Dear LPG,     

When I was young, I always decided that I never wanted to be old—and by “old” I think I meant an age much younger than what is accepted as old today. How old you are is a difficult question to answer because there are so many variables to consider.

What determines your age? Much is said about biological age as opposed to mental age, and then there is the question of how old you look and how old you feel. (And when I say “feel,” I am not only talking about physical aches and pains.) Outlook plays a big part, because what is going on inside you is often as visible as the clothes you are wearing when someone meets you for the first time.

In my humble opinion, a negative outlook often adds a giveaway look to the expression on your face, while positive thoughts tend to reflect the opposite—regardless of your age. Perhaps that is because what is inside has a way of being reflected in our body language as well as our facial expressions, and no facelift or extensive makeup can disguise that.

When you see someone you know, you only have to look at their face to work out whether you are going to be talking with their happy version, their angry version, their sad version, or even their inquisitive version. When meeting someone for the first time, we often try to hide what is going on inside. Some people are more adept at this external façade than others, just as it is easier for some to suppress certain emotions.

If we really think about it, most of us know someone over sixty who always looks depressed, while there will be someone else we can’t help but describe as eternally upbeat.

We all have bouts of low mood, and depression is perhaps the most difficult internal emotion to disguise. So, though it can be a hard habit to adopt, we should all practice looking at the positive aspects of every situation—if only to ensure that the people around us see the most positive countenance we can offer when we meet them. It is said that emotions can be contagious, and if that is true, we all have an obligation to spread positivity when we can.

Easier said than done, I hear you say—but “practice makes perfect,” and practising positivity can never be a bad thing…

CO, Kent. 

CO has found a few internet tips designed to get your brain thinking more positively…

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