In this day and age, it is not at all unlikely to live past 100 years. The oldest person in the world lived to 122 years! We can all expect to be centenarians one day, and possibly even supercentenarians.
Many scientists view aging as a disease, one that doesn’t need to happen. As they come to understand the cumulative effects of the genes that cause our cellular ageing, growing old may one day not be necessary. Unfortunately, until then, we are all faced with the slow senescence of our cells and bodies – the gradual accumulation of changes that draw us finally toward death.
We as members of society prepare for our ageing. We plan for retirement. We write wills. We make arrangements to care for ourselves. We plan our funerals. We prepare for our deaths.
But are we living to 100 or are we dying to 100?
We must start thinking how our bodies, which have been genetically programmed to die, will carry us past 100. Changes to our body, to our lifestyle do not happen overnight. We can not awaken one day and expect our bodies to be fit. Our bodies are designed to age. Our bodies are destined for the grave. Our bodies are naturally going to follow the course of slow change that leads inevitably to death.
Living to 100 requires everyday preparation: physical, mental, and spiritual preparation to reach beyond what our body would let us have. We must think and act as if we are living to 100, not dying to 100. We must work to prepare our bodies and minds to carry us beyond.