Adapt To Your Age - Grasshopper

Are you familiar with the old adage, “act your age”? It’s used by many as a put down, mainly suggesting immaturity. “Adapt to your age” is a suggestion I’m offering that leads to a more peaceful life.

One of my most unfavorite phases is, “How goes the battle?” My response to that query is, “I’m not fighting with anything or anyone.” To my eyes, too many people are fighting with their age. They hit a magic number every five or ten years and go into a self-deprecating or denial mode about aging.

Aging is something that happens to everyone, but not everyone adapts.

Reminds me of a story . . . Recently, I went to the gym where I normally swim, but the pool was closed that day for repair. So I decided that I would lift some weights instead. I haven’t lifted weights in recent years, so was I in for a surprise when I got on the weight bench to do some bench presses. There were no weights on either side of the bar, just the 45 pound bar itself. I figured I would do some warm-up presses with just the bar before adding any additional weight. After a few repetitions, I struggled with this lighter weight more than I anticipated. Just a few years prior, I was lifting more that double that amount as my workout weight without any problem.

I didn’t castigate myself for not being able to lift the amount of weight I once did; I adapted to the new amount of weight my body could handle. I’m sure if it became a regular routine for me, I could progressively add more weight, but not to the amount I used to lift. I adapted to my age and my conditioning.

There are some other expressions I hear making the rounds: “Fight the old man” or “fight old age.” For some, it means to stay in shape which is good thing, but for many it means to not act your age. These folks pretend they aren’t the age they are.

Reminds me of another story . . . My neighbor was a hair stylist. He had a number of aging customers who wanted their hair dyed jet black. He would caution them, that as you age, it’s better to go lighter in hair color rather than go back to the darker color you had when you were younger. He said the skin tone also changes as we age and the natural hair color you had doesn’t match up well with the new skin tone. Not everyone took his advice. I’m sure you’ve seen your share of men and women with this out of sync combination. They didn’t adapt to their age.

Fighting with your age causes a giant mental strain, which, ironically, will age you even quicker. Beating yourself up on a regular basis for not being able to look or do what you did as a younger you, takes its toll as you fight a reality that you say, “shouldn’t be.”

Better to adapt to the environment you find yourself in. Adaptation is mind calming and easier on your body.

Final thought: If you follow my suggestion, I’m pretty sure you’ll adapt to hearing the phrase, “You look hot for your age.”

All the best,