103-year-old Arizona native Gladys McGarey continues to search for the reason to wake up every morning, living a meaningful life full of love.
Mrs. McGarey was born in 1921 and grew up in northern India until the age of 15, where her parents served as medical missionaries.
“I believe that was where I was meant to be,” she told Epoch Times, “I had a brilliant childhood there.”
At the age of 15, she left India for the United States, beginning another journey in her life. She later had a distinguished career in the medical field.
During World War II, Mrs. McGarey graduated from Muskingum University in Ohio and obtained a bachelor’s degree. She then attended the Women’s Medical College in Philadelphia.
“When World War II started, I just began medical school, and by the time the war ended, I had graduated,” she said, “When we finished our training, we were entering a whole new era of medicine.”
As the first female intern at Deaconess Hospital in Cincinnati, she faced a series of challenges.
Male staff on duty in the hospital usually had a designated sleeping area, but there was no such room for women.
“I had nowhere to rest,” Mrs. McGarey said, “So I rested on the X-ray table with my pillow and blanket. I was really not happy about that. I should have had at least a place to lie down and rest.”
Initially, the hospital staff did not accept her, but that did not deter her. She continued to work hard, gradually establishing her reputation and becoming a trusted voice in the field of medicine. Ultimately, she co-founded American Holistic Medicine with her husband, William McGarey.
Now officially retired from her medical profession, she continues to write books. Her recent book is titled “The Well-Lived Life.” She also continues her “life counseling” work.
Mrs. McGarey has 6 children, 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild. However, most of her time is spent helping others, providing advice on how to live a fulfilling life. She also understands the importance of taking care of herself. Planning ahead and maintaining daily routines are among the methods she attributes to her longevity at 103 years old.
Upon waking up in the morning, she starts her day with a cup of coffee, followed by bran flakes with raisins for breakfast, and exercises her body as much as possible.
To stay active, this centenarian also rides a tricycle, until one day when she fell and broke a rib. Now, she still attempts to walk at least three thousand steps each day with the aid of a walker.
During daytime, afternoon naps are her preferred option.
In addition to her daily routine, she focuses primarily on helping others from all over the world, providing them with advice and guidance on how to live a happy life.
Today, many people seek wisdom from Mrs. McGarey’s long life. She attributes her longevity to what she calls the “5 L’s” philosophy.
“The first two ‘L’s,” she said, “are life and love.”
She believes these two are inseparable. Mrs. McGarey thinks that without love, all other ‘L’s’ will not be effective.
The third ‘L’ is laughter.
“Laughter without love is cruel,” Mrs. McGarey said, “It’s mean; it breaks up families; it can even cause wars. But laughter with love is joyous and happy.”
The fourth ‘L’ is labor.
“Labor without love… is just hard,” Mrs. McGarey said, “Labor with love is happiness. It makes our hearts sing.”
The fifth ‘L’ is listening.
“Without love, what you are listening to is just empty sound,” she said, “Listening with love is understanding. Then you can get the full content and work with it.”
For Mrs. McGarey, these five ‘L’s have become a model for living a happy life.
Living a long, happy, and healthy life is no easy feat. Mrs. McGarey credits her longevity to finding a purpose.
“I think each of us has a purpose. When you find your purpose and strive for it, you wake up in the morning thinking, ‘Oh yes, it’s a new day,'” Mrs. McGarey said.
In addition to finding a purpose, she encourages people to discover who they are as individuals and why they are in life. Mrs. McGarey believes that besides dietary control, finding oneself can bring hope and aid in physical and mental healing. This is also why she wrote her latest work at 102 years old.
Although she has written five other medical books, she said, “When I tried to really talk about medicine, I couldn’t express myself fully.”
Summarizing her new book, “The Well-Lived Life,” she said it captures “the essence of healing and how it heals. And we as individuals patients are the ones truly doing the healing.”
She hopes this book will help “deeply touch your nature to find who you are, why you are here, and what you should be doing.”
She acknowledges that many people today feel trapped in work, family life, or chasing dreams.
“If you focus on something and then you feel stuck. Then look at why you are stuck and do something about it; either overcome it, get out of the situation, or change your approach,” Mrs. McGarey said.
Looking back on her life journey so far, Mrs. McGarey shares her advice for living a happy life: “Try to have a hearty laugh at least once a day.”
“When you laugh, the movement of the diaphragm stimulates your adrenal glands, giving you energy. Laugh at yourself; it’s actually a process of gaining more energy. When you observe around you, life is really fun; you will find joy in it if you want to.”