The Privilege of Aging

As we age and place a number of years under our belts, some people tend to feel the weight of all those years bear on their personalities.  It’s easy to become cranky and succumb to the physical and mental ailments that come with “getting old”.  Allow me to submit an alternate perspective on aging.

Getting old is a privilege…period.

Whether you like it or not, each day and minute of life is a gift for you…that’s why they call it the “present”.  What you do with your life is ultimately your decision and if you are unhappy with the way things are going, then you are most likely the one to blame. 

Throughout history, mankind has not had the privilege of aging as we do now.  Life expectancies were much lower than they currently are now hovering and once you reached the age of 25, you were typically “middle-aged”.  Now, with advances in modern medicine and technological achievements that make day-to-day life much easier, people can easily life into their 90’s and beyond.  With that in mind, it seems rather trivial to think that getting old is some sort of bad thing.  All the experiences and events that have occurred in your life have been gifts that molded and shaped who you have become.  Cherish these gifts and use them to educate and further the next generation.

It’s also important to understand that age is no longer a limiting factor.  If you want to do something at the age of 60, then go out and do it.  Only you can stop yourself.  Instead of looking at your milestone birthday as just another nail in the coffin, think of all the possible things you can accomplish this year and go out and do them. 

There is a world of opportunity out there, and you only need to seize it. 

Wonderful Moment of the Day: I was once told that I had “sipped from the fountain of wisdom” at an early age, and writing posts like the above makes me believe it.