The famous phrase “live fast die young” comes from the 1940s novel Knock On Any Door by Willard Motley, made into a movie starring Humphrey Bogart. The entire phrase was: “I wanna live fast, die young and leave a beautiful corpse.” A horrid picture to paint, in my opinion. Fortunately though, that notion is fast dying out. That’s been the sentiment of the previous age, and has passed for glamour and glory. Now let’s explore a new glamour: Life and living. And how to activate the “ageless algorithm.”
Algorithms are a set of instructions implemented to solve a puzzle or problem, and programming turns them on or off. So let’s start with the programming, run by the hardware and operating systems that comprise the human being.
Many scholars and philosophers have agreed that we become what we think about. As Marcus Aurelius said, “A soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” It follows then that a society or person preoccupied with or engaged with death will become death.
“You are what you eat,” said Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in 1825 in his book, the title of which translates as Physiology of Taste or Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy. ¹ The title of his book encapsulates not only food that you eat but also food for thought. Keep this under consideration as we now turn to specific solutions for the algorithm.
Solution #1: Food
Longevity has been linked to a plant-based or mostly plant-based diet with plenty of raw foods. It stands to reason that immortality is too. “Let thy food be thy medicine,” the immortal phrase uttered by Hippocrates is appropriate here. What’s funny is that’s kind of what life was doing before all the self-awareness and analysis. Yet, now we can do that deliberately, and better! And that’s more effective.
Fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts & seeds are the most nutrient dense foods and do not need to be cooked to be enjoyed. In raw form they provide live active enzymes that aid in digestion and overall optimal body function. Another plus — They don’t flee when pursued.
Solution #2: Belief
It was Napoleon Hill that said: “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” This notion is becoming a bit more mainstream, that the power of belief and choice is potent, and perhaps eventually omnipotent. That would mean for one who desires and believes in immortality, and loves life, that can be achieved.
At this stage in human evolution and knowledge, death becomes a farce. Perhaps in a way it always was. Life continues to become more comfortable and technology expands our reach. I, for one, have no problem being comfortable! After generations of fight or flight, we deserve it.
The passé scenario of self sacrifice followed by decline reminds me Monty Python’s Life Of Brian. Eric Idle’s character responds to the Roman centurion’s query “Crucifixion or death?” by saying, “They said I hadn’t done anything and I could go and live on an island somewhere.” I’ll take the island on this Eden, spaceship Earth.
“You have to want it to win it.” I’m not sure about the exact origins of this phrase — perhaps eighties lottery advertising — but “It” for the purpose of this article is arrival, after the passage from the birth canal of survival, to a point at which we can deliberately transform ourselves and transmute genetics in sub-cycles of a long life. Affirmations and meditation can reinforce the new expansive beliefs.
Solution #3: The Tao
The Tao means way and pace of life. It’s a beautiful paradox, that time and quality can warp as we see fit, depending on the choices and perspectives of our personal universe. And what a grand cosmos we have as a home.
If death is no longer in the equation, there is of course more “time” for activities that are conducive to longevity. Sleep, for example, becomes a blessedly regenerative activity rather than an obligation, and a time for the body to rest and rebuild. Yes, it already is — yet with full realization of life, even more celebratory and relished.
Popularized over the past year, the Sloth is the perfect mascot for taking one’s time. Wag your finger at that creature, it’ll only blink and say, “Whatever man – you wanna rush to the finish line, that’s your business.”
Here in the USA there has been an atmosphere of artificial pressure from constant busyness to somehow prove the legitimacy of one’s existence and avoid being called — gasp — “lazy.” However the pandemic experience has turned the tide away from judgmental, militaristic mannerisms towards what I consider a more realistic state of being.
One logical conclusion to draw: The stress of the constant grind, or fight or flight, is a bit toxic to the modern mind. I’m not saying don’t do things — it’s the how.
At this next level of awareness we don’t have to be addicted to drama. To quote The Dude in The Big Lebowski, “This isn’t ‘Nam.” There are still plenty of conflicts going on, but (open-ended question) is that really what we want to go on perpetuating? With some effort each of us can continue in a healthier way after pandemic dis-ease — in my opinion, starting with tuning in to one’s now surroundings.
Solution #4: Supplementation
Nature has always been at our side at the ready. There’s a plant to address every condition and ailment. So one key of immortality is getting back to nature — augmenting it instead of destroying it. It’s very logical. Destruction of life leads to death. This means no more hacking rainforests to bits and instead listening to indigenous cultures about how to cultivate.
Concerning what specific supplements to take, there are so many options to address the multifaceted state of wellness. I’m currently collecting botanical extracts! In my previous article about examples of immortality in nature, I mentioned the substance Trehalose, produced by some organisms as a means of preservation and longevity. Trehalose is a sugar that one can actually purchase easily online as an alternative sweetener.
Another supplement specifically linked to longevity is NAD+, a coenzyme involved in hundreds of metabolic processes and linked to adult stem cells; also Reservatrol, a protective compound produced by blueberries and grapes. My thinking is, it’s great to supplement, and better to do so mindfully, regarding them as augmentation and not dependency. The earth is rich with remedy our DNA primed for activations or upgrades.
Solution #5: Technology
Let’s not forget the human gold mind and our capacity to learn and build. Some emergent technologies that can help us in the quest for long and high quality life spans include: Stem Cell Therapy, Genetic Therapy and Modification with Nanotechnology, Restorative Frequency technology and other noninvasive medicine, Solar Electricity systems and other Eco-tech. Any of those technologies or aforementioned solutions I recommend as topics of further reading and research. Within the context of longevity and immortality (and sustainability, because our paths are linked with our environment and home planet) — well, that’s the new frontier. And as Patrick Hernandez sang in 1979, we’re “Born To Be Alive.”
¹ Eric R. Dursteler, You Are What You Eat – Food And Identity In Europe Past And Present. 2021. https://kennedy.byu.edu/you-are-what-you-eat/. **This is a fascinating article**
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