The Success Secret of the “Over 100” Crowd
One of the fastest growing segments of the population today is people who are more than 100 years old. A recent article states that back in 1990 there were about 37,000 of them here in the U.S. By 2008, the number had swelled to 84,000. And estimates state that by 2040, there will be more than 500,000 “centenarians” living in the United States. Living beyond 100 years – that’s an amazing accomplishment! Because, as the article points out, people who live to 100 are not just people who made it to 80 and then tacked on an additional 20 years of physical and mental decline. People who live to be 100 often avoid the chronic illnesses associated with age altogether. No diabetes, no heart disease, no Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases. Another interesting thing that the article pointed out was that centenarians were, as a group, much happier about their financial situations that any other age group. When asked, 95% of them responded that they had enough money to meet their needs, while 76% said that they even had enough to by the extras that make life even more enjoyable. The article then went on to highlight a surprising fact. Of the centenarians surveyed, nearly 40% had no financial reserves whatsoever. And another 37% had enough money for life’s necessities, but no “extra” money for more pleasurable purchases. Yet, 95% felt they had all the money they needed to meet their needs. As someone whose career is built around ensuring the financial futures of everyday people, I find that fact amazing. And inspiring. Because it points out something that I think is so important, but so simple, that it’s often overlooked. We choose how to feel about our circumstances. Whether we have a lot or a little, we can always choose to be happy. It may be easier to feel happy when you have a lot of money, but at the end of the day, we’re the ones who choose to put a smile on our faces when we get up in the morning. Let’s take a lesson from the valuable and inspirational members of our society. Let’s do the things that we know we need to do to secure our own financial futures, and let’s choose to be happy. And maybe we can be the inspiration for a future generation!
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The Success Secret of the “Over 100” Crowd
Written by Admin on May 13, 2010 under Featured, Insurance Basics, Uncategorized.
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