Embrace your age may sound harder than it is. You may feel as though you are swimming upstream against a social current that continually pushes the ideal of youth as the picture of strength and success.

We tend to internalize the idea that beauty is defined by un-wrinkled skin, full heads of hair, and trim, fit bodies poised for the next sports marathon. As we age, and our bodies respond to the realities of having lived decades more years than the images we see on TV and on social media, we can get lost in a feeling of unworthiness.

Recently, I decided to release my hair from the necessity of keeping it dark brown — my greying hair loves it and so do I — but it’s the first time that anyone has ever asked me my age or assumed that I might be above the age of 40! Women praise me for my courage — wistfully wondering when they, too, will allow themselves to take the plunge.

We can learn to embrace aging. Doing so enhances happiness and quality of life, making getting older a positive experience instead of something to dread.

Embrace Your Age by Freeing Yourself from Unrealistic Expectations

Freeing yourself from the blame that comes from the misdirected expectation that your body ought to comply with your desire to stay young is a process. This usually doesn’t happen in just a quick instance but, literally grows on you! Removing shame and replacing this with gratitude for a body that still supports you, that still responds to your good self-care, is a huge step in the right direction.

The truth is, we are all changing, growing, and leaving behind the younger versions of ourselves. This manifests in changes at all levels including emotional, psychological, social, and physical.

You may not constantly think about aging, but you are aware of it at some level. Instead of turning away from it, you can lean into it. Doing so can help you fully embrace each moment and stage of your life.

If you can notice the changes in your body, then you have a solid starting point for embracing your age. As your body changes, you may notice things that you don’t like about aging. You may also notice surprising things that you do enjoy.

For me, watching my hair change color is an exciting process — I never quite know how grey it will become the next day, nor how fast or slow that coloring is happening. It is a metaphor in some way, of accepting that which I cannot control — because aging happens, it’s a matter instead of being curious and interested in the process of aging itself.

Accepting both of those things can help you to appreciate the fullness, and the brevity, of your life.

Choose Happiness to Improve Your Life

As you get older, you will hopefully come to realize a powerful truth—happiness is a choice.

You are going to get older whether you like it or not. If you fight it, hate it, and refuse to embrace your age then you are choosing a life of frustration and misery. Is that really how you want to spend your days and years?

For today, I’m experimenting with the acceptance of greying hair as a statement about having grace while aging. I’ll keep you posted on my comfortability and my ongoing bowing to the impermanence of the body and the world itself.

How about you? See if you can try on an attitude of gratitude, so that your age won’t be the focus of your days, and you can instead focus on your daily experience of contentment, satisfaction, and joy. Each day, you can opt to embrace positivity. You can choose your attitude.

Of course, some of life’s experiences will naturally cause suffering. However, you can find ways to feel gratitude even for the struggles in life.

Embrace Your Age Through Mindfulness Meditation

I am so excited to let you know that I have just begun a 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program founded by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. As the program continues, I’ll be bringing you some of the knowledge and practices that I learn.

One of the first things to consider is how mindfulness meditation can be a tool to help you embrace your age and choose happiness. When you are able to sit still in the present moment and notice what occurs without judgment, you are able to fully embody the experience of life.

Aging allows us to gather experience, wisdom, connections, and a new daily approach to living the quality of life we want to live.

--

Of course, if you’re struggling with mental health issues, then it can be a struggle to choose happiness as you age. Learn more about depression counseling to help you move forward.