Have you ever wondered what it was like to get old?
In my school years I remember looking up to adults and thinking any age in adulthood was “old.” My parents were old, my grandparents were old, even my teachers were old. It wasn’t till
my 30’s that I saw a change…my skin was changing; my body was changing.
“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” ~Mark Twain
We buy creams to help control wrinkles, we explore weight loss challenges, there are infomercials on how to be young again! We even color our hair to disguise we have grays.
Does your age play a role in you thinking you’re old?
Maybe it’s the way you feel? Aging can give someone real emotion. Many fall depressed thinking about their age climbing. However, it is our mindset we need to change, not what has been
placed around us since we were younger. We have been trained to grow old, to specifically know what it is to be OLD before we even reach it ourselves.
We celebrate birthdays over the hill and senior discounts after you reach your sixties. Many face health challenges and many see loved ones and friends passing away. Keep up, they say, you
need to use the bathroom again…they say.
We Are Like a Tree
Aging is maturing, growing old is about experiences we gain. Not what we look like, it’s about what we are on the inside. Trees can live from 5-120 years or more.
Did you know an oak tree starts producing acorns at around forty years old?
A tree does not become mature till they can start producing fruit and flowers. We all grow at different paces and we all will look different at different phases in our life and that is OK.
How do we not FEAR
We learn to cope and explore new ways of accepting. I grew up with a Greek heritage. I remember always hearing about my ancestors in their village living until they were almost 100 years
OLD. They ate fruit and nuts and worked till they couldn’t work anymore. If you were young, you took care of the elders, I feared getting old. I never cherished my younger years; I have always
feared terribly making it to forty.
How was I going to look and feel? Well, I am almost there and I have to say I don’t feel any different than I did when I turned thirty years old. That is where we have to start changing our perspectives. Society has granted us many hardships and blessings at the same time. We have outlets to help engage our negative thoughts and bring them to the forefront of making us grow happier.
We need to grow with ourselves, travel and spend time with family and friends.
We start by loving our mind, body and soul.
Put yourself first, don’t live in a box of hopelessness.
- Enjoy your seasons of change
- Value your changes
- Explore your body
- Don’t compare yourself to photoshop social media platforms
- Be cautious on the words you say about yourself
We are all going to age.
How we do it is up to us. A healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise. Saying “I can” instead of “I can’t’” is a start.
Don’t get discouraged when you start to slow down. Positive aging is being positive in adopting your age as it comes. This is where your mind and body become present. Continuing doing
the things you love. It is important to stay positive and view aging as healthy and a normal part of life.
What positive quote will you bring with you… TODAY?
• “Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” – Betty Friedan
• “You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.” – George Burns
• “If you’re not getting older, you’re dead.” – Tom Petty
• “Live your life and forget your age.” Norman Vincent Peale
• “Your 40s are good. Your 50s are great. Your 60s are fab. And 70 is f*@king awesome!” – Helen Mirren
You are admired, you are growing beautifully
This post was written by Lauren K., and published by Convenient Counseling Services.
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