Don't Die Before You're Dead!
Learn the art of agelessness!
For 18 years, I was a professional people watcher, also known as a “comedian.” I got paid to watch humans and report on the weirdness of what they do in the funniest way possible. After many years of training, I now simply walk into any room and in one glance can put together someone’s background. I can spot the single mom whose baby daddy left her with 2 kids so she was working 2 jobs to support herself and her kids. The unattractive computer geek who had trouble getting a date, so his girlfriend was a blow up doll. The unhappy housewife, longing for affection from her significant other…the traveling salesman. The business man who grew up poor, but now had money and was using it to impress someone else. The elderly couple who still dresses like it was 1959…knowing full well they’re just waiting until they’re too sick to enjoy life as their best years are far behind them. The angry young man in his 20’s with skull tattoos and multiple piercings, thanks to his abusive mother. A young women who was sexually assaulted as a teen, which resulted in her being an overweight, man-hating lesbian. I know some people think comedy to hypnosis is a strange career transition…but there was no better training then comedy for becoming a hypnotist! Comedy taught me to understand there’s always a backstory; hypnosis taught me to understand the subtleties of what that backstory means.
In January of 2009, I got hired to perform my comedy show at a nudist resort. I thought I’d be weirded out seeing uncovered body parts, but that didn’t bother me at all. What stood out to me more than seeing naked bodies, was seeing happy people, having a great time. There was an attractive lady in her mid 50’s was wearing a skimpy see-thru outfit and platform heels dancing seductively. Another lady wearing a red teddy, red lace hose, and red platform heels, with her long silver hair neatly tucked in an updo. When she turned around…whoa! This woman was clearly a well maintained woman in her mid-to-late 70’s. And then there was a man who was dancing all by himself, wearing body paint and glitter. Everyone of them was smiling, having a great time, and not caring one bit about the world outside the gate.
What planet was I on? All these happy faces? Where were the backstories of heart ache and loss? It was amazing…and I decided to learn what I could about these happy people. And after hanging out (sometimes, literally) with these people, here’s 4 things I learned…
1) It’s all in your mind. One of the biggest complaints with people over the age of 50 is the feeling of deterioration and decline. The children have left the house and are working on lives of their own. Technology has changed their job. It’s no wonder some people begin to have feelings of being unwanted, useless, and being outdated. Having the right mindset is the best way to cope with that. If you focus on how your family is gone, how you’re useless at work, and how life is passing you by…guess what! You start to feel your age. If you work on being relevant, staying engaged with family and friends, and learning new skills - you are working on being ageless. Keeping focused on the positive things your age has brought you (like wisdom, understanding, and the ability to better help others) and work diligently to maintain good physical health. Focusing on transitioning to a new stage in life will greatly improve your overall outlook and quality of life.
2) Ignore the culture that surrounds you. We live in a world obsessed with youth. Every day, it seems older people are pushed to the side in favor of the younger generations. People are seen as being in their prime when they’re in their late ‘teens and early twenties. Those who are older than 30, seem like they’re no longer part of the favored, younger group. In order to get past this and actually start living with an ageless mindset, it’s time to tune it out “those young whipper snappers.” You may be older, but you have experience! Think of yourself as a fine wine, getting better with age. You’re seasoned. Stop denying your aging and own it.
3) Love your Body and Own Your Age
The only way to ensure you keep having the ageless mindset is to continue to love your body and remind yourself that every day you become the next best version of yourself. There’s no such thing as perfection for humanity; we make mistakes, learn, and grow throughout our lives.
An important part of keeping yourself in the ageless mindset is loving and appreciating your body for what it does for you and how far it has gotten you. Every day that you’re alive, you learn something new and adapt to changes around you. The first step in keeping an ageless mindset is loving your body for all its many years and experiences and appreciating it.
4) Never Say ‘Never’. The number one thing that will knock you off your track towards an ageless mindset is negativity. We psych ourselves by telling ourselves that we’re too old to do something, too set in our ways to learn something, and even that we’re simply too old to be of value. These thoughts are toxic and highly dangerous to the positive outlook you’re trying to maintain. You are capable of doing anything you put your mind to; now, it may take you a little extra effort to get there, but if you make the effort, you can accomplish it. Focus on your abilities and your worth, not your age.
How you deal with aging is entirely up to you, but embracing your age and body for all the wonderful things it has brought you will help you move forward with a positive mindset…and the feeling of agelessness.
