However, when asked, nearly all adults approaching or immersed in middle-later life wouldn’t trade places with their 20 something offspring or colleagues for several really good reasons. Can you add any to the list?
Experience
Remember when life’s little bumps and bruises sent you spinning into a vortex of self-doubt and drama? Remember the tears shed (unnecessarily!) about love, jobs, friends or missed opportunities? As they say, hindsight is 20/20 and so to can aging be – you know what’s worth worrying about and what really can be dismissed as ‘life.’
Self-acceptance
Our bodies may not be as unlined, cellulite-free and nimble as they once were, but now we know what works for us, we are better at communicating our needs, we are surer of ourselves and don’t have to worry about pregnancy scares and we have a bit more time and disposable income. All this leads to lower stress levels and better sex – yahoo!
Knowing your body well means you know what food, exercise and clothing looks best and the warning signs of illness or disease.
Compassion
After you’ve lived on this gorgeous blue planet for a decent length of time, you realise how unnecessary judgement is, and how awful it is to experience. Being able to see another’s point of view and accept someone for who they are is a beautiful thing. It leads to better relationships and happier people all around.
A sense of humour
As with compassion, there’s nothing like having a few miles on your age-ometer to encourage you to see the potential for fun in many situations. Life doesn’t have to be so serious!
Accentuate the positive. There’s plenty to go around!