“The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.” ~ Frank Lloyd Wright
“My face carries all my memories. Why would I erase them?” ~ Diane Von Furstenberg
“Aging is not ‘lost youth’ but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” ~ Betty Friedan
Do you view aging as a battle or a privilege? This is my birthday month so for myself as much as you I wanted to put together 23 awesome tips on how to age gracefully. Why 23? Well, this article would be way to long if I did one for each year, so I chose to use the day of my birth instead.
“We live in a youth-obsessed culture that is constantly trying to tell us that if we are not young, and we’re not glowing, and we’re not hot, that we don’t matter. I refuse to let a system or a culture or a distorted view of reality tell me that I don’t matter. I know that only by owning who and what you are can you start to step into the fullness of life. Every year should be teaching us all something valuable. Whether you get the lesson is really up to you.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
- Do things you really enjoy every day. When you submerse yourself in things you enjoy, you are eager to do them again. And then you do them again, and again and again, and the enjoyment builds.
- Work at friendships. Friendships provide energy and love to your daily life. You’re never too old for new friendships.
- Congratulate yourself. Everyone has achievements: celebrate them and use them as encouragement for new ones. Don’t allow yourself to be diminished by anyone else. You are you. No one else can make your unique contribution to the world.
“Aging gracefully means being flexible, being open, allowing change, enjoying change and loving yourself.” ~ Wendy Whelan
- Embrace change. Life is change. Resisting it wastes precious time and energy. Living for it can create adventures you never considered imaginable. If you are facing a transition consider getting a Life Coach to make the process smooth and enjoyable.
- Make your home your sacred place by personalizing it and making it comfy. Everyone needs a sanctuary that’s uniquely theirs.
- Get a massage frequently. Touch feels good and it’s so relaxing.
- Be gentle with yourself. Pay attention to your own inner voice and do what makes you feel best.
“When you get to my age, you’ll really measure your success in life by how many of the people you want to have love you actually do love you…If you get to my age in life and nobody thinks well of you, I don’t care how big your bank account is, your life is a disaster. That’s the ultimate test of how you have lived your life.” ~ Warren Buffett
- Spread happiness. Make a point to extend joy whenever possible. It feels wonderful to make someone else feel wonderful, and it’s very inexpensive to do.
- Dine with friends and family. Prepare food together. Eat the things that feed your body, mind, & soul.
- Get sufficient rest. Also, take a break whenever you need to recharge your energy.
- Laugh and cry. But laugh a lot more. It feels good to release endorphins – your body’s natural feel-good chemicals.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years on this planet, it’s that the happiest and most fulfilled people are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely their own self-interest.” ~ John Glenn
- Every morning before getting out of bed contemplate 5 things for which you are grateful. It’s an enjoyable way to start your day, and you’ll find yourself thinking about way more than 5.
- Take control of how you respond to things. Little things can really bring you down if you let them. But you don’t have to let them.
- Pray, meditate, or both daily.
“Don’t try to be young. Just open your mind. Stay interested in stuff. There are so many things I won’t live long enough to find out about, but I’m still curious about them. You know people who are already saying, ‘I’m going to be 30—oh, what am I going to do?’ Well, use that decade! Use them all!” ~ Betty White
- Travel. Whether it’s a trip to Friendly Center, a movie theater, a sporting event, or even a different state or country, little and big adventures can produce wonderful results.
- Exercise. It’s energizing to get those endorphins jumping. At least get out and walk. Get in your 5,000 to 10,000 steps every day. If you can’t walk, work with an exercise professional to design a wellness program for you.
- Get a pet. Animals are very loving companions.
- Simplify. Start with cleaning a closet. You’ll quickly see the joy of releasing yourself from stuff that’s just clutter and serves no use. Next simplify other parts of your life.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.” ~ George Bernard Shaw
- Surround yourself with people who lift you up rather than bring you down.
- Create milestones and work toward them. No matter how big or small, the journey is a growing experience. Strive to learn something new every day.
- Treat others with respect and dignity. You’ll find respect and dignity returned to you.
- Have somebody you can tell anything.
- Live fully to your very last breath.
“If you are pining for youth I think it produces a stereotypical old man because you only live in memory, you live in a place that doesn’t exist. Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been.” ~ David Bowie
My hope for us all is that as we age we become more and more that extraordinary person we always should have been.
by Heart Light Digital
