Faith is a non-topic in longevity discussions. It shouldn't be.

As we approach the holiday season my thoughts turn to keeping it together as we welcome family, prepare for travel, and decorate (well, my wife Amy really does the decorating) every room in our home with festive trees. 

I’m also watching the news feeds and seeing mass shootings, in the US as well as worldwide, the dismantling of our public health service using non-science to justify changing vaccine schedules and causing untold future harm, the potentially doubling of health care costs for a significant number of Americans to fund ICE detention centers, and the list goes on and on. 

In all of this, I take a deep breath and wonder sometimes how to get through it all. 

Over the last several weeks, I’ve been listening to a daily podcast series about Advent, the time of preparation for Christians before the birth of Christ. The focus of the series is on allowing ourselves time in silence to hear what God is trying to tell us. That is certainly very counter-cultural, as most people can’t stand to wait in line quietly for more than ten seconds without pulling out their cell phone and getting immersed in some mindless videos or a reel to watch. 

It is a lesson that there is a time and a place for everything, including spending some time alone with your own thoughts and trying to listen to something greater than ourselves out there in the universe.

Faith is an interesting non-topic in longevity discussions. Rarely do you hear of a deep conversation between two wellness experts about how their faith impacts and strengthens their efforts in searching for optimal healthspan and longevity. 

That's unfortunate, for many reasons. The first of which is that we all need to believe in a force (call it God, Allah, Yahweh, Brahman, Buddha, Waheguru, Dao, Tian) greater than ourselves to guide and encourage us as we walk through life. 

Second, along this journey, we tend to meet other people searching for the same thing. I use the term tribe to describe the need to have a small group of people who support us in our journey through the ups and downs of life; celebrating our successes and helping us through the difficult times. And at some point, there will always be difficult times. 

Third is the exploration of meaning and purpose. It is through faith that we explore the “Big Questions” like, Why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing with my life? Why do all these things happen, and what do they mean? How does all this fit together? 

Faith also gives us the humility to realize that there are things more important than whether I hit that personal record in my next squat session. It gives us a different perspective to approach life and where we spend our time and talent. For me, it is the ultimate grounding and realization that for all the good work I try to do on this earth—and I genuinely believe I do at least try—one day I will leave this planet. The likelihood is also that in a very short time after that, I will all but be forgotten. 

So why make the effort? A fair question. My faith also tells me that no life is wasted. Every person is created for a singular purpose unique to that individual, imbued with specific talents to address issues in a particular time. How we utilize those talents is entirely up to us as individuals with free will. 

We can choose to climb the corporate ladder and accumulate as much wealth and power as possible. We can also choose to spend our time searching for a better way to provide homes to people on the margins of society. Each of those paths can lead to making the world a better place if done with the right intent. Each of those can also lead to exploitation of those around us if done selfishly. 

It is through the lens of faith that many people, myself included, filter our choices. Over time, I have become very comfortable talking to my patients about their faith practice and spiritual journey. To me, it is just as important as putting together the right nutritional regimen or workout routine. 

I am also well aware that one person’s belief system should not be imposed on another. If you do not have a spiritual or faith-based practice that still does not lessen the importance of contemplating meaning and purpose in your life. In the blue zone of Okinawa it is called ikigai, translated as the ‘reason for being’. It is a daily, lived sense of purpose that keeps people physically, mentally, and socially engaged into advanced age. Some would call that faith. 

As we enter into this holiday season, my wish and prayer for you is that you will find a few moments of silence to be alone with your thoughts and understand your ikigai. If you practice a particular faith, then know it is an important part of your longevity journey. Lean into that practice and understand that doing so helps to bring clarity and strength as you move forward through this season and into the new year. 

Be well. 

- Angelo