anti aging

I was speaking today at a conference for foster parents, and got into a conversation with a woman who has 9 foster children. I mentioned that she must have a whole lot of energy. She said she just hopes she never gets old.

One the many things that struck me about the conversation was that there is a great deal of difference between getting old and getting older.

Getting old means losing your zest for life . Getting older is going to happen as the years add up. One is inevitable and the other is not.

How to get old

Here are some ways that I have observed in which people can get old:

Hardening of the references - Don’t confuse me with anything new or a different way of looking at things.

Seven last words - The seven last words spoken before someone gets old are

“I’ve always done it this way before.”

Less laughter - I’ve heard it said that we don’t stop laughing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop laughing.

How to get older

Learn from life and it’s experiences - If you are the exact same person as you were 20 years ago, then I would suggest that you have wasted 20 years.

Laugh - Laugh often: at yourself especially.

Learn from those that have gone before - Others have gotten older before us. It amazes me how so often we do not take advantage of the opportunity to “sit at the feet” of those older and wiser.