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A new book rethinks what it means to be old. Photo by Wendy Frew

Older age can be a time of growth and purpose, rather than illness and decline.

The quest for the elixir of life has led us down many paths. Everything from a diet of only fruit and nuts to indulging in a little bit of everything has been charged with the power to extend our lives.

But a new book by academic and clinician Dr Timothy Sharp suggests psychological health could be the key. Live more happily and you will probably live longer, posits Dr Sharp, who describes the extra years many of us are now living as the gift of a "third age".

"Properly enjoyed, this phase of life need not be one of illness or decline but rather, for the vast majority of us, one of growth, wisdom, maturity and more," he says in the introduction to Live Happier, Live Longer.

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The founder of the Happiness Institute and an Adjunct Professor in positive psychology at the University of Technology, Sydney, Dr Sharp has for many years been studying what makes us happy. But it was only when he was invited to talk about positive psychology at a financial planning conference a couple of years ago that he turned his attention to what happiness means for older people.

"A lot of the financial planners came up to me to chat and it became clear their goals in looking after their clients were similar to mine as a psychologist and life coach: advising people how to best live their lives," says Dr Sharp.

"Their strategies were mostly making sure people had enough money to look after themselves but they realised more than money was at stake."

The rest is here:
Be happy and you'll live longer