Copyright (c) 2009 Stephen Lau Since time immemorial, kings and emperors, sages and scientists, as well as ordinary folks like you and I, have sought longevity and the fountain of youth. In other words, we all wish to become younger and healthier for longer. However, being able to become younger and healthier for longer may become a dream for many and a realty only for a few. Who in the right mind would not want to be younger and healthier for longer? Maybe except for those plagued by the ravages of diseases, or those afflicted by emotional disorders, such that they would seek the comfort of death as opposed to living a life of pain and suffering. There are advantages of being younger for longer, or looking younger than the chronological age. You may have an edge over others in different ways: you may look more productive in work, more energetic in life, and more appealing to the opposite sex. All these factors contribute to your overall mental and emotional health and wellness. In life, it is important that you feel good about yourself. Self-confidence and self-esteem often hold the key to success in any endeavor in life. Remember, good mental and emotional health is conducive to the wellness and well-being in an individual. So, you can see looking younger is more than just vanity. To be healthier for longer is also a desire of many. Without good health, life becomes a living of pain and suffering. Although diseases and ailments may be as inevitable as death, many recover and recuperate from them, and brace themselves for yet another onslaught further down the road. This is life, and the human spirit at its best. Unfortunately, as we age, we become more vulnerable to these setbacks in health. This is when we all wish we could be healthier for longer. The advantage of being healthier for longer is that disease-free living affords you an opportunity to make better use of your time and stamina to do the things you wish to accomplish in your life. In other words, being healthier for longer gives you better opportunities for success in life. There is no dispute that everyone wants to be younger and healthier for longer. It is a dream for many, but only a reality for a few. To become younger and healthier for longer is a Herculean task. In life, the road to being younger and healthier for longer is paved with good intentions. A wish is no more than a thought. To turn it into a reality is something else. For one thing, the American culture does not nurture and promote the concept of being younger and healthier for longer. Americans want a "quick fix" for any problem. (Just look at the economic bailout plan to fix the American economy.) When one has the mentality that not only "anything" can be fixed but also can be fixed "quickly," one may have the tendency to overlook the causes of the problem itself. For example, fix an aging face with Botox, which can instantly eliminate lines on your wrinkled face. With that mentality, it is easy for one to go on a lifestyle on the fast lane - smoking, drinking, taking drugs, and worshiping the sun. When a problem occurs, just fix it! Quite often, a "quick fix" may create only more problems down the road. For example, instead of natural healing (which normally takes time), taking pharmaceutical drugs may only cure the symptoms of a disease, while infusing the body with more chemical toxins. The American culture does not make it easier for one to become younger and healthier for longer.