“Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been.”
David Bowie via Happiness is a Choice You Make
Beyond the Quote (Day 7)
It must have been around my mom’s 50th birthday when I asked her, like any good kid would on their parent’s birthday, how it felt to be so old. Expecting an uproar of mixed emotions and frustration, I was surprised when she rebutted calmly that for her, each decade has gotten better than the last—and that she was… Excited! Not quite your everyday answer. She explained that while youth has its perks, age brings with it insight and wisdom that allows you to connect more deeply with who you are and what your purpose might be—which, for her, has been the most valued experience of life overall.
That comment changed the way I looked at aging. Rather than aging being this awful thing that was to be cursed and avoided at all costs, aging became this unique experience of becoming the person that you were always meant to become. It became clear to me that not only are experiences important for the sake of learning about the world, relationships, and how to best move forward on our path, but they’re important for the sake of self-discovery and personal insight. Experiences teach us about our character, our feelings, our emotions, our natural tendencies, our preferences, our abilities, our passions, our areas of strength and weakness, etc., which leads us, by-and-by, to discovering our true identity and best self.
So, as my dad moves forward from his birthday and my mom closes in on her next birthday, rather than tease them about their age, I envy the experience that they have gained. I look forward to digging their brains and hearing about how their life experiences have shaped them into the people they are today. And while it may be tempting to want to stay young forever, it’s the moving clock and the deadline that gives life and all of these experiences their meaning. Otherwise, why would we be moved to do anything at all? Fill your days with remarkable experiences, reflect on what those experiences might teach you, and move into each new decade with a smile… and a surprising rebuttal ready.
Read Next: Leo Babauta Quote on Not Making Exceptions—Ever (Day 6)
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Written by Matt Hogan
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