LH121 — Be Kind, Age Well Part 2

Life Habits

Karel and Paige welcome back MJ Shaar for the second half of our conversation about aging well. We conclude this two part episode with MJ Shaar discussing the key role that kindness plays in helping us age well. She explains how simple acts of kindness can boost mood, improve relationships, and contribute to overall health and well-being. MJ provides practical ways to incorporate kindness into daily life and emphasizes the importance of making kindness a choice rather than a goal. She also highlights the impact kindness has on self-perception and the development of better habits. MJ encourages us all to choose a purposeful retirement that includes being kind to maintain a sense of purpose and meaning in life. From elevating mood to nurturing relationships, kindness emerges as a cornerstone for fostering a vibrant and fulfilling life in later years and the key component for aging well.

Quotes from this episode:

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” — C.S. Lewis

“First, we make our choices. Then, our choices make us.” — Anne Frank

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:08 Insightful and Inspirational Quotes
02:43 Recap of Be Kind, Age Well Part 1
04:38 The Importance of Kindness in Aging Well
05:13 The Role of Dopamine in Aging Well
06:15 Kindness as a Counterbalance to Aging
08:33 Kindness and the Development of Better Habits
11:20 Kindness as a Self-Reinforcing Behavior
12:46 Kindness and Improved Relationships
13:30 The Impact of Kindness on Aging Well
15:15 WEAR: Wisdom, Encouragement, Attention, Resources
24:28 The Impact of Kindness on Self-Perception and Gut-Brain Relationship
27:58 Practical Ways to Inject Kindness into Daily Life
39:13 The Importance of Choosing a Purposeful Retirement
42:38 Conclusion

Episode Resources

Key Takeaways:

Acts of kindness are crucial for aging well, improving mood, relationships, and overall health.

Kindness should be a daily choice, integrated into routine actions for meaningful impact.

Embracing kindness positively affects self-perception and promotes healthier habits as we age.

Purposeful retirement, with kindness at its core, sustains meaning and fulfillment in life.

Kindness is fundamental to aging well, benefiting not only individual well-being but also broader aspects of health and happiness.

Practicing kindness fosters better habits and enriches life, emphasizing its transformative power in daily interactions.

Simple acts of compassion, attention, and encouragement demonstrate the accessibility and importance of kindness in our lives.

Choosing kindness enhances self-perception and promotes a healthier gut-brain relationship, leading to a more balanced state of being.

Prioritizing kindness and purpose in retirement significantly contributes to overall well-being and happiness, underscoring its importance across all stages of life.