June 17, 2021

Age is Just a Number – Things I’ve Learned From Getting Older

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Age is just a number. Don’t you think?

It’s my birthday tomorrow, and while on one hand I’m sad that another year has passed, I am excited to celebrate another trip around the sun.

It’s also an opportunity for me to look at how I think about growing older. There are lots of things I don’t love. But I don’t love them because of the limiting beliefs and Stories I have about getting older and everything that comes along with that.

So, another year, another opportunity.

Why is aging such a big deal to humans?

I think it has to do with comparison, as well as the way younger people vs older people are portrayed in our society. Younger people match the aesthetic standards put forth by the media and social outlets. Younger people tend to have more energy, more vitality. At least that seems to be the general perception.

So we compare our aging selves to our 20-something, or 30-something selves.

But we’ve set the standard arbitrarily! Why is the standard that we should measure to our 20-something or 30-something selves? Why isn’t our 50- or 60- something selves something to aspire to?

We gain wisdom and experience as we grow older. How is that less valuable than aesthetics and energy?

Time is a mental construct instituted by humans to bring order to a complex life. And in creating this concept of time, we’ve attached many “milestones” to the passage of time.

At 16 you can get a driver’s license. At 18 you’re an “adult”. At 21 you can drink in a bar legally. You graduate college in your early 20s. Marriage, kids, and purchase of a home happen at approximate milestone ages. You retire in your early 60s.

We’ve created a timeline to help us make sense of life. But somehow we’ve place a lot more weight on this number than we should. No milestone is better than the other and if you feel that way, you need to look at your thoughts about these “milestones” and getting older.

In this episode of Real, Brave, & Unstoppable, I’m talking about growing older and how it’s an opportunity to shift your thinking about it.

I also share some things I’ve learned in my years of living on this planet!

Enjoy the episode!