Natural and ancient remedies for today’s dilemmas abound!
You need only look all around you to see what I mean.
— Soangetaha

We hear such news from scientists, naturalists, health writers.  We read it in blogs by self-taught horticulturists and in books and journals by tenured professors and physicians.  It seems everyone has something to say about new discoveries of old wisdom.  Hey, wading through all those opinions and data can be frustrating!  No wonder we get tired from the seemingly endless task of searching for good answers. 

Who has the pearls?

Well, what do you say?  Perhaps your thoughts about such things are as wise as any data gem to be found.  Maybe they’re the wisest thoughts on the planet!  Not feeling so wise?  Think comparing yourself to those folks who have studied for years might be a little presumptuous?  Preposterous?  An explanation is in order.

There is no one on earth who knows you as well as you do.  That’s the good news. The bad news is that every one in the marketplace seems to want to talk you out of the good news.  Instead of giving you ways to access your own sense of judgment, they want to tell you how you feel, what to think, who to vote for, and Oh Lordie, what to buy.  And half the time, we hardly catch them at it!  If it is really going to make us feel better about ourselves, look better, or more easily please or impress others, we want it!  While there are many wonderful things which help us live better lives,

the best tools
are those which encourage us to maximize our own strengths.

After all, we are the ones out there trying to navigate the maze.  Help!  The best resources facilitate success by taking advantage of our own natural talents, desires, interests, and strengths, and by using all that great energy to move us forward. 

Choosing the best resources is personal.
Finding ones that fit our individual learning style can be priceless.

Oh yeah, that Fountain of Youth.  Thought I forgot?  How could anyone forget?  We are all supposed to be looking for that?!  Go, Sr. Ponce de León!

Ever notice how old you feel on days when you feel bad?  Now think of how young you feel on days when you feel good.  Pretty different.  In fact, we can feel as much as 10 or 20 years younger (or older), in less than 24 hours!  Amazing.  Certainly is powerful stuff. 

How much energy we feel effects what we can accomplish, how we handle stress, how we treat others, and all the little decisions we make about how we take care of ourselves.  Is anything more relevant to a sense of youthfulness than how we take care of ourselves?

See if you can imagine the fountain of youth as your fountain of youth. A sense of youthfulness would include feeling optimistic and hopeful.  It would include a sense of wonder and curiosity in learning new things.  Think of all the new information absorbed daily by youthful brains.

Learning new material and developing new skills
is a very good way to keep your brain young and happy.

Reflect on your interests, and then gather the tools and resources to help you further those interests and flourish.  Moving toward your ideals and goals is a youthful endeavor.  Learn something new, especially something that helps you realize a dream.

If you remember how to practice those things, you will be practicing your own Fountain of Youth.  No kidding.  An ancient and natural remedy for today’s dilemma right in your own modern psyche! It is up to you to discover what’s in Your Fountain.  Gather the things that will help you.

Choosing the best resources is personal.
Finding ones that fit our individual learning style can be priceless.

Go find real pearls.

Cultivate your inner strengths and choose some of the great tools and resources available to maximize your natural gifts, develop new skills, and get some of your dreams realized.  Wow.  Do it.  Soon you, too, will be saying, “21^st Century Fountain of Youth Discovered!”