OK, not everyone can run. But most people can walk pretty fast or do other weight-bearing exercise to strengthen bones, tendons, and muscles. Those who do it will probably have a longer, more enjoyable life.

A remarkable new study by Stanford University followed middle-aged males beginning in the 1980s. One group of men in the study were runners and the others were not.

Over time, there were just half as many deaths from all causes among the runners versus the nonrunners. Even more significant, disabilities in the runners occurred 12 to 16 years later than in the nonrunners.

Doctors at Stanford were surprised by the longevity effect and especially surprised by the quality of life the runners experienced.

At the time the project began, those who opposed it predicted that the men who ran every day would suffer serious injuries and many would require knee replacements. As it turned out, the result was just the opposite. Runners did not have higher rates of osteoarthritis and total knee replacements.

Others who criticized the study said runners may have been in better shape to begin with, but all study subjects were in good health in 1980.

The study was one more example of how simple things like exercise make a big difference in future health. Those who are inspired by the runners' story should check with their doctors before starting to exercise--and go slow at first.

As the old saying goes, you have to walk before you can run.

Some modern writers and business authorities have their own theories about what will make a person successful. One says it takes 10,000 hours of practice. Another says a person can’t be successful unless his or her parents provided outstanding opportunities to learn.

These ideas have merit, but they don't touch on one quality that would have to be present for success at almost any job.

Harvard professors call it "emotional vitality." It means having mental and physical energy plus positive wellbeing and the ability to manage emotions.

To put it more simply, being able to look at the glass as half full gives people energy that keeps them engaged with the world and engaged in their work.

Emotional energy makes them feel good more often than not. Those who have it don't think that life is hard all the time. And when bad things happen, they can say the trouble is not going to last forever and good things will happen again.

Daniel Goleman's book, Emotional Intelligence, brought legitimacy to the concept that emotional content is at the core of every business deal, no matter how rational the players believe they are being.

Business consultant Fred Kiel, writing in Business Week, tells of talking with a hot dog server at a Costco lunch counter. The server said he had had several jobs there since leaving his job as a high school teacher.

Costco is known for treating its people well, but this man was also an excellent example of emotional vitality and forward thinking.

He said he was paid well. Plus, he knew that sooner or later he would be given a better job--one with more responsibility--and that was exciting to him. He was engaged, positive, and going somewhere.

Optimism is much more than seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. It is about approaching a problem or situation with faith in ourselves and bringing a positive attitude to work with us every day. Lucille Ball said, “One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.”

Being optimistic can also have many other side effects on your personal health and well-being. Optimists tend to struggle less with stress, anxiety, and depression. They also tend to cope better with illness and disease.

But the best part about being optimistic is that optimists generally enjoy life more. They accept failures and disappointments as part of life and not the end of the world. This allows them to fully embrace their successes and become truly grateful when they overcome obstacles. They don’t necessarily expect that good things will come their way, but when that happens, they are fully open to receive the gifts that are provided.

Few of us are born with optimism. Generally, many of our world views are determined by our social standing and what we learn from our families and friends. But even if you didn’t learn how to be optimistic when you were younger, there’s still time to change your attitude. Here are a few suggestions for developing an optimistic outlook on life.

Let go of the idea that you were born to have bad luck, and that this will continue all your life. Even if you have had some setbacks, you still have time to turn things around. It is very important to remember that the past does not dictate the future. Examine why you feel pessimistic about the future. Deal with the things you can do to change that prediction, and let the rest go.

You will also have to accept that life will throw you a few curveballs. It happens to the brightest, richest, and most successful people in the world every day. We may all be only one serious illness, automobile accident, or economic downturn away from disaster. These things may happen, and we may have to deal with them. But we can’t live our lives in fear. An optimistic attitude will allow us to live our lives without worrying about these things and give us the capacity to believe that we will be able to deal with them if they do occur.

Someone once wrote, “You are what you eat,” and we all know that to be true from examining our expanding waistlines. But we also control the “food for thought” that we put inside our heads. We can develop and maintain an optimistic attitude about life by putting more positive ideas into our brains. There are millions of positive thinking books and resources out there that we can access to improve our optimism. Positive affirmations are a great way to start our day, and if we start on the positive side of the ledger, we have a good chance of maintaining it throughout the day.

