after a cat or dog, what about a bird, or some fish? Look into the Canine Companion program or trained monkeys. They would not only be companions, but helpers to assist you in tasks you can't do for yourself. If a pet is not a good option, get involved in an organization, your church, or volunteer. If you have difficulty getting out, offer to do things that can be done from your home. Or have a no frills, minimal fuss tea party and invite friends and family over for companionship and conversation.

Take care of your health and stay in shape. If you're not feeling healthy or if you're out of shape, make a plan to work on it. Maximize the capabilities you have and take control where you can. You don't have to set unrealistic goals for yourself. If you want to look like Cindy Crawford or Fabio, you may have to reexamine your goals. If you added some extra pounds over the years and are surprised every time you see a new wrinkle, keep it in perspective. You want to look as good as you can without spending hours worrying about what reflects back at you from the mirror.

Eat healthy. Be sure you are getting the proper vitamins and minerals. Avoid fast foods and prepared foods when you can. Include fresh vegetables and fruit as much as possible. Limit your sodium intake. It will help if you have high blood pressure, reduce arthritic/joint pain, and water retention. Drink as much water as you can, preferably 8 glasses a day. It will help flush out the toxins from your body, help with weight control, and aid in the digestive/elimination process.

Be more self-disciplined. Get a sufficient amount of sleep. Exercise regularly. Even if you only take a short walk everyday, you will benefit. If mobility is difficult, at least go as far as you can and breathe in some fresh air. You'll be surprised at what getting out of the house can do for your spirits and lungs. If you have wheels, be adventurous, drive fast and feel the wind in your hair. Do upper body aerobics. Exercise whatever part of your body that you can.

For the women, be more cautious with your make-up. Outline your lips with a lip pencil then apply powder to the area before you put on your lipstick to avoid "bleeding" and don't apply lipstick in the corners. Watch the eye makeup. What might have looked good a few years ago, may need updated. Look at some of the new trends and update your look with out over doing it. Dress well but try to honestly evaluate how things look on you. It's great to keep a youthful attitude toward fashion, none of us want to look frumpy and dumpy, but, for example, if you have spindly legs or heavy thighs, short shirts don't look good -- no matter what your age. If you use a wheelchair, keep in mind short gets shorter when you're sitting down and flabby get flabbier. If you still have great legs, go for it! But you might consider wearing darker hose to camouflage those increasing "spider veins."Be careful about plunging necklines. It might be time for you to apply the saying "When you've got it, flaunt it." to your great charm and personality rather than your cleavage.

Stimulate your mind. "If you don't use it, you lose it." If you have trouble remembering things, write them down. Keep a calendar to track important days and appointments. Read -- everything and anything. Keep a diary. Take an adult education course. Learn a second (or third or fourth) language. Explore a new kind of music that you don't usually listen to such as Blues, Ragtime, Big Band, Space/New Age. Choose a topic that has always interested you and go to the library to do some research. Be spontaneous. If you have time on your hands, do some volunteer work. Talk with people who have differing points of view. Challenge your mind with new things. Take a trip. If you are unable to actually travel, plan an imaginary trip and learn everything you can about the place you're "going." Expand your thinking by expanding your horizons. As Marcel Proust said, "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

by Sheryl L. Ferro, c. 1995,