It’s no secret that people are constantly searching for the Fountain of Youth.  You head down the supplement aisle at the drug store, look for the latest diet fad, and check out the self help section on Amazon.  Although there are no hard rules for longevity, we came up with a few tips that could help improve your quality of life.

1. Be thoughtful and kind to everyone you meet – you never know the kind of day someone is having. By sharing a smile or lending a helping hand you could have a positive impact on someone’s day.
2. Go out of your way to help others. Besides the clear reason that it’s just a nice thing to do, think about your mother and father in a situation where they need help and the only people around are complete strangers. You would want someone to help them in this situation, correct?
3. Be honest. Honesty is the best policy. If someone values your opinion and they find out you lied to them, chances are you will be in a worse situation than if you just told them the truth in the first place.
4. Stand up to bullies. If civil rights activists didn’t stand up for what they believed in, we may still be living in a segregated world to this day.
5. Don’t procrastinate, do it now. There is no better time than the present. If you wait to handle something, often you forget details and the quality of work is subpar because you are rushing to meet a deadline.
6. Make time for the people who mean the most to you. Life is not constant. People grow up, move away, and change. You don’t want to be wondering “what if?” or wishing you spent more time with someone.
7. Be polite. Simple things such as saying please and thank you can go a long way. People like to feel appreciated, by saying thank you or telling someone how much you appreciate them, you can have a positive impact on their day and their opinion of you.
8. Live modestly. Save income for early retirement so you can enjoy years of public service, non-profit work and spending your days doing activities that make you the happiest.
9. Take care of yourself. Exercise. Eat healthy. Try to get eight hours of sleep. If you aren’t looking out for yourself, who will?
10. Learn from the past, live in the present, and plan for the future.

By Marissa Kleiner– Guest Blogger