Inspired New Year
The perfect inspired new year begins with January. The month named for the Roman god Janus, depicted with two faces—one looking ahead toward new beginnings, transitions, and doorways, and the other looking back at endings. The symbolism invites us to use the wisdom of the old year to plan for a new—hopefully even better—year ahead.
As we age, ideally, we wise up. With increased clarity, we begin to see our options. That is a good thing. Just as on a stream, trail or ski slope, fewer options can force us to get creative.
My book The Ageless Angler is more than a guide to fly-fish more as you age. Look a little closer and you’ll recognize, ahhhhh!, it’s a guide to live more as you age. The book is free right here…..
Life is the ultimate creative act and I offer inspiration and a supportive framework for your creativity. The word inspire comes from the Latin inspirare, meaning “to breathe into.” It originally referred to the idea of external forces filling a person with energy and creativity.
Living an inspired new year, your body becomes the hero: a literal miracle of strength in motion. You supply the effort. You are the architect—the one who decides how much or how little to do.
I can say from my own experience, and from the experiences others have shared with me, that there is nothing better than experimenting and pushing perceived boundaries—only to discover a gear you didn’t know you had.
Much of my inspired new year and inspired life for that matter, comes from witnessing the science of strength and longevity—described in clinical research—come to life in people like you. Real life is quiet and often unremarkable. It happens in the margins, in the small, quiet moments that never trend or go viral.
Our efforts—yours and mine—are not easily shared. Our high-water marks are private victories. Still, it can be inspiring to see relatable examples.
Chuck Norris is eighty-five years old and still working out, still practicing martial arts as he always has. To him, age is merely a number. He has said, “I’m grateful to feel strong, healthy, and energized. I don’t see age as a reason to slow down—if anything, it’s given me the chance to renew my commitment to fitness and nutrition.”
At eighty-two, Mick Jagger continues to perform with the energy that defined The Rolling Stones in the 1960s. That level of strength and stamina is no accident. As he has aged, Jagger has made health and fitness a priority. He doesn’t merely exercise; he trains. That shift in posture—from exercise to training—is one worth recognizing. Jagger has said, “I train five or six days a week, but I don’t go crazy. I’m training for stamina.”
Jagger may have hit the ‘gene lottery’ but he knows that is only starting capital. Aging well requires investment. Physical training compounds as physical wealth over time. The feeling and living with that wealth is not easily put into words.
Inspired New Year: Never forget, you are in control!
As you age, your body pleads for movement. Stiffness and aches are a warning, a heads-up from Nature. Exploit it or lose it. The control, or agency you have will not last forever. Without input from you, the imbalance, the downhill slide will become irreversible.
This piece of reality and clarity could serve your inspired new year entirely.
Maneuvering is defined as action intended to gain a tactical edge. I suggest you begin maneuvering, not just for spring fly-fishing but for life. World-wide population research is clear. Midlife (ages 40–70) emerges as a pivotal window for influencing continued functionality with age.
The less clinical and more applied message is, as we age, muscle tends to atrophy, weaken and shorten. Ligaments and tendons become more rigid. Thus, joints tend to stiffen and our range of motion naturally declines.
It is also true that you can heavily influence your midlife biological trajectory through lifestyle choices. Don’t wait until something hurts or breaks. Begin now. Build a reserve. It’s your stay-in-the-game insurance policy.
Life is tough, get tougher!
Categorized in: General Knowledge