Embracing Life as You Age
Embrace the Aging Process. Embrace Your Life.
Do you sometimes wish you were younger? One day you are standing at the kitchen sink peeling potatoes and suddenly a thought floods into your mind. “I wish I was 25 years old again.” Where did this thought come from? Do you really want to be 25? Do you remember how you felt when you were 25? Maybe you were really lost at 25! If you were 25 now, you would have to go through all those decades of work once again.
Living in a youth-obsessed culture makes it hard to avoid these thoughts. Maybe you are fighting to hold onto your youth or pretending that you are not getting older. It can be a challenge to accept the aging process. In fact, we are urged to fight the aging process and we are bombarded with products that are marketed as ‘anti-aging’. Our bodies are changing, yes, and we are not as resilient as we once were. But this is part of accepting the changes in life that we all must go through.
Here is the problem if you are obsessing about being younger: You are resisting life. You are resisting what is. You are denying what is.
It is when you resist life that you start getting into difficulty. Resisting life can have an impact on your health and well-being.
Here are some indicators you might be resisting the stage of life you are in. Can you relate to having some of these thoughts and feelings?
Perhaps you are:
Wishing you were younger
Feeling resentful of others who are younger
Comparing yourself with others and feeling less than
Feeling envious of others
Worrying about the future
Complaining about your life
Having any of these types of thoughts takes you away from appreciating the stage of life you are in right now. They take you away from the present.
We need to shift how we relate to aging. In our culture, aging is given a bad rap. We talk about it as a burden, a defeat, and even something to lie about. (Take a look at the birthday cards on the rack in the store!)
In more traditional cultures, older people are the elders, the carriers of wisdom. They are respected and valued. Unfortunately, this has not transferred into our mainstream culture, and this is creating a deep wound that is not being healed. May there soon be a time when western cultures embrace a deep respect for and inclusion of its elders.
Aging is a natural process. Our generation can turn ‘anti-aging’ ideals into the deeper understanding that as we age, we achieve personal wholeness. In this second half of life, we have many gifts to share and life experience to pass on. We have the power to choose how we are going to be living in this stage of life.
For those in the second half of life, the opportunities are enormous. Look at your life this way: If you are in your 50s or older, you have already gone through decades of education, raising a family, establishing a career or having significant work experience, a multitude of relationships, and travelling. Think of all the years of sweat and toil you put into accomplishing all that you have. Most of all, you’ve grown enormously as a person, and have incredible memories and experiences. In the second half of life, you can harvest the gains you have made, and enjoy the foundation you have built.
Here are some examples of feelings and experiences you may have that signify you are successfully embracing and accepting your age and stage of life:
Feelings of gratitude for your life journey
Love for those who are in your life or those who have touched your life
You are more introspective and enjoy times of reflecting on life
You have moments of inspiration
Humour is present and you laugh out loud easily
You see beauty in others
You have moments of awe and wonder, out of the blue
You have a desire to help others
You are exploring ways to leave your legacy
These are experiences you have as you embrace your age and stage of life. You love your life. You appreciate the entire journey you have been on, including all the ups and downs. It is in the challenging times that you have learned so much. You don’t spend time wishing you were a different age.
As you embrace your aging process, you will find doors opening in life. New learning and opportunities for growth. Gratitude for the journey so far. And amazement that life has given so much to you.
A Word About Birthdays
Some people like to celebrate their birthday each year. Other people do not. I am one of those people who love to celebrate my birthday. I am turning 72 on March 4 this year, and I look forward to celebrating my birthday for the whole month of March. I like spreading it out and seeing various friends and going to special events. To me, a birthday is an occasion to celebrate life. There is so much to be grateful for. And awe and wonder about what’s on the horizon.
So, next time you are peeling potatoes at the kitchen sink, you might find yourself saying “Wow. I have an amazing life. I am so glad to be alive. I am thankful for the stage of life I am in right now.“
Warmest wishes,
Brenda