Anti Anti-Aging

I must pass over a dozen “anti-aging” clinics on a typical ride through town. Must we be sliced open, pricked with poison, filled with plastic to be acceptable in the eyes of society? Does any sign that says that we’ve lived passed the cusp of puberty need erasure or alteration? I call bullshit. Anti-aging is anti-living. How about just being pro-aging gracefully?

We’re bombarded with the message that with each number added to our age we become less. Less visible. Less valuable. Less worthy of care. That math doesn’t work out. Most societies revere their elders and look forward to becoming one.

Each wrinkle we’ve earned says we’ve been lucky enough to experience life’s waves and they have etched their marks into our skin.

Silver hairs say that we’re shining from the inside-out. Our bodies now see it as a waste of energy to hide that fact.

Extra cushion and softness means we’ve been blessed with nourishment and have some to spare if times get lean.

Many people give up on self-care at a certain age because they don’t see themselves as worthy of that effort. But research shows that those adults who:

• eat nutrient-dense food

• sleep soundly

• stay active & playful

• and stretch their bodies and minds throughout their lives

experience a greater sense of wellbeing, better mobility, less pain and far less disease and physical and mental decline as they age. So that effort is far from wasted.

Maybe we’re not as strong. Perhaps we don’t have the same stamina or as quick as we once were. But if we’re active participants in our world— we gain far more than we’ve lost. With each year we gain wisdom. We gain compassion. We gain patience. We gain skills and life hacks that we can pass onto the next generations. All we've gained with experience and time brings value to every space we occupy if we choose to share it.

It’s what’s in your heart. It’s what’s in your mind. It’s how you exude your creative energy into this world--that's what makes you valuable.

Here's to being PRO-AGING!

May we all be so blessed to age with dignity and grace while retaining the vibrant, playful, curious child spirit within.