The idea that our health, longevity and overall life is not confined to any one rule of thought but can be changed in a moment. Through Dr. Ellen Langer's work we see proof of this kind of plasticity. She speaks of mindfulness which is really about being right here right now as opposed to the autopilot nature in which we normally run our lives.
She has done experiments that show that by planting and experiencing new things our health, happiness and longevity can be more of what we would like them to be. Dr. Langer shows us what we buy into as a belief along with our absence from being mindful. Her work is fascinating and this video lecture should be watch in its entirety. One’s life can be richer when we learn to be more mindful. Her website is http://www.ellenlanger.com/about/