Radiate from the inside out

Summer has long since passed its peak and autumn is approaching in rapid strides. We talked to pensioner Harald (73) about how he manages to prolong the summer. His secret recipe for more hours of sunshine: shine from the inside out!

Friendly, cheerful and always with a smile on his lips. That's how Harald's friends describe the spry retiree. And it's no coincidence. For years, the former railroad employee has been committed to a positive attitude toward life. "I was often stressed out in my professional life and too rarely took time for myself. So when I retired, the transition was hard for me at first. I didn't know what to do with my time."

"At some point, my wife said to me: 'You're a permanent Grantscherm! Get it together again!'" Harald tells us over a leisurely cup of coffee. "At first I was offended, but then I thought to myself, 'She's right. It can't go on like this. I have to find a positive approach again. Use the time I have."

From then on, he imposed rules on himself. Rules that would lead to more happiness and satisfaction in his life. And it worked. "In the beginning, I still often found myself falling into old patterns, but soon the attitude became MY attitude and it felt natural. I enjoy facing each day with a glow," grins the grandpa of 3, and we find his smile contagious. So we feel him out and he readily explains what he's changed. Above all, these three tips have helped him achieve true beauty and shine from the inside out:

1. You are what you think!

The retiree starts: "Well, first of all, I made it clear to myself that I can't experience anything positive if I always start from the negative. Our thoughts influence us and our perception. So I forbade myself negative thoughts. I tried to see the positive in every moment."

Harald is absolutely right about that. It has been proven that our thoughts become thought images based on values or morals, to which we naturally submit. They subconsciously determine our expectations, attitudes and actions. So if you focus on the negative, you will also radiate and attract it.

2. Hold on to your joy!

"After two weeks, I started to notice all the things I had missed before," Harald confesses to us in conversation. "There were so many moments that I had taken for granted without appreciating them - when I sat with friends over a cold beer in the guest garden. Or when I played with my grandchildren and they laughed with me," beams the born grandfather.

Many who try to devote themselves to positive thoughts say the more they reflect on their thoughts, the happier they feel. The fact is that in the grind of everyday life, we often don't even consciously notice joyful moments. They become a veil of the same shades of gray and lose color. If you have trouble with this, you can try to remember three things every evening that brought you joy that day.

3. Do things you love!

"Actually, this should be obvious to you, but for me it took a while before I could remind myself what I actually enjoy in life," the 73-year-old husband continues. "I used to travel a lot with Edith. Whether it was a major vacation or a city tour - we were always interested in other cultures. Now we've rediscovered that for ourselves." His wife nods affirmatively and smiles.

We know that it's not just Harald who is having a hard time reordering his own life. Thanks to busy schedules and various demands on career and family, many people are no longer clear about what they actually want to spend their time doing. However, it is important to create the necessary awareness in order to rediscover one's own balance and joy. Even if they are only small things that we can implement in our daily lives, their sum makes us happier, more cheerful and more relaxed people in the long run.

"A family friend told me the other day that I shine like the sun. That was one of the nicest compliments I've received in my life," the fun-loving man in his mid-seventies tells us, blushing slightly. "But apart from how well I'm received by others, I've found a whole new attitude to life for myself. I simply feel good in my own skin. And you can see that in the young retiree's face, we think.