But the best way to maintain our optimism is to be thankful for the things that we already have. We are blessed to live in the best and safest country on earth. We have the freedom to practice any religion we want and, within modest limits, to say what we believe. We have jobs, families, and communities that care about us. Yes, things could be better, but we have much to be grateful for. That in itself should give us the hope that we will find a way to overcome whatever challenges are placed in our way.

With the stress of a struggling economy, life is quite difficult for many.

“There are several things you can do on a daily basis to find balance, but self-awareness and prioritizing are key,” said Dr. Adam Brandemihl, psychiatrist from Dublin, Ohio.

“It’s important to learn to recognize your stressful feelings and emotions, so you can quickly find effective ways of dealing with and preventing them. Stress may often trigger anxiety. Anxious people may find themselves worrying excessively, not sleeping well, and feeling tense, on edge, distractible, and irritable,” he added.

Some techniques to ward off anxiety and the problems that arise from it include:

1.      Maintain a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time. Avoid naps longer than 30 minutes as they may disrupt your nighttime sleep.

2.      Eat a healthy, balanced diet and get 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three times a week through something as simple as walking.

3.      Journal or blog to have an outlet for your feelings and emotions. If you’re a private person, throw away the paper or delete the blog when you’re done. The important aspect is having an outlet for your feelings.

4.      If you are unemployed, find somewhere to volunteer between interviews and job searching. This improves your self-esteem and helps maintain structure and purpose in your life. And you don’t have to be unemployed to reap these benefits.

5.      Participate in religious or spiritual practices, preferably with others, to foster a sense of fellowship and hope.

6.      Communicate to your family and friends that you are feeling sad, stressed, or anxious so they can reach out a helping hand. If family or friends are not around, consider a support group either online or in person.

7.      Refrain from drug and alcohol use as this can cause or exacerbate depression and anxiety. Also avoid excessive amounts of caffeine as it can contribute to anxiety.

8.      Find a new hobby or interest that involves socialization to help foster new relationships.

9.      Adopt a pet--but only if you are able to care for it and afford it. An animal’s unconditional love and daily needs provide reassurance and structure in your life.

10.  Consult a mental health professional when in doubt.

Children are born with a natural sense of curiosity about the world around them. We can see it in babies who react with wonderment at every new sight and sound in their crib or playpen. We watch as toddlers explore their sense of touch. Later, we see their curiosity rise as they are exposed to new ideas and concepts through formal learning at school and through reading. There’s nothing better than watching a child read a book, and seeing curiosity propel the youngster through the pages as he or she seeks to find out what happens next.

The challenge for parents and teachers is learning how to channel the natural force of children’s curiosity to help them learn subjects for which they may not have a natural affinity. For one child, math may be a stumper; for another, science. But regardless of the subject matter, great teachers have learned to make these subjects come alive for children and harness each child’s curiosity as a tool to help him or her learn. Teachers also recognize that curious children seek answers to their questions in different ways. Some may learn best just by listening, while others need more hands-on experiences.

There are also steps that parents and educators can use to help the natural learning process unfold. The first step is to provide a stable environment that encourages children to ask questions. Children need to be given encouragement and support to fuel their desire to explore the world around them. All children need to feel safe in order to learn, and the job of parents and teachers is to help give them that sense of security.

In order that the power or curiosity in learning be fully released, children also need someone to share their discoveries with. This can often be their friends and schoolmates. This need to share new things and ideas is why group science or nature projects are often so successful. But children also need to be able to share their new ideas and findings with an adult, such as a parent or teacher, who can give them encouragement and approval to keep using their curiosity. It’s also important for a child to know that it’s okay to explore and try something new, even if it doesn’t work out so well. There should be no failures in satisfying curiosity, just opportunities to learn and grow.

Walt Disney once said, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

Supporting a child’s need to act on his or her curiosity should be a lifelong ambition for all of us. Who knows where it may eventually lead a child? After all, the greatest discoveries have always started with curiosity.