By Dr. Eeks
Is Age your dictator?
How many times do you hear someone say he/she is too old to do something? Too old to start, too old to go back to school, too old to make a desired career change, too old to get married, too old to travel, too late to start, the ship has sailed…the list is endless. Maybe you say such things to yourself. I know I have.
It’s good to be practical about age. If women want kids, they need to be conscious of their biological clock. Men too, since a lot of kid illnesses are linked to old(er) sperm. As we age, we should be aware that our bones become more brittle and our muscles weaken. Our memories dull, our eating and sleep patterns change, and our risk for illness increases. We should be conscious of these things, take precautions and do what we can to prevent or slow down the inevitable changes of aging. Luckily, there is tons of science today that support lifestyle changes being able to slow down the aging process. Our ancestors weren’t so fortunate.
However, it’s not healthy to make Age our dictator, even though mainstream society indoctrinates us to do this. Society tells women they lose their desirability by a certain age, causing many to devote huge chunks of their live to camouflaging the inescapable, natural transitions of aging. Imagine what they could be doing instead?
People fear wrinkles and age spots like they’re Scarlet Letters instead of regular signs of the passage of time. Corporate hiring managers prefer younger candidates, often passing up older, more qualified ones who lose hope and give up on applying. Countless people have preconceived notions about what age is too old to do what, as if these are rules written in stone. In many ways, we are part of an inescapable system that stupidly only values youth, and when we internalize society’s values as our own, we set ourselves up for misery and disappointment.
I often tell people that to be healthy, one must tell conventional society to go to hell. I view mainstream society as an illness. If I could send it a “Get Well Soon” card, I would. Not only is Age its dictator, but mainstream society has sick and twisted standards and values that don’t benefit individuals. We need to be brave and set our own damn values and follow our own damn dictators.
Don’t let Age be your dictator. Don’t let it stop you from starting something or doing something you really want to do. It’s only too late to do something if YOU decide it’s too late to do something. None of us are promised another day, but imagine if we all did nothing because we might die tomorrow? One of the saddest things is seeing people who made Age their dictator staying stagnant in one spot, uninspired, bitter, miserable and depressed about how “old” they look. Is that a healthy way to spend your life? I don’t think so.
Make your own values. Set your own standards. Follow your own timeline, and trust that the timing is right. If people around you make Age their dictator and that negatively impacts you, detox them from your life. It’s never too late to find a new tribe. It’s never too late to start. It’s never too late to go for a dream. – Dr. E
Thank you for reading. ;)
Dr. Eeks’s book Manic Kingdom. Dare to think differently about one’s mental state and dare to embrace uncertainty!
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