I'd just had the oil changed in my truck and they'd given me a new window sticker to indicate when I'd need to bring the truck back in. As I was parking at home in the back alley like always, I stole a glimpse up at the sticker and noticed it read a date for January.
January already! My birthday is coming, I thought. Which led me to think about turning another year older. Which led me to think about this grand theory I have about aging and all of the sudden I felt a huge urge to blog about it and literally ran into the house, kicked off my boots throwing snow everywhere and went straight to my desk to start writing out a few key notes.
I don't know why, but I feel very strongly on this topic. But I'm going to try to keep things as straight to the point as possible so this doesn't become a total rambling mess!
I believe that to age gracefully we must fully embrace getting older, this means the good and especially the bad. The absolute heart of my theory lies in the power of positive thinking. You must get excited about wrinkles and grey hair. You have to welcome saggy boobs with open saggy boob arms.
If you spend your adult years complaining, worrying, thinking, stressing and being negative in general about your aging physical appearance or physique you will only make it worse, on the outside and on the inside. But if you can keep a positive outlook on getting older I truly believe that you will age gracefully not only physically but mentally as well.
If you've ever read anything about the power of positive thinking and thought manifestation you know that our thoughts become our reality. If we're constantly negative then we attract negativity. Think about those days when you wake up and stub your toe and then think "Oh it's gonna be one of those days," and then go on to experience a total shit day. Surprise, surprise.
If you can be positive and joyful then you're more likely to attract good things into your life. If you can embrace turning another year older the way you did as a child, then you're more likely to not only start off this next year of your life on a pleasant note, but you're also inviting happiness and abundance into your life.
The trick behind this theory is forgetting all the embedded beliefs in our minds that aging is something to be dreaded. From a young age we are taught {subconsciously} that wrinkles are unsightly, grey hair should be covered up with hair dye and when you're old things start to fall apart and quit working and you become a used up version of your old youthful self.
This is where the saying "Fake it 'till you make it" comes in.
Some time ago, whenever I came up with my theory, I had to convince myself that aging was something I was looking forward to. When I would have this conversation with people I would lie and say "I'm looking forward to my hair turning grey" or "I can't wait to be a bad ass old granny rocking a half sleeve of tattoos." Ok, that last one wasn't a lie, but you see what I mean.
Eventually, like today, I realized I actually am excited to experience getting older and I've actually tricked myself into releasing my old notions about growing old and replaced them with a total positive outlook that I can carry with me as the years progress.
I think it's so important to use your thoughts and your body wisely starting from a young age. This means being kind and forgiving to yourself, not putting your body down or calling yourself names. This means nurturing your body with healthy food and clean water and getting enough exercise, yoga or meditation to sustain adequate nutrition and a healthy mind and healthy body weight, especially as you age. Taking responsibility for your emotions and your own thought patterns, and being in charge of your life and the way you want to live it.
Growing old is a privilege denied to so many and we should never regret or fear it. We should embrace it wholeheartedly, remove the ego and happily accept the inevitable with a big ol' dentured smile.
