{"data":{"id":"64727b27-e7ba-45b8-a79d-08f5623c7d39","updated_at":"2024-10-23T14:12:14Z","template_id":"73046548-86ec-431a-aca0-75b53bc936f3","localized":{"blocks":[{"id":"8fa3105e-6cf0-47aa-a3c1-f0df50f7e5c5","kind":"richtext","template_id":null,"content_html":"

Recently I watched a TV special on the Rolling Stones. The last hour of the program was focused on the life of guitarist Keith Richards who still plays like a 40 year old although he will be turning 80 later this year.

By all accounts, Keith should be dead by now.

I think he knows it when he smiles while answering questions about his former rock and roll lifestyle.

Keith didn’t adhere to the recommended healthy-living guidelines we live by today.

For years he consumed a bottle of Jack Daniels a day versus the recommended current guideline of two drinks a week.

He also smoked heavily for 50+ years and it’s estimated that he lite up at minimum 500,000 cigarettes during that time (he just quit smoking about 3 years ago).

Keith has never followed the healthy Mediterranean diet of olive oil, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and mostly fish, legumes and nuts for protein. In fact his favorite meal is bangers and mash (sausages and mash potatoes) and he also enjoys burgers, steak, and fish.

Additionally, until fairly recently Keith wasn’t worried about staying in shape and didn’t exercise at all. So, the million dollar question is;

How does someone like Keith Richards survive decades of hard drug use, drink and smoke heavily, not exercise, eat the wrong foods and still be alive and thriving?

I thought long and hard on this and I believe the answer is because he found passion and purpose in the work he does.

Unlike many of us Keith found his “thing”. The reason why he was put on this planet and at age 80 his purpose-driven life - doing work that he loves to do is what keeps him alive and healthy.

Keith is happiest when he is playing his guitar - it’s what he loves to do.

Being a member of the Rolling Stones gives Keith a sense of identity, it keeps him socially engaged and he benefits from the companionship and camaraderie with his other band mates.

When playing in front of an audience you can see Keith come alive. It puts him in a state of flow where he is swallowed up by the passion for what he is doing. It allows him to express himself giving him a core sense of who he is along with a strong sense of connection to others.

Keith is living proof that health and longevity is not just about healthy food choices or how much we exercise.

Keith’s purpose made his life worth living and playing in the band in front of audiences likely protected him from all those poor lifestyle choices he made over the past 50+ years.

People with purpose are both psychologically and physiologically healthier and science is starting to recognize this.

Studies have proven that people who have a strong purpose in life benefit from improved well-being, including better sleep; fewer strokes and heart attacks; and a lower risk of dementia, disability, and premature death.

Keith was lucky – he found purpose early in life but many of us are not that fortunate.

We are forced to defer finding our purpose until our other important needs are met. Raising the kids, achieving financial security, saving up for retirement are a priority. But once that is behind us we have a chance to find our purpose and become the person we were always meant to be.

Finding fulfillment and meaning through some purposeful activity will allow you to enjoy old age instead of growing smaller and spending your time complaining to others about your ailments or being bored.

Purpose is something that we need until our last breath. And Keith Richards continues to show up and show us how this is possible.

Interested in learning more about Keith Richards? Here is a recent interview;

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Susan Williams is the visionary founder of Booming Encore. With over 28 years of experience in corporate senior leadership and executive roles, she realized there was a significant gap in resources for those seeking a purposeful and healthy later life. Driven by her passion to make a difference, she decided that if she couldn't find it, she would create it and launched Booming Encore in 2013.

Since then, the Booming Encore has organically grown into a globally recognized authority on retirement, aging, and longevity. Susan’s commitment to empowering individuals is further reflected in her co-authorship of Retirement Heaven or Hell: Which Will You Choose? and her contributions to Longevity Lifestyle by Design.

An engaging speaker and advocate, Susan passionately shares the importance of all the aspects that can help people positively live, embrace and contribute in their later years. Today, she’s not just helping others create their own “booming encore”—she is actually living hers. Join her on this inspiring journey and also live your best booming encore!

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Founder, Booming Encore

","summary_text":"Founder, Booming Encore"},"profile_type_id":"9822821d-c96a-4ece-a318-c42ca4715c88","first_name":"Susan","last_name":"Williams","pronoun":null,"avatar_image_url":"https://assets.boomingencore.omerloclients.com/community/ed43bb2b-6424-4ae7-b162-7f389c6f1f20.jpg"},"925fc6c8-c4a7-4e71-9250-811d55bacc8c":{"id":"925fc6c8-c4a7-4e71-9250-811d55bacc8c","kind":"person","updated_at":"2024-04-06T16:16:09Z","other_name":null,"localized":{"locale":"en","description_html":"

Mike Drak is a Senior Contributor at Booming Encore and the Author of the best-selling book Victory Lap Retirement, Retirement Heaven or Hell and Longevity Lifestyle by Design. Along with being an Author, Mike is also an award winning blogger, retirement coach and public speaker and has made appearances on BNN, CBC Radio and iHeart radio. He is a thirty-eight year veteran of the financial services industry and lives with his wife Melina in Toronto, Canada.

","description_text":"Mike Drak is a Senior Contributor at Booming Encore and the Author of the best-selling book Victory Lap Retirement, Retirement Heaven or Hell and Longevity Lifestyle by Design. Along with being an Author, Mike is also an award winning blogger, retirement coach and public speaker and has made appearances on BNN, CBC Radio and iHeart radio. He is a thirty-eight year veteran of the financial services industry and lives with his wife Melina in Toronto, Canada. ","summary_html":null,"summary_text":null},"profile_type_id":"9822821d-c96a-4ece-a318-c42ca4715c88","first_name":"Mike","last_name":"Drak","pronoun":null,"avatar_image_url":"https://assets.boomingencore.omerloclients.com/community/da8953e0-d9ff-4dc3-b11c-9274bf17aa59.jpeg"}},"profile_types":{"9822821d-c96a-4ece-a318-c42ca4715c88":{"id":"9822821d-c96a-4ece-a318-c42ca4715c88","key":"contributors","kind":"person","updated_at":"2024-02-27T21:26:34Z","localized":{"name":"Contributors","locale":"en"}}}}}