‘John Wick’ has become a cult film, like ’The Matrix’ starring Keanu Reeves. Keanu Reeves’ performance in the fourth installment of the series is truly remarkable. While watching the film, I was personally impressed by how this man, who is almost 60, looked in his 40s and his physical performance in the film. I remember thinking to myself, “Bravo, great performance!” While rare compared to the general population, we can count many celebrities like Keanu Reeves who look much younger than their age. Here are some celebrities I personally admire who are known worldwide and look much younger than their age (top 10).
Celebrities in my top 10
1) Keanu Reeves
2) Tom Cruise
3) Natalie Portman
4) Sandra Bullock
5) Eminem
6) Aamir Khan
7) Jennifer Lopez
8) Halle Berry
9) Lenny Krawitz
10) Gwyneth Paltrow
And of course, Far Easterners deserve a special mention when it comes to looking younger. Far Easterners generally look much younger than their age due to their genetic heritage. The first person that comes to mind is Michelle Yeoh, the 61-year-old Malaysian star of the film ‘Everything Is Everywhere at Once,’ which won seven Oscars this year. You can find Far Eastern celebrities like Michelle Yeoh online who look much younger than their age.
Now, let’s talk about the secret to looking younger than your age. There’s really no secret. Looking younger is largely due to your genetic heritage. For that reason, I’m personally grateful to my parents. In fact, I’d like to share an interesting anecdote with you.
A reference to my grandfather on looking younger
The Irish President’s visit to Turkey was organized at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. I attended the official ceremony with my father. Like everyone else at that ceremony, we lined up to shake the Irish President’s hand. When my father noticed Abdulkadir Konukoğlu, his fellow Gaziantep native, right behind us, they engaged in a lively conversation. Towards the end of the conversation, my father looked at me and introduced me, saying, “This is my boy, Serhan.” In his classic fatherly manner, Abdulkadir Konukoğlu placed his hand on the back of my head and asked, “Maşallah, how much are you going to university for, son?” When I smiled back (I was 33 at the time) and said, “It’s been 12 years since I graduated from university,” the man was surprised, but quickly regained his composure and turned to my father. “Maşallah, his grandfather was also petite like that,” he said in his unique Gaziantep dialect (of course, we know the Konukoğlu family from their grandfather days).
The parents of the celebrities I mentioned above definitely looked younger than their age. If you have that kind of gene, you start a match with a 3-0 lead. However, there are millions of examples of people who looked young but then never took care of themselves. God forbid; they suffered illness, accidents, or major trauma and collapsed suddenly. It’s crucial to take care of yourself, too. It might sound a bit cliché, but by saying you need to take care of yourself, I mean this (I’m listing them in order of importance).
My recommendations, in order of importance, are:
1) Exercise
2) Make sure you get regular, adequate sleep to feel good
3) Don’t smoke and never use drugs
4) Avoid stress as much as possible
5) Strive for happiness
6) Take care of your skin
7) Drink water
8) Avoid excessive consumption of stimulants like alcohol, coffee, and other substances that strain the liver
9) Work
10) Avoid excesses of everything
The Ikigai philosophy
I think everything is very clear here. My readers may not fully understand the last two points, so let me explain them:
Never stop working, as if a fine iron shines. I’ve witnessed many people suddenly retire after a long and demanding career and then collapse. However, life needs to have purpose and meaning. In this regard, I recommend applying the Japanese philosophy of Ikigai. I will write a more detailed article on this topic in the future. For now, I’m sharing the following diagram to summarize the topic:
So, if you work at a certain rhythm, enjoy your work, and find it useful, that work will rejuvenate you.
By “avoid excess” I mean the same thing. Of course, do things you enjoy in life. For example, eat a favorite food at regular intervals. However, eating too much of this food will harm you, and eating it too often will eventually become boring. For another example, if you love playing football, play it regularly. However, if you play too often, your body will eventually become unable to cope, and injuries will begin. I especially advise against artificial turf pitches. Be careful.
The Importance of the Light You Reflect Within
Finally, it doesn’t matter if you don’t look young physically. What matters is the light you reflect within. Because I’ve known many people who are beautiful on the outside but rotten on the inside. They don’t do much good, not even to their surroundings, but to themselves. So, find a way to be happy, be positive, and channel your energy. Also, trust science and support scientific research if you can. Advances in science, especially in molecular biology, appear to make rejuvenation possible. David Sinclair, a biologist renowned for his work on aging and epigenetics, works in molecular biology at Harvard Medical School. He conducts experiments focused on reversing aging, and his findings are truly revolutionary. In this program, where he guest stars on Ed Mylett, he announces positive developments on this topic: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CprsYEXPl0l/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=
Good things are coming. Enjoy life, because life is beautiful!
Tag: memoir
