Are You Ageing Gracefully?
The term "aging gracefully" automatically brings up reactions such as the eye rolls and cringing at the very mention of the fact that we won't stay 21 forever. There is a misconception that to age gracefully means to let your hair go grey, stop wearing make up and dress in a matronly matter. If we look at the word "gracefully" we can see that there is a much deeper meaning at play. When we live our lives in a so called state of grace, we are living inside the world of spirit and letting go of the ego aspects of aging. The ego reminds us of the obvious signs of aging that are unavoidable such as hair turning grey, hair loss, wrinkles and weight gain. The spirit reminds us that to age gracefully means to embrace and enjoy what each decade of your life brings.
The hard work of getting used to life as an adult by starting your career and setting life plans, is what happens in your twenties. All of this new found freedom makes this decade one of the hardest ones. For women, this is the decade of the maid, as you are just starting out on your journey. As the yearning of freedom from the teenage years becomes the reality in your twenties, it brings with it a mixed bag of delight and fear. This is a decade where friends remain as important as they did in the teen years as you lean on them for support as you grow.
The work you did in your twenties, starts to pay off in your thirties as you see the experience you have gained in your work life, give you more satisfaction, confidence and choices. For woman this is the decade of the mother as you start to embrace the nurturing aspects of your personality. Your home life becomes more established as well. Friendships change as you become busier working on your life goals and establishing a deeper relationship with a life partner or potential life partner. The friendships you maintain will be ones that are with people who share similar life goals. The old group of friends who want to party through life, fall away if you are in the mode of seriously establishing your life.
In your forties you are well established in the work area of your life and your home is established for the most part. You start to delve more deeply into things that you want to do for yourself and you start questioning some of the choices you have made in terms of how you can deepen your life experience. This can be a decade where you change careers or even relocate. You come into yourself as really feeling like a full adult with all of the power it entails. This is the time you say "I can do anything I want" and you have the resources and knowledge to make the changes you want. Friendships are selected more carefully out of a desire to be around people that share not only common interests, but common values. Hanging out with friends is not as much of a priority as it used to be. A stronger sense of self leads to more independence.
The decade of the fifties gives you even more freedom as you continue to feel your personal power, and possibilities seem endless. For a woman, this is the start of the crone, the woman of wisdom who is no longer affected by hormonal fluctuations. This is a time where people will seek to shift their jobs and look more for life work that they feel would align more with what drives their souls. The focus is on inner work and continued learning. This leads to a shift in friendship as well. Gatherings with friends now and then to celebrate life and have fun is done more sporadically, time permitting. Like your decade of the twenties, this can be a challenging decade because you are starting to grow again, in another direction.
The decade of the sixties and beyond are ones where you have the fullest sense of yourself and a certainty about your knowledge of life because of all the experiences you've had. You can see patterns much clearer and also have a clearer view of the bigger picture as you become less interested in the details of how to get to where you want. You can look back on all the decades you've been through and see what each one has brought you. You experience a more profound gratitude for where you are now without a yearning to return to a younger time.
This is what it is to age gracefully. To appreciate each decade of your life and to know that the current decade you are in gives you more opportunity to learn, grow and love. Embrace all of your life.
The hard work of getting used to life as an adult by starting your career and setting life plans, is what happens in your twenties. All of this new found freedom makes this decade one of the hardest ones. For women, this is the decade of the maid, as you are just starting out on your journey. As the yearning of freedom from the teenage years becomes the reality in your twenties, it brings with it a mixed bag of delight and fear. This is a decade where friends remain as important as they did in the teen years as you lean on them for support as you grow.
The work you did in your twenties, starts to pay off in your thirties as you see the experience you have gained in your work life, give you more satisfaction, confidence and choices. For woman this is the decade of the mother as you start to embrace the nurturing aspects of your personality. Your home life becomes more established as well. Friendships change as you become busier working on your life goals and establishing a deeper relationship with a life partner or potential life partner. The friendships you maintain will be ones that are with people who share similar life goals. The old group of friends who want to party through life, fall away if you are in the mode of seriously establishing your life.
In your forties you are well established in the work area of your life and your home is established for the most part. You start to delve more deeply into things that you want to do for yourself and you start questioning some of the choices you have made in terms of how you can deepen your life experience. This can be a decade where you change careers or even relocate. You come into yourself as really feeling like a full adult with all of the power it entails. This is the time you say "I can do anything I want" and you have the resources and knowledge to make the changes you want. Friendships are selected more carefully out of a desire to be around people that share not only common interests, but common values. Hanging out with friends is not as much of a priority as it used to be. A stronger sense of self leads to more independence.
The decade of the fifties gives you even more freedom as you continue to feel your personal power, and possibilities seem endless. For a woman, this is the start of the crone, the woman of wisdom who is no longer affected by hormonal fluctuations. This is a time where people will seek to shift their jobs and look more for life work that they feel would align more with what drives their souls. The focus is on inner work and continued learning. This leads to a shift in friendship as well. Gatherings with friends now and then to celebrate life and have fun is done more sporadically, time permitting. Like your decade of the twenties, this can be a challenging decade because you are starting to grow again, in another direction.
The decade of the sixties and beyond are ones where you have the fullest sense of yourself and a certainty about your knowledge of life because of all the experiences you've had. You can see patterns much clearer and also have a clearer view of the bigger picture as you become less interested in the details of how to get to where you want. You can look back on all the decades you've been through and see what each one has brought you. You experience a more profound gratitude for where you are now without a yearning to return to a younger time.
This is what it is to age gracefully. To appreciate each decade of your life and to know that the current decade you are in gives you more opportunity to learn, grow and love. Embrace all of your life.
Comments