How to Make This Decade One of Your Best

One of the biggest surprises to me is that I really enjoy being older. I used to think that when I was over 60 I would be… well… old. :) And yet here I am, loving my life in a way I never imagined!

Old Is a State of Mind

Of course, our bodies are ageing, and we may not be as mentally quick as we once was, but that doesn’t mean giving up on life. In fact, many of us have less responsibilities, fewer commitments, and more time to do the things we love. What a fabulous gift that is! Remember all the times we were too busy, or had responsibilities we couldn’t ignore? How sometimes we yearned for a break! Perhaps now you have the freedom to explore all those wonderful things you would have loved to have done.

That doesn’t necessarily mean packing your bags and travelling around the world. (Of course you can if you want!) But even in your own backyard there is so much to explore. There are so many people to meet with interesting life stories, hundreds of opportunities for new experiences, so much to learn, possibilities for growth. Keeping our mind and our heart open not only makes us happier, but improves cognitive function, develops our imagination and helps us stay curious. I hope I always stay curious :).

Look at the World Through the Eyes of a Child

Remember how interesting and exciting life was as a child? There was always something new… different food to taste, games to play, singing and dancing, unheard music, unread books, drawings to create and friends to make. It is just the same now, but maybe we have forgotten how wonderful all these things are. In my experience, it is often the simple things that mean the most.

Nature provides a wealth of new and exciting things every hour of the day, every day of the year. Get outside if you can, grab some binoculars, or even a bug-box. Jump in puddles, paddle at the beach, fly a kite. Sing at the top of your voice while you are driving, or dance while you are washing the dishes.

Read all those books you wanted to but never had the time, paint that picture, massage squidgy clay, learn a language. Explore the sky at night… it truly is incredible. :) One thing is for sure: you will never run out of things to do!

Autumn Has Many Beautiful Colours

While we will never be spring chickens again, autumn has many beautiful colours. Enjoy this time of your life. We may be here for just a short while, or possibly another 30 or more years… but today is all we have, right now. Make the most of it!

Wake up every morning, expecting it to be a great day and, chances are, it will be. Put little things in your life that make you happy, breakfast in the garden, a little bunch of flowers, some pretty napkins at dinner time. They will make you smile :)

Ageing should bring us joy rather than sadness. I know there are difficulties we have to face, but they do not define who we are. We have lived a long life, why not make our autumn, something really colourful? 

No One Size Fits All

There is no one-size-fits-all for us. But that was the same at 30 as it is at 60, 70, 80 or 90. We are all just muddling along, getting on with whatever life has given us. Each day is a new day, with different challenges and hurdles to climb. We may not always be able to change them, but what we can do is face our difficulties with courage. Be gentle with yourself, treat yourself with kindness and bring a little joy into your life. I intend to live, really live, until my very last day on this beautiful planet. :)

Join the Conversation:

Are you enjoying life as an older person? What have you done to stay curious? Have you overcome challenges?