Overcoming the Concern of Growing older

By Leo Babauta

Final 12 months, I turned 50 years previous … and I discovered myself serious about growing old greater than I ever had earlier than. To be clear, 50 years previous continues to be fairly younger, however there’s one thing concerning the quantity that had me realizing that my 60s and 70s aren’t very far-off, and it was a bit confronting to me.

In any case, I’d spent most of my life considering that rising previous was one thing to concern. It’s a cultural assumption that goes deep into our society — beliefs that being previous means you might be feeble, weak, helpless, irrelevant. I do know that that isn’t actually true — however we’re always given cultural messages that it’s true.

So once I turned 50, I spent a while sitting with this. What does it imply to me to get older? What are my fears? What are my prejudices? How do I would like my older years to be?

As an train, I extremely advocate that you simply begin to discover your individual biases about growing old and being previous, and see how usually folks round you (and within the media you devour) speak about growing old as if it’s a nasty factor. The phrase “previous” is used as an insult. Should you say you’re previous, different folks will inform you, “Oh, you’re not previous but” as for those who have been insulting your self. Or, “It’s OK, you don’t look previous.” Or, “You look younger to your age!” These are supposed to be reassuring, as a result of being previous is assumed to be unhealthy.

It’s throughout us. And when everybody and every thing we encounter treats being previous, and growing old, as one thing unhealthy, then after all we’re going to concern it. It’s much like previous cultural messages about being obese, being homosexual, or having a psychological incapacity. These are all became insults, which implies if we’re any of these items, we are supposed to really feel ashamed.

Let’s insurgent in opposition to all of that! Reclaim being previous, reclaim growing old. If we will change these messages, at the very least to ourselves, then the concern and disgrace lose their energy over us.

So listed below are some issues I’ve performed up to now 18 months to rework my relationship to growing old:

1. I began noticing my very own biases in opposition to growing old and previous age. And began noticing it in the best way others speak about growing old and being previous.
2. I began pointing this hidden agism out to others, lovingly. And altering my language round all of it.
3. I began seeing people who find themselves empowered of their previous age — athletes, Nobel prize winners, unimaginable artists, people who find themselves pillars of their communities, monks and sages, gardeners and home builders. I began seeing them as my fashions.
4. I began envisioning how I wish to be in my older years. Empowered, compassionate, artistic, adventurous, studying, increasing. Light, type, and curious.
5. I started to sit down with my fears of being powerless. That is the hidden beast beneath our fears about growing old — none of us wish to really feel powerless, and but we’re all descending into helplessness finally. So I discovered locations the place I already really feel powerless, and commenced to convey compassion to myself every time I really feel it.
6. I see each problem that can come to me in previous age — bodily, psychological, emotional, relational, profession, religious — as precisely the sting for me to apply with, after they come. My power and knowledge will solely deepen as I encounter these challenges, as they’ve with all of my challenges to this point.

And with this, I now really feel so in love with rising older!

It’s a magical factor, residing into this new chapter of my life. I really feel extra affected person, extra compassionate, extra related to others, than ever earlier than. And I stay up for the journey that awaits me as my physique and thoughts and spirit proceed to evolve.

I want you all love as you progress in your journeys as properly.