Live Long and Prosper

I heard an NPR story (yes, I listen to NPR) yesterday about a woman in England that celebrated her 117th birthday!
If I live another 50 years I still won't be 117 years old!

My current state of mind is that I would like to stick around for a few decades, but I definitely need to make some changes if I want to enjoy that time. 
It's weird how a person can intellectually know what needs to be done and actually do things that are quite the opposite. 

I know I need to lose weight, but it's easier to indulge in foods that I don't need and even to overindulge in foods that are otherwise healthy choices.

I know that there are zero healthy benefits from smoking cigars and some definite downsides to it, but I do enjoy the subtle flavors and aromas of cigars and appreciate the relaxing that occurs while smoking.
Enjoying an occasional alcoholic beverage is pretty much the same as cigar smoking -- zero health benefit, definite downsides.

I know I should be more active and get regular exercise, but it is too easy to stay sedentary.

It's easy to say that moderation is the key, but is making moderately poor health choices really the key to living a long, healthy life?

Family, social connections, and community also seem to play a role in longevity. 
I don't know. Maybe occasionally enjoying a good cigar, a nice drink, and the peacefulness of being alone isn't so bad if the opposite is having to spend time with people for additional years.
And you can do everything right and still die from something other than old age.

Finding the balance between what I want to do to be happy now and how long I want to be able to do it has always been the trick. Unfortunately, like many people, I haven't been paying much attention to the second part of that equation.
Both my cigar smoking and alcohol consumption are pretty low. I don't do either all that often and have postponed my standing cigar order twice now since I have cut back quite a bit recently. Diet and exercise are the real challenges for me. These are on the opposite side of moderation.

The odds of me living another 50 years are extremely low. Even half of that is unlikely. But making better choices for today is something I can do -- at least for today.

What choices will you make today?

John