I read an interesting cover story in USA Today recently about Baby Boomers (those born from 1946 -1964.) It seems more and more “boomers” are “running, cycling, swimming, boot camping – doing just about anything that will keep them fit, outdoors and among friends.”
As we ‘boomer’s’ age we seem to be placing much more emphasis on our physical health than our parents did. That is largely due to the fact that our parents lived a lifestyle which was much less sedentary than ours. Their very way of life kept them physically fit.
Because life expectancies continue to get longer, they are now saying age 60 for the “boomers” is the new 40.
When I approached retirement age, I found myself struggling to keep up a routine of walking two miles every day. When I considered my late father walking two miles just for the sake of walking, I had to laugh. At age 70 he was fit, trim and as solid as a rock.
Maintaining our physical health should certainly be one of our top priorities if we are to continue to be happy and productive. But it is important that we address our mental health as well.
I shall never forget an old preacher who used to visit the church where I grew up at revival time. When called upon to pray, he would say, as a part of his prayer, “And Lord, I want to thank you that I woke up this morning and put my feet on the floor in a sound mind.”
Certainly, a sound mind is something for which we should be grateful, and a subject we might do well to give more thought.
The great Dr. William Menninger, founder of the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, KS, gave us a fine definition of a sound mind, or mental health.
He said, in essence, “Let us define mental health as the adjustment of human beings to the world and to each other with a maximum of efficiency and happiness.”
Dr. Menninger went on to say “It is the ability to maintain an even temper, an alert intelligence, socially considerate behavior, and a happy disposition.”
The late Earl Nightingale wrote, “As we grow up, these four sides of our personalities should also develop, so that, ideally, we become totally mature people. But what actually happens (and it’s much easier to see it in another person than in ourselves) is that we usually grow up in some areas of our life and stay childish in others: we tend to grow up lopsided.”
I have given these four areas considerable thought over the years.
Maintaining an even temper is not an easy task. Someone once said, “It is better to have a cool head and a heart on fire than to be a cold-hearted, hot head.” Anger, if not carefully managed, can destroy relationships and even impact one’s physical health. It has a way of eating away at one’s personality. A marvelous rule of thumb comes from the Good Book, “Let not the sun go down on your wrath.” A well placed “I’m sorry” can sometimes work wonders.
In order to enjoy an alert intelligence, we must continue to challenge our minds. My late grandmother, Lena Brim enjoyed a sharp mind well into her nineties. She constantly stimulated her brain by working crossword puzzles. There are millions of “pathways” in the human brain. When they stop being used, they stop being usable.
The subject of socially considerate behavior baffles me most. Why can’t we be kind and considerate to other people? Have we become so obsessed with “me” that we have no room for others? I firmly believe that most mental illness can be traced to “me-i-tis.”
Many years ago, a 100 year-old man was a guest on the Johnny Carson Show. As he talked with his host, the old gentleman laughed easily and was a general cut-up.
“You seem to be a very happy person,” Mr. Carson observed.
“What is the secret to your happiness?”
“Well,” said the old gentleman, “I figure when I get up in the morning I have two choices. I can be happy, or I can be unhappy. I simply choose to be happy.”
I believe maintaining our mental health, like happiness, is a choice. But after we make our choice, there remains much work to be done.
Copyright 2025 by Jack McCall
