“Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter”
- Satchel Paige
Getting old is fun and why not? It is a period where one gets the liberty of sitting on a rocking chair with a steaming cup of tea without being apprehensive of the dreaded assignments and the merciless deadlines.
Old is gold, someone rightly said. After all, the best things in life are best relished when aged and ripe, be it love, friends, music or wine.
Sure, you have to think twice before savouring an extra piece of gulab jamun or need to drill your grey matter to recall your colleague’s birthday, but given the number of virtues and delights, you won’t ever wish to trade your old age for anything.
Let’s have a look at how getting older helps you in getting better.
1. Fall in Love with Life All over Again
Always wanted to learn the guitar or a new language or secretly wished to own a restaurant or a business but couldn’t do due to impending responsibilities? Maybe you always fancied a trip to the serene valleys, romantic beaches, or the valiant hills with your soul mate or buddies but never had enough time because of being caught up in the life’s race. Now, is the time to complete your forsaken bucket list. Old age gives you the emancipation to revive your long lost ambitions and fulfil your unexecuted dreams.
2. Learning to Accept Yourself the Way You Are
Society conditions us in a way that we are always critical about our physical appearances, financial status, and the choices we make. As you get old, you will begin to realize that these notions were mere limiting beliefs which have always been stopping you from living your life to the fullest. You finally start falling in love with your belly fat or a crooked smile, stop judging yourself (and others) for breaking into a random dance at a party and are no longer afraid to pursue the career of your dreams.
3. Say Good Bye to Pesky Health Concerns
Sure, getting old takes a toll on your joints and can be quite unrewarding for your blood pressure. But, did you know that ageing is also associated with a number of health benefits like fewer tooth sensitivities, better body smell, and fewer allergies and common colds?
4. Realising the Importance of Your Loved Ones
In life, we hardly get time to admire the efforts our near and dear ones put in for making our lives beautiful.
Ageing makes you realise that your friends and family are your most prized possessions. After all, they were the ones who stuck together with you through the good times and the bad.
5. Ageing Is Associated with Increased Happiness
Old age is often associated with a decline in cognitive abilities like memory. However, you would be surprised to know that some studies reveal that old people are way happier than their younger counterparts. Also, cognitive functions like those associated with gratitude, empathy, and emotional intelligence get better as you grow older.
6. A Sense of Contentment
By this time, you would have accomplished your major life goals. You no longer need to worry about finding a job, looking for a life partner, educating your kids, and marrying them off. This sense of accomplishment would reward you with contentment which in turn would breed happiness.
7. Enjoying the Little Pleasures of Life
When was the last time you woke up to the chirping of the sparrows and watched the sun painting the canvas of the sky in the varying colours of red and tangerine? Can you recall the last time you walked hand in hand with your better half under the star-studded night sky? Probably not, as life keep up busy with duties and liabilities. Ageing would help you discover the importance of the little pleasures of life. It would make you realise that the happiness one derives from feeding pigeons and stray animals are far better from getting an appraisal or scoring a nod from your boss.
8. A Treasure Chest of Experiences to Share and Stories to Narrate
One of the major perks associated with getting older is getting wiser. As you age, you have a whole bunch of people who turn up to you for pieces of advice and wish to learn from your experiences. And who says that only travelling turns you into a storyteller? Getting old has the same effect as you now have a lot of stories to share with your grandchildren- fascinating tales of your childhood to theirs.
