Turn Aging from a Negative to a Positive

I recently heard a speaker encouraging people to fight against ageism, and if asked: to “Lie about their age,” “Hide growing older at all costs.” Blaming ageism for the fact we are aging is ridiculous.

Unwarranted fear arises because we are indoctrinated with the projections of others. We live in a  youth-centric and consumer-driven culture, with advertising that targets young people. So, as we age, we are brainwashed that youth holds the power. We are bombarded with anti-aging products that will help us cope, keeping the inevitable signs of growing old at bay.

Yet, the natural world never makes excuses for continuously changing, growing, and transforming. Unfortunately, since many live an urban existence where they are not exposed to the cycles of nature, they have become shielded from the natural process of birth, aging, and death.

My guidance on aging has come from observing nature. When I stopped fighting the idea that I need to hold on to my youth, I discovered something precious and refreshing about growing older. My confidence has risen, my inhibitions lessened, and the peace within myself has grown. By doing so, an acceptance of being in the now developed and with that comes an expansion of possibilities.

Opinions are everywhere, and we are all entitled to our own including the speaker I referenced above. However, Deepak Chopra has a perspective that makes sense to me.

“To turn aging from a negative to a positive process seems impossible in the current medical context. But pause for a moment and place all your beliefs about what aging is to one side.”

“For centuries in the Vedic tradition of India, aging has been viewed as a mistake, and the mistake isn’t made at the level of genes, cells, tissues, or organs. Instead, the mistake is made at the control center of life, consciousness. In effect, aging is a shared illusion that everyone falls for, and once you are taken in, you have no choice but to age, simply because everyone else is.”

He goes on to explain.

“To break free of the illusion, we can start with a single sentence in the annals of Yoga: “Time is the consumer, and we are its food.” That’s a startling image, no doubt, but it is also the best starting point. The ravages of time diminish mind and body, which is why aging is so feared. But an escape route opens up when you see that time isn’t the enemy. The enemy is mind-made. In our minds, we make ourselves the prisoner of time instead of choosing to be timeless.”

In America, we have an “aging problem.”  Through conscious aging, we can halt this. Our wisdom is cumulative; it is why in many cultures, the old and grey are revered. Aging is the time for nurturing and exploration of our inner life. Once we allow ourselves the privilege to age and let go of the “I wish I were younger” phase, we can open our lives to new adventures and experiences that await us. All it takes is a mindset adjustment to turn aging from a negative to a positive, not allowing a preconceived idea of obsolescence to define us.

Here Gere, Mirren, Hutton, Fonda, and Reeves Turn Aging from a Negative to a Positive

Richard Gere: 

”I am old, and I am forever young at heart. We are always the same age inside. Know that you are a perfect age. Each year is unique and precious; you can only live once. Do not regret growing older; it is a privilege denied to many. None of us are leaving here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an afterthought. Eat the delicious food, and walk in the sunshine. Jump in the ocean and tell the truth that you carry like a hidden treasure in your heart. Be silly, be kind, be weird. There’s no time for anything else.”

“I’m younger than I once was. Internally. Less self-conscious. Less insecure.”

Helen Mirren:

“Beautiful people are a wonder to behold. But most of us are not beautiful. We have other stuff, which is just as powerful as beauty. And I would like to see us celebrate those things.” I love the word swagger because I think swagger means I’m confident in myself, I’m presenting myself to the world, I’m enjoying the world around me; I think what is called the beauty industry should be called the swagger industry.”

Mirren is “very against” the word “anti-aging” because “it happens,”  and “there’s nothing anyone can do.” “It’s a part of the human condition,” “So to talk about ‘anti-aging’ is like saying ‘anti-human,’ ‘anti-real,’ ‘anti-wisdom,’ ‘anti-experience,’ and so on, you know?”