QUOTE OF THE DAY
“A stranger is a friend I haven’t met yet.”
― Dan Buettner, The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest
IDEA OF THE DAY
I’ve been waiting for this week. A newsletter all about connection! Creating it, building it, nourishing it….I just LOVE building a sense of belonging for myself and others! And as we are connecting the dots, the final piece of the puzzle to being a blue zone centenarian is all about connection.
Let’s delve into the three core areas of connection.
Belong
Blue Zone Researchers interviewed 263 centenarians around the world. All but five had some form of connection to a faith-based community. Your community may be in your church, sangha, running group, or book club. Ensuring weekly connections with your community has been shown to add 4-14 years of life expectancy. So sign up for that trivia night, join that new meetup group, or volunteer at your local food bank! There is no limit to the ways you can get involved with groups that hold meaning for you.
Loved ones First
Whether it is your given family or your chosen family, keeping them nearby can make a huge impact on your physical and mental well-being. Successful centenarians in the blue zones place a high value on putting family first. Being intentional with living close by or making an effort to check in on one another can add to building a strong sense of belonging and emotional connection.
Right Tribe
In Dan’s words, “The world’s longest-lived people chose–or were born into–social circles that supported healthy behaviors, Okinawans created ”moais”–groups of five friends that committed to each other for life.”
Whether you have already established a close-knit community or you are still working on finding your tribe, you can go about it in a very intentional way. What kinds of values do you want to be surrounded by? What lets you know that you feel safe, connected, and a sense of belonging? Go from there and let it guide you forward in deepening your connections to your community.
Thank you for making this journey with me. I hope that you’re able to take a few nuggets of wisdom from the blue zones project. If you’d like to get more involved on a local level, Petaluma has joined the blue zone movement (woop woop!), and if you live further away, you can find a community near you.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Who do you spend your time with? How do they shape who you are?