Betty White, the queen of living your best life, celebrates her 99th birthday on January 17, 2021. But to her, age is just a number. Many of us grew up loving her on The Golden Girls, and she’s still making us laugh.
This year, White’s birthday looks a little different. “You probably didn’t ask, but I’ll tell you anyway,” she tells Entertainment Tonight. “What am I doing for my birthday? Running a mile each morning has been curtailed by COVID, so I am working on getting The Pet Set re-released, and feeding the two ducks who come to visit me every day.”
They say getting older in Hollywood isn’t easy, but White does it with strength and grace. So, how does she do it?
Betty White’s rules for embracing life at any age
1. Keep yourself busy
White’s career has spanned seven decades, and it shows no end in sight. Recently, she voiced Bitey White, a toy tiger in Toy Story 4. In a 2017 interview with Katie Couric, White shared that staying busy has been key to staying happy and healthy. “Keep busy, and don’t focus everything on you—that wears out pretty fast,” she said. “It’s not hard to find things you’re interested in, but enjoy them, and indulge them and, I think that keeps you on your toes.”
2. Always stay optimistic
Research shows that optimism contributes to 11 to 15 percent longer life span, and to greater odds of living to the age of 85 or beyond. And White knows it. “I know it sounds corny, but I try to see the funny side and the upside, not the downside” she told Parade in a 2018 interview. “I get bored with people who complain about this or that. It’s such a waste of time.”
3. Forget numbers
For White, age is nothing but a number. She’s said that she was often told to lie about her age in Hollywood, but she felt she had nothing to hide. “I never thought about age much,” White said in 2011. “I learned that at my mother’s knee. Age was not important. It was where your head was.”
4. Remember to treat yourself
Depriving yourself of your favorite foods isn’t sustainable (or fun). White says she always gives into her cravings when it comes to two things: vodka and hot dogs. And hey, at 99, this seems to be working for her.
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Happy birthday, Betty White!
