Choose How You Age

I just recently read an article in Science of Mind about the new frontier of Ageless Living. The point of the article is that since we are living longer lives, we can choose to use our later ages to live in new ways from the first part of our lives. We can develope a new job and livlihood, start new hobbies and interests, try something we've thought about, but were too busy making a living and raising children to do. We can choose to be wise elders or cranky elders. we can blaze new territory, not worrying about being too old, or we can follow the old aging ideas of the pass and retire to our rocking chair on the front porch and complain about our aches and pains and complain about the younger generation and the state of the world. I think I prefer the first idea. I have days, like today, when I am tired and achy and want to take a little break, but the reason for the tiredness is some work days filled with activity and challenge and our usual Monday cleaning projects. At least with challenges you feel more alive, even though stressed. Besides, not all stress is bad for you.

There was a wonderful quote in the article of an e-mail that had been circulating on the web. No one seems to know the author,but it is a great sentiment, so I include it in today's posting. "Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body.But rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming woo-hoo, what a ride!"

It seems, to me, the trick would be to time it so you're not completely worn out until you're ready to go. Still, I really appreciate the quote's sprit, life is meant to be lived, and living can be messy and sometimes a little hard, but it's much better to live free from too much concern about appearences and opinions. I sometimes catch myself unconsciously limiting myself because I am of an older age, then I see a woman of 95 getting her BA degree and planning on getting her Masters next!

Obviously, getting older often brings some physical changes, but people often let that define them and limit them. Even with arthritic knees and carpel tunnel, you can still live a full life and do much of what you want to. You just need to work around any problems and don't make them reasons to stop living before you're actually dead.