There was a little boy who never wanted to grow up. He lived with a group of other little boys who felt the same way. This group of little boys thought they were happy until they discovered that there was something missing in their lives. They didn’t have a mother. . . .

That’s how the story of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys began. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a fairy tale like this came true? Sadly, we live in a world of reality.

Unlike Peter, we do grow up and as we do, we grow older.

Juan Ponce de Leon trekked across Florida and the Caribbean centuries ago searching for the illusive Fountain of Youth. Little did he know that he would leave behind a legacy that is still alive and well today!

In fact, this relentless search for youth can be traced back to ancient civilians who blamed the gods for old age.

Every day we are bombarded with the “not so subliminal” message that youth and good looks are all that matters. This message is coming through loud and clear at the same time that we are living longer than ever before.

Comedian George Burns lived to 100. When asked if his doctor knew he still smoked, Burns said, “No. . .he’s dead! George was that rare exception to the smoking rule. But, he did beat all the odds!

Yes, you can change your own destiny. The only question is whether you are willing to make the changes necessary to fight the aging process.

There is little mystery about it. We have evolved to the point where we live in a genetically evolved body that can withstand the ravages of time as no other point in known history.

Yet, we ingest foods that constantly attack the immune system. We pour tons of fat down our throats. We sit behind computers all day with little or no exercise. Then, we become concerned when our bodies finally fight back.

It’s never too late to flip the hourglass and start over. While we can’t always remodel an outdated house or body, we can take steps to see that we take full advantage of every day we have remaining.