You see, it used to be accepted that we built our mental capacity as children and young adults, filling our brains with facts and programming in school and during other "cramming periods." Then, if we were lucky, we plateaued through middle age, or more likely immediately began the long, slow ride toward senility. The accepted thinking was that the constant burning off of brain cells and wearing out of nerve endings inevitably and irreversibly eroded our mental facility.

But many recent studies are showing that this long-held belief isn't entirely true. Yes, to some people who don't keep their minds active during adulthood the downward slide definitely happens. But for those who keep exercising their minds, consciously or unconsciously, they can hold back erosion of mental ability and, in many ways, can actually build superior thinking skills throughout the better part of their lives. The secret is the same tip you got from your financial advisor - diversity. Diversity of mental activity, that is.