Age Is A State Of Mind

How old are you?
By H. S. Fritsch

Age is a quality of mind.
If you have left your dreams behind,
If hope is cold,
If you no longer look ahead,
If your ambitions' fires are dead---
Then you are old.
But if from life you take the best,
If in life you keep the jest,
If love you hold;
No matter how the years go by,
No matter how the birthdays fly---
You are not old.

There have been many times when I have been downright shocked at the age a person gives me in comparison to their appearance. There have been some that I thought were young but there age was much older. There have been some I thought were older but there age was much younger. In most of these cases I have found a common thread. This common ground seems to be the perspective the person has on life.

It is an interesting concept that one's thoughts have such a dramatic impact on one's appearance, but there it is. I have been in the presence of some people who have such a zest for life. They simply glow with joy and their eyes twinkle when they smile. They always seem to make you feel important and seem to have a genuine interest in how you are doing. They include you in things and make you feel better just by being around them. These are the people who always seem to be much younger than their age.

The other group seems to never be satisfied with anything. They always seem to have something to complain about and nothing you do ever seem to be enough for them. They never seem to laugh or smile much and seem to take joy in others grief. You try to avoid them and when you can't you feel like a deer in the headlights. These are the people who always seem to be much older than their age.

This second group brings to mind the phrase "it's a hard knock life". But the deciding factor to whether life is hard or easy is a matter of attitude. The very thoughts you think determine your state of mind and it is this state of mind that will determine your appearance in life. Your appearance is your age, your relationships, etc. After all you can tell a lot about a person by the friends they keep.

It would be easy to say that the first group didn't have the kind of hardships the second group had but the thing is; we all have hardships. We all have something in our lives that is hard to bear. There is no one no matter what the appearance that doesn't have them. The difference is what you decide to think, feel, and believe about them. This is the deciding factor for happiness.

If you feel that you are not aging as well as you would like; maybe instead of reaching for a face cream or starting a diet, it's time to re-evaluate what kind of dialogue you are allowing to take place in your thoughts. Write your thoughts down and get a feel for your perspective on life. Don't edit your thoughts; just write so you can get a true understanding of the situation. Doing this will empower you to know what kind of action to take. Remember this isn't about judging yourself, this is just information so you can begin creating the kind of person you really want to be and live the life you dream of. Good luck and have fun with it.