Age is really just a number. It does not have the ability to reflect who you are or what you can do. Often I find focusing on our ages only limits us from possibilities. I’ve noticed in our culture, that we accept details and deterioration of certain ages. For example I’ve seen many friends agonize on what age they are turning even before their birthday. As if it were to mean they are on a slippery slope of things getting worse, their bodies and their looks falling apart.
We are often sold these images and beliefs to sell products and keep many companies in business. I found more often that age truly is only a state of mind. Some of my 80-year-old clients are in better mental and physical shape as some of my 50- and 60-year-old clients. Most of it has to do with how they see life, their age, and their possibilities. I have also worked on some 20-year-olds who feel like they are 80. What your mind conceives actually manifests. It not only shows up in how you feel and how you look, but also how you function.
When you believe you have the potential to get better, younger, or simply age effortlessly, you can. This is not only coming from observations of patients and clients through the the years, but also from my own experiences as well. When I was in my 20s I was very independent and stubborn. I could do everything myself and you couldn’t convince me otherwise. I could do anything anyone could do especially the strong boys I worked with. That naive thinking did cost me some unfortunate injuries at the time. I pushed myself so hard for my stubborn ego that I ended up with bulging discs in my back at age 19. I was told by my physician that I had a back of an old person according to my MRI reports. He also told me I would later probably have surgery and be on heavy pain pills as I got older.
The good news is that I didn’t allow my brain to believe the latter of the advice. I did take to heart my injured discs. I changed how I took care of myself and was much more careful with my body. Along the way, without surgery and medication, I do not feel I have back problems. I rarely have a back ache and I do not take medications. It did take me changing of my state of mind and better practices like massage and yoga. I also regularly see a chiropractor, but I have beaten the odds initially given to me.
It took me looking at things differently and treating myself better. I now feel better at 40 than I did in some of my 20s. So I do know that age is nothing but a number. Or an acceptance of the number. Age is what we make of it and believe. It doesn’t have to be a big deal or production. Now when I hear someone dreading what age they are embarking on or turning, I kind of snicker to myself because I have many friends in their 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s feeling great and having the time of their lives. I myself would much rather age in fun and grace than remorse or regret. The way we feel is how our body responds. So if we feed it feelings of being old or getting older, it will respond with more of those results. On the other hand, if you can spend some time allowing a better perspective on age, you body can glide towards more youthful experiences.
How we feel affects how we look and function. Treat age like a friend. It is time not given to all. More time to have fun. More time with our loved ones and more time to experience joy. Each day you wake up and age is more time for life and love. Before your time is up, I encourage you to appreciate time and age. It doesn’t matter what age you are, it matters what you do with it and how you feel. You transcend age with your emotions. You just may have to break up with the saying that you are “too old” for anything.
Be excited for every birthday. See each year as a celebration of what you have enjoyed and how much time people have had to enjoy your presence in the world. Rather than dreading being older, shift your perspective on what else you get to do, learn, or be. We can reshape how we look at age and set better examples to the younger. The choice in how you age is up to you. Age is just a number.