Walt Disney, the founder of the Disney company and creator of the iconic Disneyland and Disney World theme parks, was known to have a fascination with eternal life.

He reportedly believed that technology could be used to extend human life and even invested in cryonics, the freezing of human bodies in the hope of reviving them in the future.

In addition, he allegedly wrote a letter to a cryonics company expressing his desire to be frozen after his death.

Disney's obsession with eternal life has been a topic of much discussion and speculation. Some people think it was a reflection of his desire to continue creating and contributing to the world for as long as possible.

Despite Disney's efforts to live forever, you simply cannot remain the same as you were yesterday. The harsh reality is that you are aging and you have no choice in this fact. There will be natural wear and tear on your body. But how quickly and how significant?

As a side note, up until the 1950s the great strides made in increasing human life expectancy, were almost entirely due to the elimination of infectious diseases, a constant risk factor that is not particularly age dependent. In other words, if you remove the possibility of death due to an accident or infectious disease. You may have a better quality of life but you won't necessarily live any longer.

But who wants to prolong a low-functioning, low-quality life as a result of metabolic syndrome? I mean, think about it, you want to live to be a "ripe old age" as long as you are still maintaining a high quality of life.

Right? But many over-40 men and women forget this one thing. You decide if your quality of life is getting better or worse.

Why Prevention Is Your Best Medicine

Prevention is undoubtedly the best medicine when it comes to creating health independence and reducing the chance of chronic illnesses.

The importance of avoiding health issues cannot be overstated, as it can help you live a longer, healthier life that's free from the burdens of preventable disease.

There are numerous ways in which prevention can be practiced, including progressive resistance training, mindful eating habits, stress management, and getting deep sleep.

By taking simple steps to protect and maintain your health, you can prevent numerous diseases and conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain types of cancer.

Prevention is especially important if you have a family history of chronic diseases.

Side note: A family history of certain conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes can increase your risk for developing these conditions.

However, by making healthy lifestyle choices, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing health problems.

This is where prevention becomes essential in order to manage the natural aging process.

Prevention also plays a critical role in navigating healthcare costs. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes can be very expensive to treat and can lead to long-term health complications.

By taking preventative measures to maintain good health, you can potentially avoid expensive medical treatments and the associated healthcare costs.

Here is an actionable list of things you can do to slow aging reduce the chance of preventable disease:

1. Exercise regularly: Regular physical activity, including cardiovascular and strength-training exercises, can help maintain muscle mass, improve bone density, and support overall health and well-being.
2. Practice mindful nutrition: A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats can help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, which are linked to aging.
3. Get enough sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. Poor sleep has been linked to increased inflammation and accelerated aging.
4. Manage stress: Chronic stress can contribute to accelerated aging. Practice stress-management techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises.
5. Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption: Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can damage cells and accelerate aging.
6. Protect your skin from sun damage: Use sunscreen and wear protective clothing when exposed to the sun to prevent skin damage and premature aging.
7. Stay socially engaged: Maintaining social connections has been linked to better cognitive function and longevity.
8. Keep your brain active: Engage in mentally stimulating activities such as reading, puzzles, or learning a new skill to maintain cognitive function and memory.
9. Consider supplements: Some supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, may help support healthy aging. Be sure to speak with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen.
10. Stay up-to-date with healthcare: Regular check-ups with a healthcare provider can help identify and address health issues early, which can help prevent or slow down age-related decline.

Remember, prevention is key to a healthy and happy life.

Ask yourself these seven questions if you feel stuck:

• How is my attitude?
• How committed am I?
• How am I investing my time?
• How am I serving others?
• Where are my daily habits taking me?
• What one thing can I stop doing today that will help me achieve my goals?
• What is one thing I can start doing today that will help me achieve my goals?

It may seem like today was just like yesterday, but it wasn’t.

It was completely different.

You see, every day is unique.

Appearances can be deceiving and almost always are.

There may be times when things seem to be going along steadily, but this is an illusion.

In life, there is no such thing as staying in the same place.

There are no straight lines. Success is a curvy path.

If you’re not increasing, you’re decreasing. There is no status quo. You are either getting better or you’re getting worse.

If you’re not improving and moving closer to your goals. If you’re not making yourself leaner and stronger every day (or maintaining excellence). Then you’re losing ground.

“All I want to know is where I’m going to die so I’ll never go there.” ~ Charlie Munger

There’s a lot of wisdom in that quote. Sadly, prevention doesn’t get the respect it deserves because human beings typically don’t appreciate when bad things DON'T happen.

Consider the gratitude that comes when people give up alcohol and other vices, pay off debts, lose weight, or otherwise dig themselves out of holes. Yet, when was the last time you celebrated NOT getting yourself into trouble in the first place?

The unfortunate truth is that getting rescued from something terrible feels more rewarding than avoiding it altogether.

The doctor who conducts a high-risk surgery, exposing you to the perils of infections and complications, will seem more heroic than the doctor who renders the surgery unnecessary.

In my experience, the most heroic people are the intelligent ones who reduce the chance of catastrophes happening at all. But nobody celebrates or recognizes them. This creates a weird scenario where people are incentivized to put out fires instead of prevent them.

I’m writing about this because if you want to be successful, you need to think in terms of preventing fires instead of putting them out all day long.

Because while putting out fires might feel like winning, it keeps you stuck.

I’m sure you know a yo-yo dieter who has lost the same weight ten different times now. It may feel like ten different wins, but it’s not. It’s a whole lot of suffering with no real progress.

They grumble when the scale moves up several pounds and increases a few percentage points in bodyfat. Then they cheer when they lose a pound.

But from a net-net standpoint, they are still obese. Perhaps you've felt this way before.

My suggestion is to focus on prevention and fix your health issues before things become broken.

While you cannot change the past, where you go today and in the future is 100% up to you.

In conclusion, prevention will unlock success in your health.

Making healthy lifestyle choices and practicing preventative measures can help you maintain good health, prevent chronic diseases, and manage healthcare costs.

It's never too late to start making healthy choices that will positively impact your health in the long term.

To your success,

Coach Joe

Joseph Arangio helps 40+ men and women get leaner, stronger, and happier. He's delivered over 100,000 transformation programs to satisfied clients around the globe. If you want to lose weight from home, with the best online age-management personal trainer, or you want to visit the best longevity personal trainer in the Lehigh Valley, you can take a free 14-day trial.