I live on the water. I live in a neighborhood that's consummately connected to my neighbors. I bump into them every day. I can bike to work.

So learning to play a new instrument, learning a new language - those sorts of things will pay dividends for years or decades to come.

Life expectancy in America is about 79, we should be able to live to 92. Somewhere along the line, we're leaving 13 years on the table. So my quest is -- how do we get those extra 13 years? And how do we make those extra 13 years good years?

The more things for which you develop a fondness the richer the life you live.

I wake up in the morning and I see that flower, with the dew on its petals, and at the way it's folding out, and it makes me happy, she said. It's important to focus on the things in the here and now, I think. In a month, the flower will be shriveled and you will miss its beauty if you don't make the effort to do it now. Your life, eventually, is the same way.

The brutal reality about aging is that it has only an accelerator pedal. We have yet to discover whether a brake exists for people.

Having a purpose and knowing exactly what your values are will add additional years to your life.