People are constantly looking for the holy grail of living a long and healthy life. We’re encouraged to eat more meat. Consume less meat. Never, ever consume meat. We’re told to consume full-fat dairy products. Consume low-fat dairy products. Why are you consuming DAIRY?

You name it, and you can bet there’s opposing evidence out there telling you that whatever you’re doing is wrong.

But, thankfully for us, one woman appears to have discovered the secret to living a long life, and it is NOT kale.

The 99-Year-Old’s Secret to Longevity
Mildred Kirschenbaum, 99, is on the verge of turning 100. She’s been around for as long as sliced bread. (Just in case you want to know, the first automatically sliced commercial loaves were made on July 6, 1928).

And, despite the fact that she is a centenarian, she still lives alone, drives, and never misses a happy hour.

So what does she credit to making it this far? It’s all about attitude.

In a reel that her daughter, Gayle, 60, shared on both her TikTok and Instagram accounts, Kirschenbaum gets brutally honest about the importance of attitude.

And she’s not taking any prisoners. Including her friends.

Attitude Is Everything

“I want to share a thought about attitude,” she says in the video, which has over 2 million views. “In August, I will turn 100 years old.” It’s only a few months away, but I have friends who are 20 years younger, 15 years younger — and their attitudes will cause them to die before they reach my age.”

(Obviously, she has no problem stating it like it is.)

She blames her companions’ lack of gratitude “for anything” for their premature deaths. They grumble about everything, she claims, from only seeing their children once a week to the food they’re provided. “Their attitude is not acceptable.”

Kirschenbaum believes that instead of focusing on the negative, you should flip the script and redefine your perspective.

“If the food isn’t quite right, so, have an extra dessert.” That, I must say, is sound advice. If eating more dessert is the answer to living a longer life, count me in!

“It’s acceptable if you hear from your children once a week. You call them once a week, and they call you once a week. And be thankful that they are having a good time.”

She sums it up in just a few words, saying:

“Look at the positive side of life. I think that’s what got me this far.”

And while Kirschenbaum’s daughter hasn’t always seen eye-to-eye with her mother, she does agree with her on this.

Gayle, a forgiveness coach, captions her mother’s reel on Instagram with, “Our attitude, our mindset, our thoughts affect our actions and our actions create our life. Focus on what you have in life. Not what you don’t.”

@gaylekirschenbaum #attitude #100yearsold #wisewords #lookatusnowmotherdocumentary ♬ original sound – gaylekirschenbaum