fountain of youth

Well I'm back from my little getaway and feel recharged and ready to go. While I was away, I was reminded how important it is for us all to take a break every so often in order to recharge ourselves.
Do you know that old legend about how the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon, who was supposedly looking for the fountain of youth from tales told by local Indians, discovered Florida instead? Well, he wasn't the first person to be lured by a dream of eternal youth. Medieval stories claim Alexander the Great and others were also seeking it at one time and another.
And it seems like people are still looking for a fountain of youth in terms of creams or supplements or health regimens. But one thing I've noticed in studies of centenarians -- people who've lived 100 years or more -- is that they have certain things in common. And that's staying active, having interests, and keeping connected with their loved ones.
It's that important mind-body connection. Staying physically fit is important, but so also is keeping mentally and emotionally fit. Centenarians who were studied showed they handled stress well and were the type of people who could let their worries end at the end of each day. Like anyone else, they had their difficult or challenging experiences, but it was their positive response to those difficulties and challenges that enabled them to carry on.
So there may be a fountain of youth after all, but not exactly as we envisioned it. As the "ageless" Sophia Loren has said, "There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age."
And that's a fountain I think we can all dip into.