I recently had a conversation with a 70-year-old client. Although she doesn’t look her age, she considers herself old when making investment decisions. She describes herself as a conservative investor and does everything to demonstrate that.

Former actor Arnold Schwarzenegger once said: “Where the mind goes, the body will follow,” which simply means that our actions will follow what we believe. I shared with my client that her funds would have grown by more than 50 per cent in the last 2 years if she had not taken a conservative approach to investing long term.

I always encourage clients to make decisions that will provide them with peace of mind. Investing in stocks is not for the faint-hearted, but for those who have the patience to wait during times of volatility.

My client enjoys an active and purposeful life and at age 70 is earning streams of income. I applaud her for taking the initiative to “unretire”. She is a pensioner who works full-time in two different career fields. Her jobs offer the flexibility to work at her own pace and to choose her workweek. Before retiring from her illustrious occupation she decided that the career that she loved so much was no longer financially appealing. She made a bold move to pursue another career path that would see her working during her retirement years and provide a valuable stream of income. Having completed her studies, coupled with new skills, she continues to save and invest regularly from her earnings. With a healthy mind and body this devoted mother and grandmother plans to continue working for as long as it is possible.

Another client, also age 70, had a financial consultation with me last week. He too is a conservative investor. I provided guidance on how to diversify his investment portfolio according to his risk profile. Interestingly, he saves and invests his monthly pension while he continues to work. He believes retirement is an opportunity to learn new life skills and he now provides coaching services.

One of my oldest clients is a retired entrepreneur. He is 94 years of age, but is an avid investor, earning dividends from stocks, which he reinvested over many decades. This client has an active lifestyle and earns passive income from his various investments. He continues to invest in the stock market and is focused on estate planning.

Many of us are accustomed to hearing the expression “Age is just a number,” or “You are as young as you feel.” My 94-year-old client would agree with both sayings. Studies show that our state of mind affects our mental and physical health. It is said that what we think about ourselves impacts the quality of our lives.

Yale researcher Dr Becca Levy is the author of the book Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determines How Long and Well you Live. She is a psychologist and world-renowned expert on age beliefs and longevity. Her studies show that many health challenges, such as cardiovascular problems, memory loss, and hearing decline, were caused by “negative age beliefs” and not the aging process. Her book contains techniques and positive age beliefs that can help people live successful lives as they age by having positive thoughts about aging.

Since we live in an aging society, for the benefit of our state of mind we should embrace positive beliefs about aging. Positive age belief contributes to good health and longevity. A study done by Dr Levy, while she was a graduate student at Harvard University, revealed the reason the Japanese had the longest lifespan in the world. The Japanese culture regards old age as a time for enjoyment rather than a time to be fearful.

Another notable discovery made by Dr Levy disclosed that positive beliefs act as a barrier against the growth of dementia. There is the remarkable story of one centenarian who continues to work at age 100. She is American JoCleta Wilson, the oldest employee at Home Depot. Wilson currently works two days per week from 6:00 am to 10:00 am. She wanted to meet people and interact with customers. For her, aging is a state of mind. In her role as a cashier, many customers are not aware that she is 100 years old. According to the report by Today.com, Wilson said: “I feel 39 to 40 years old.” I believe this remark is an example of successful aging and having a positive state of mind. During her lifetime she retired three times; spending 10 years in retirement each time.

Wilson still drives her car to work, goes shopping, and cooks her meals. However, she pays people to clean her house and maintain the property. The former professional dancer and business owner now dances for fun and hosted a party to celebrate her 100th birthday. She owned the Louisville Dance Academy for 37 years. Dancing is her exercise. She sings, paints, has written a cookbook, and even owns an Instagram page.

Wilson is a breast cancer survivor and has been diagnosed with emphysema, a disorder that affects the lungs. She also has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and has a pacemaker, yet she possesses an energetic spirit and a winsome personality.

I concur that aging is a state of mind. Founder of cosmetic company BOOM, Cindy Joseph once said: “Aging is just another word for living.”

Grace G McLean is a financial advisor and retirement specialist at BPM Financial Limited. Contact her at gmclean@bpmfinancial or visit the website: www.bpmfinancial.com. She is also a podcaster for Living Above Self. E-mail her at livingaboveself@gmail.com.

Grace G McLean