Better Wellness
The “Better Wellness” podcast is about the discovery of the many different aspects of human wellness, including innovations in such topics as meditation, mindfulness, yoga, nutrition, stress, sleep and the effects of depression and anxiety on the human body. The podcast also gives equal importance on the body and mind.
Guests include World Class experts and visionaries in the world of wellness. The show is hosted by Roland Perez, author and award-winning PBS Executive Producer of the “American Health Journal” and “Healthy Kids” and Janet Walker, writer and producer for the “American Health Journal” and “Healthy Kids” and host of the podcast "Healthy Cells Healthy You with Janet Walker".
Better Wellness
Living Wide: Rethinking How We Measure Our Lives
What if we've been measuring our lives all wrong? In this thought-provoking conversation with David Delrahim, we challenge conventional thinking about aging and longevity, exploring the profound concept that life's value lies in its width rather than its length.
Delrahim shares wisdom that transcends cultural boundaries, including the saying, "life is not about the length, it's about the width." This perspective invites us to reconsider how we approach each day of our existence. Rather than viewing age as a limiting factor, Delrahim encourages seeing it as merely a measurement tool—a counter of time that needn't define our capabilities or mindset.
Whether you're contemplating your own relationship with aging or seeking inspiration for living more fully at any stage of life, this episode offers valuable insights for breaking free from age-based limitations and embracing each day as an opportunity for meaning, growth, and celebration. Join us in discovering how to live wide rather than just living long.
From the producers of PBS's American Health Journal and Innovations in Medicine. Thank you for listening to Better Wellness.
How do you measure your life? Every one of us gets older, but is our goal living a longer life or living a full one? As people live longer, they're redefining what it means to grow older, embracing life with vitality and purpose. We're here today with David Delrahim and we're going to talk about something we all talk about is age. Some of us think about it more than others, and I think of it as a number, and some of my friends think that it's a destination to die. They get in their 80s and they go well, I'm not going to buy a new car because I'm going to be dead soon. I actually had a friend of mine say that to me. So you stop growing. If you're not going to buy a new car, you're not going to go out, you're not going to go out and do something interesting, you're not going to go on a trip. Then what are you doing? You're dying. So I'm interested in what you feel about when I say the word age.
David Delraheim:Age is a counter of the time that we're in. One year, two year, all the way. We're just counting the time. So there are. It's a measurement. It's a measurement tools. That's that's really. That's, that's all of this.
David Delraheim:There are three components time, place, and we call it, opponents, duality. Those are with us. Time we are born and eventually we expire. That is time Every day, and it's moving forward. That's why you cannot buy yesterday. It's over. It only goes forward. Right.
David Delraheim:Place, where is it? Planet Earth, and the opponents that we call it is just like. You know what good and bad they're both here. Which one you want In a time and a place, and that gives us a direction in life. That's really I just summed it up our own life and aging process and all of these things.
David Delraheim:The Persians have an old say. They say life is not about the length, it's about the width, it's not about how many years you're on this planet, it's about what you do with the time on this planet. And the menu is good and bad. That's what was on the menu. So age could be looked at as a process of evolution, could be looked at as a process of evolution because every moment of every day you looked at the same menu, good and bad, and you just had to pick the right meal for the day, for that moment perhaps, and you accumulate all of these experiences and we learn, and we evolve and we gain wisdom. And then, of course, there's a point that we get expired. But I don't believe in that, because we are energy and energy does not die. We come back to another place, the time starts and the menu is still going to be the same.
Roland Perez:And the menu is still going to be the same. Old Korean I think it was a Korean saying that you die and your children come to your funeral. So who's dead here? You keep living through your children, your grandchildren and before you know it, you're actually the part of your ancestors. It's all one big chain. It's just one chain and you never really die. You're always there, you're always moving, and I think moving is part of age.
David Delraheim:Well, you know what. We are so fascinated by this age and death that perhaps we're spending too much time. Death is inevitable, aging is inevitable because everything is moving forward. What do we do in that space, in that capsule? It's really what matters. We started at one level and by the time we are ready to say goodbye. Which level are we at? And that is our resume. We are ready to say goodbye. Which level are we at? And that is our resume. So I know we are all seeking longevity, we want to live 200 years, but it's not about the length, it's about the wealth. What do we do? What do we do with this? One day, a wise man once asked me how is life going? I said I'll take it one day at a time. He said you take it one day at a time. I said yeah. He said no, no, no, no, no. You take it one moment at a time. A day is an eternity.
Roland Perez:Wow, it's fascinating. It's so true A day could be a lifetime.
