Optimal Aging: Get Over Getting Older

"Age is a state of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter." These are Mark Twain's words and they hint at the mind's role in aging. Psychologists Albert Ellis and Emmett Velten have gone beyond Twain to more specifically define ways the mind influences how we age. Albert Ellis defined the ABC model of perception. "A" is the perception, "B" is the thought or belief, and "C" is the reaction. So changing the thoughts or beliefs at "B" changes how we react to the world. This book applies this cognitive theory to the specific area of aging. The authors take many of the assumptions about what it is to grow older and challenge those assumptions. There are abundant examples, both from their clients lives as well as their own, of people changing their lives by changing their beliefs and optimizing their life styles. It is a well thought out venture into aging demonstrating clearly that optimal aging can truly be a case of "mind over matter." Highly recommended for all those who will be one day older tomorrow.