by Jenna Pope

Created on: August 21, 2010   Last Updated: August 22, 2010

Getting older is the sum of two halves – how you think and how you feel.  But it doesn’t have to be dreaded, ignored, or fought off.  It happens to everyone; no one is exempt.

State of Mind:

When growing older, the mind can be a person’s worst enemy or his best friend.  How do you think about yourself? Are you reasonably happy and contented?  Or are you resentful and bitter? 

So many of the elderly feel outmatched and less worthy than those who are younger.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Older people don’t have to rush around like young people who are building families and careers.  They have more time to help others and do the things that they never had the time to do before. 

I know a person, almost sixty, who has returned to college to get her Associates Degree.  She doesn’t need it for a job or for generating future income.  She’s doing it just for fun.  Associating with young people at the college makes my friend feel thankful that she doesn’t have to juggle responsibilities like she did when she was younger.  She is learning for learning’s sake.  The phrase, “older and wiser,” has special meaning for her. 

Older people can do things like reading to children at the library, or if they are still in the work force, they can see retirement in the future as something to look forward to.  If an aging person concentrates on engaging in positive activities, he will approach his later years with an attitude of trust and expectancy.

State of Body:

An older person does not have to fall apart when he hits old age.  Appropriate exercise, a good diet, and regular check-ups will keep him healthier longer.  By taking care of himself, a person can live a longer more satisfying life.  While it’s true that older people tend to acquire high blood pressure, diabetes, and other age-related conditions, proper medical care and lifestyle changes can keep their lives normal and active for many more years.

Interconnected:

The mind and body are interconnected.  A depressed older person is more susceptible to age-related illnesses than one who has a good state of mental health.  Elderly people who learn to accept and work with age-related physical conditions are far happier than those who don’t. 

When we learn to accept the life cycle as having a beginning and an end, we want to make the most of the years we’ve been given.  It is never to late to cultivate a positive attitude, learn to eat healthier, and begin getting more exercise.  Aging can be a positive experience of both the body and the mind that exceeds our expectations. 

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