Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D.

It also meant that our life experiences, and the way we respond to those events, can change the lengths of our telomeres. In other words, we can change the way that we age, at the most elemental, cellular level.

As the obesity researcher George Bray has said, ‘Genes load the gun, and the environment pulls the trigger.’ His words apply not just to weight gain but to most aspects of life.

People don’t generally show responses that are *all* threat or *all* challenge. Most experience some of both. In one study we found that it was the proportion of these responses that mattered most for telomere health. The volunteers who felt more threat than challenge had shorter telomeres. Those who saw the stressful task as more of a challenge than a threat had longer telomeres.

Experiencing stress and pain is unavoidable. It is part and parcel of being involved in life, of loving and caring for people, caring about issues, and taking risks. Use the challenge response to protect your cells while you engage fully with life.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘Don’t be too squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.’

You can start to renew your telomeres, and your cells, right now. One study has found that people who tend to focus their minds more on what they are currently doing have longer telomeres than people whose minds tend to wander more. Other studies find that taking a class that offers training in mindfulness or meditation is linked to improved telomere maintenance.

Negative thoughts are like microtoxins—relatively harmless when your exposure is low, but in high quantities they are poisonous to your mind.

Personality traits like cynical hostility and pessimism may damage your telomeres, but there’s one personality trait that appears to be good for them: conscientiousness. Conscientious people are organized, persistent, and task oriented; they work hard toward long-term goals—and their telomeres tend to be longer.

Which is right? Nature or nurture? Genes or environment? Actually, both are critical, and it’s the interaction between the two that matters most.

As Helen Keller said, ‘Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.