Most of us don’t want to think of ourselves 20, 30, 40 or 50 years from now. We tend to imagine ourselves just like we are today, or project a movie of ourselves shot through a soft-focus rosy filter with beautiful lighting.

But our job, our primary job in life, is to make sure we get to 73 one day. And the path we take will determine what that 73 looks like. Take a look at Ernestine Shepherd at 73!

Video here!

Now, you might think that my blogging about Ernestine has to do with her body. Well…

she looks great – low body fat and lots of impressive muscle. But what I really like about her is her liveliness, her attitude, the way she’s passionate about life. She could be running only a mile a day (only!) and carry less muscle and she’d still be impressive for her passion about health and the way she’s sharing that with others.

Her body is not the point… it’s the result of the way she lives.
That’s really my philosophy: focus on the living, the connection between people, the meaning. Health will follow.

Make no mistake about it. What you decide and do today will determine the quality of your life at 73, 83, 93, even 103. (I’m personally counting on at least 100 years!) Be proactive! Design it for yourself – if you want to be spry and lively at 73, make sure the way you live today leads there.

I also love the way she has taken a tragic event in her life, the death of her sister, and turned it into a positive by helping others. This really speaks to me because that’s part of my life as well and it’s a big motivating factor for me. I know every person I help to change their lifestyle and lose weight permanently is a living testament to what my sister wanted for both of us – a vibrant, healthy life.

Bemoaning our losses in life while sitting on the sofa and eating doesn’t do much for anyone, and it certainly doesn’t honor the person we miss so much. They deserve more than our depression and defeat. They deserve joy, spread around in their name.