David Delraheim:Could be a lifetime right. So what do we do today, which is eternity?
Roland Perez:One of the things that always fascinates me is that the mindset that we have as human beings the mindset that we have as human beings we hit the age of 70. And so the first thing we do, we start acting 70. Because that's what we're supposed to do. We're supposed to let other people know that we're 70. We're not working anymore. We're playing golf a couple of times a week. This is what people do when they're 70. I have never been like that. I don't care how old I am, I have things the width again. It's part of what I do each day Get up in the morning shower. Get up in the morning shower, do something for the day. That's the most important. But honestly, I'm a rare bird. I measure myself by my friends and I have to tell you they're acting their age because they're supposed to and what we have to do is break ourselves out of that, Because they're supposed to.
David Delraheim:And what we have to do is break ourselves out of that. Well, we live a life that in most cases, we're living actually a belief system that we have been programmed with. Life is life, it's constant Living. We're in charge of that. It's just we are the writer. And here's the pen. How am I going to write my living for today and for many years to come? Why don't we just park the age, the number, the clicker on the sideline Doesn't matter, because a lot of 70 year old they're acting like seven year old and you know, some of the teenagers are acting so wisely.
David Delraheim:So you know what 17, a 40 or a 50-year-old man living in a 17-year-old body. So got to keep the age, the number, the clicker and the sideline and write your life or living each and every day. You're in charge of it. I believe while you are on this planet, you have to live your life to its optimal, to its maximum, and this is what cocoon is all about To create that awareness, give you proper support so you can do that. Can we do that? Yes, when I walk around and I see people, interestingly, by the time they get to age 70, 72,. You're absolutely right. They're acting like they're old. They're not If they take care of their body. They're not If they take care of their mind and their emotions. They're not, but they are acting like one. Well, if they're acting, they become one.
Roland Perez:Yeah, just like a good actor plays a part and then he gets off stage, he gets in the car and he's still playing the part. He gets so involved in playing that part. You have to. Every once in a while, I have to catch myself and say it's time for a transformation, it's a time for a, it's time for me to cocoon a little bit here. It's time for me to make a transformation from one to the other, because I get bored.
David Delraheim:You know, I want to give you a perspective about our birthdays. We celebrate birthdays having a cake, candles blowing the whole nine yards right. What are we celebrating? Are we celebrating that we were born on a day like this? I mean many years later, even if we could even hit 100 years, we are still doing it. I believe we are celebrating the year that just passed. We were blessed enough to be alive, we were blessed enough and we are celebrating the wisdom that we have received, that today I'm at a completely different level than a year before. That is what we should be celebrating and for that, every day is your birthday. Every day that you wake up, you open up your eyes and you can move your hands and legs and you can walk around and see all the beauties in life. That is your birthday. Don't wait a year to celebrate.
Roland Perez:Celebrate it every day, just having a birthday, and I was just wondering myself, was I celebrating where I was or where I'm going to be? And I thought to myself when I left, I said now, what will the next year bring me? And I think that's the mentality.
David Delraheim:That is the mentality so you know what this whole age? I know we are working on longevity and people. You know what I believe I see the longevity through being able to live your best life at any age, it doesn't matter. Just put that number on the sideline and live your life. Live your life to its fullest.
David Delraheim:You know, a few years back I went into one of these senior living because somebody died and they had the memorial service there, so I got there a little bit early just walking around. You know what I saw vividly. I remember this gentleman that's been in his I don't know mid 80s sitting all by himself on this cold concrete bench and looking straight at the wall. No one was around him, no one. And I said this really is not fair. This man, at some point of his life, care of a family and here he is just looking at this wall alone, waiting for that caravan of death to arrive. This is not what life is about. Life is about living, it's about moving. And even back then gave me some really inspirations about what should be about that next stage of living creating communities, helping people, even at their older, you know ages, to have the dignity that they deserve, to experience that love you know. So for that man to live 120 years, for what?
Roland Perez:Right. Put away the measuring tape and wake up every morning and it's your birthday.
David Delraheim:It is your birthday. It is your birthday.
Roland Perez:Well, happy birthday, david, and thank you for coming in today.
David Delraheim:Happy birthday to you, Roland, as well.
Roland Perez:For our listeners. I hope, like David, that you can learn to face each day as a new beginning. And happy birthday. And remember, the Better Wellness podcast is available just about anywhere, including Spotify, amazon Music and iHeartRadio. So once again, thanks for supporting Better Wellness. I'm your host, roland Perez. Thanks for listening.
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