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"Just relax. When I was younger, I made myself the victim of catastrophic thinking. Anything that went wrong was the end of the world. But as I've gotten older, I've learned to stop myself and say, 'Hey babe, calm down. Tomorrow there will be sun.'"
—Gabourey Sidibe, 29, actress
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"Appreciate your appearance. Occasionally I look in the mirror and think, 'Wow, is that really me?' But then I remind myself: I had my time to look young. I hope I'm lucky enough to look in the mirror at the 100-year-old crone who's still kicking."
—Jennifer Egan, 50, author
"I am luck to live in Kenya near a forest where there's a constant parade of zebras, buffalo, and giraffes. I often walk to a hill to watch the sun set and wait for a million stars to light the sky. Take every opportunity to unburden yourself of urban life when you can. Its clutter makes you old."
—Oria Douglas-Hamilton, 80, wildlife conservationist
Photo: Courtesy of Tao Porchon-Lynch
"Breath is the power behind all things. Your breath doesn't know how old you are; it doesn't know what you can't do. If I'm feeling puzzled or my mind is telling me that I'm not capable of something, I breath in and know that good things will happen."
—Tao Porchon-Lynch, 94, yoga instructor
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"Stop and ask yourself, 'When I look back on my life in a few years, what would I regret not having done right now?' I value memorable experiences over anything else."
—Dido, 41, singer
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
"Don't underestimate the powers of an open mind. A lot of people are concerned with staying physically young; while that's appealing, I'm more interested in maintaining my curiosity."
—Diablo Cody, 34, screenwriter
"When I was 77, I broke my left elbow and was told it would take ten weeks to heal. I had an important triathlon coming up, so I said to myself, 'Oh, no, it won't.' I did everything I could to get fit. Five weeks later, my doctor told me I was good to go."
—Sister Madonna Buder (A.K.A. The Iron Nun), 82, oldest woman ever to complete an Ironman triathlon
"Enjoy the love of others, but revel in the love of yourself. Don't wait for someone else to save you."
—Aisha Tyler, 40, comedian and actress, FX's Archer
"I once heard someone say, 'If it's not happening now, it's not happening.' That stuck with me—I realized there's no reason to pre–freak out about problems. It's made such a difference in my life."
—Aimee Mann, 50, Grammy Award–winning singer and musician
"Always do what's right, even if other people aren't. Don't do something just because it will please people, and don't not do something just because it'll upset people. My mother told me that."
—Kiernan Shipka, 11, actress, AMC's Mad Men
"When you're hurt or angry, let go by tapping into your humbleness. You want people to remember you for your grace."
—Stevie Nicks, 62, singer and songwriter, In Your Dreams
"It's important to listen. Most people just want to know that they are heard."
—Anne Meara, 81, star of yahoo.com's Stiller & Meara Web series
