Have you ever lied about your age? When I was younger I wanted to be older. As I got older, I kept being reminded, through what I saw on TV, movies and the media, that staying young looking was something to work at constantly.
So many women in the entertainment and news fields have that stretched-face look–smooth cheeks that drop off into gradually wrinkling necks. Women have been taught to fear aging, to deny their truth and do whatever it takes to appear youthful.
Why? What is so horrible about being older? Isn’t the alternative that you simply aren’t here any more? Is that preferable?
I once sat next to a woman who seemed to be about sixty at a charity luncheon. She was impeccably dressed, perfect hair and make-up. Then she spoke, and I could tell she was much older than she looked. And when she rose from the table, I could tell she was more feeble in her body than her face let on. She wobbled, she held on to the chair until she got her bearings, then slowly walked away. She was eighty, at least, and everything about her told me that. Except her face.
That seems so sad to me.
Yes, there are many of us out here in the big world who are content to be a little more wrinkled, have gray hair, be a little more plump in certain spots. I’m not advocating letting everything go, mind you, but I have really enjoyed not being obsessed with whether the scale reads five pounds more or less. I have enjoyed being interested in what I think about those around me, rather than what they think about what I look like.
At sixty-eight, I am comfortable in my own skin, happy to be alive and well.
I do swim aerobics, I walk, I eat a very balanced diet, I get enough sleep, I take care of myself. And if someone thinks I should color my hair, that is their problem, not mine!
My mother is one of the role models for me. At almost ninety-one, she dresses well each day, keeps her beautiful white hair styled nicely, takes really good care of herself, and lets herself be who she is. I am so grateful that she has shown me how to age gracefully.
I have learned that health is more a state of mind than a state of body. Our bodies were not meant to last forever. We can take advantage of the wonderful services offered by healers, and keep them strong and vibrant to a great degree. But no one can defy the effects of age completely.
Because of that, We can decide to embrace age, instead of fighting age. Take a little more time to rest. If you get the sniffles, try rest. Make sure to take the things that boost your health, like vitamins and minerals. Stay active, but don’t overdo. Instead of trying to be younger, try living life as it is.
Most important is to work on our inner selves–find our true voice, speak our truth, live our truth. There are myriad books, tapes, teachers and healers available that can help us tap into the incredible wealth of value and beauty that is inside each of us. Doing that gives us more than youth–it gives us energy, vitality and a power of presence that radiates from within out.
You might be surprised at how much more fun life becomes when you live it fully!