WARNING: If you’re over the age of 30 you may be triggered by this week’s Weekly Focus.
…
In the last of couple years, I have heard a number of phrases on repeat:
“When I was your age…”
“You just wait until you get older…”
“I’m just not as young as I used to be…”
And I’ll cut right to the point.
Language like this irritates me.
Every single one of these phrases adopts the sad, powerless and absent-of-responsibility tone that we are all just victims of the number of years that we’ve spent on this planet.
It’s this gloom-ridden narrative that as we get older we will inevitably deteriorate.
By 30 we’ll be waking up with a stiff back.
By 40 we’ll have trouble putting on our shoes.
By 50 we can say goodbye to anything more than a walk around the block.
And by 60 everything will have gone to hell.
You may be reading this and thinking “story of my life” or “that’s not a joke and you really SHOULD just wait til you get older”.
And to the latter – you do have a point.
I’m not very old.
I haven’t had children yet.
I haven’t experienced life post-menopause.
But I DO, and have every intention of continuing to, make choices that support health, vitality and OPPORTUNITY.
Opportunity is actually one of the major driving forces behind my movement practice.
I want MORE of life available to me.
I want to be able to do what I love with who I love for longer!
And the way I see it, another lap around the sun is another year with the user manual for YOU. So in theory we ought to be becoming more intelligent and more skilled users.
I say it with pride and persistent commitment that I am a MUCH better mover at the age of 32 than I was at 22.
*And a quick disclaimer (or potentially an “in my defense”) I’m certainly not lacking for a history of wear and tear. I would actually venture to say that I have had more breaks, sprains, stitches and surgeries than the average person undergoes in their lifetime.
But with each “speedbump” and each year, I am coming to know and navigate my vessel BETTER!
And I have had a few great examples to reinforce my case!
My mom is 61 years of age. She is not some genetic anomaly. She isn’t a “blessed” outlier. She is someone who has CHOSEN to keep moving. And at 61 she is still leading the charge for fun and activity!
My friend Cindy is 72. I met her at a Level 2 Animal Flow Workshop this past June. She didn’t always prioritize her health, but at the age of 60 she decided she was going to live differently. Cindy is strong, vibrant, inspiring and STILL GETTING BETTER!
One of my movement mentors is in his 40s and is doing things he may have never dreamed of doing in his 20s.
I talked about “aging hacks” a few weeks ago.
And from my current experience and observations here’s another action item to add to your list:
Toss, punt, drop kick, absolutely GET RID of the idea that you are aging and therefore you are deteriorating.
Stay curious.
Keep moving.
Use it so you don’t lose it!
And for the love of all things, be mindful of the story you tell yourself and take ownership of how you feel and what kind of future you are creating.
You can be 55 years old.
Or you can be 55 years BOLD, COURAGEOUS, CAPABLE and STILL GETTING BETTER!
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