Where Is That Young Girl Who Danced All Night, Dared to Dream, Embraced Adventure?
Sometimes I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and think, Who on earth is that? It seems as though life has moved on with the exterior me, but forgot to tell my brain and my heart! :)
To be honest, I don’t mind at all. I have lost far too many people younger than me to worry about things like wrinkles or grey hairs. And, I do enjoy the age I am at. But that doesn’t mean I have to give up on dancing, dreaming or adventuring!
A Dance a Day Keeps the Doctor Away :)
When I was young, I used to dance every day. It was my passion and always made me happy. But there are many other benefits to dancing, such as keeping fit, being flexible and supple. I could eat whatever I liked and never put on weight, whereas now, if I look at a cream cake…. :)
There is also the music. For most of us music is evocative of so many of our memories. If I just hear one or two bars of a song, I can often remember where I was, when I last heard it, who I was with, how I felt. Music can be joyful, nostalgic, moving, fun, emotional, empowering, uplifting.
Maybe we can’t quite rock around the clock like we used to, but ramping up the music and doing a little twist now and again is good for our soul, our body and our heart. :)
Dare to Dream
Remember the thrill of day dreaming? Falling in love with your idol, travelling round the world, becoming a model, writing a best seller! It does not matter at all if your dreams are completely unrealistic, or even if they never come true. Dreaming does not have an age limit… or any limits. :)
As well as being fun, day dreaming has many benefits, including allowing your brain down time, being creative, finding answers, reducing stress, solving problems, and improving your mood. It is especially important as we age, as some people may become focused on how little time they have left, rather than how much. Day dreaming provides us with hope and belief that there is a future for us.
Don’t Be Afraid to Take Risks
When I was young, I loved a challenge. There was no such thing as failure – only learning. Somewhere along the way I became cautious. Perhaps even a little too cautious. I guess when you have accidents and mishaps, you learn not to repeat them.
In many ways that is a good thing, but taking a little risk now and again makes me feel alive. :) I like to take myself on magical mystery trips with no plan, no end destination. Just stop off whenever I want. Occasionally, I drive to the beach and sleep in my car, so I can watch the evening sunset and then the morning sunrise. :)
I like to try new food I haven’t tasted, listen to music I have never heard before, read books whose authors have not crossed my path. Every once in a while, I book a trip to somewhere I have never been – Norway, The Arctic Circle – or tick off something from my bucket list: swimming with turtles, sailing on a schooner.
Keeping That Young Girl Close By
So, for as long as possible, I like to keep that young girl close by. Dance, sing at the top of my voice, dream the impossible dream, have a few adventures, and take a little risk. I hope to learn a bit more, be a bit braver, and always, always, stay curious. My inner child is not going anywhere soon. :)
Let’s Chat:
Have you still got your young self inside? Do you find music and dancing good for you? Have you still got dreams for the future?
Nice
I think we are spirit sisters. I imagine I am a singer on stage, singing those songs that I love or that say something I wish I could have said years ago a those people are in my audience! I also LOVED to dance and did so many weekends into the late night. I don’t have a dance floor but do my best I can at dancing those old moves. I just told my husband last week that I think I need to go back to my roots of who I was when I was young. And every quarter I take a new class in the arts of some sort.
Next to conquer is taking that adventure trip by myself – maybe this year! Thanks for writing; I don’t feel alone in my feeling 35 but being 66.
The things that brought us joy when we were younger would still bring us joy if our circumstances still allowed us to do them. Unfortunately due to health issues, financial loss, divorces etc, we are unable to many of those things anymore.
However im still the same girl inside in my mind, its just that my body feels like a tired old suitcase sometimes.
But ive still got my spirit & I plan things around what I ‘can’ still do nowadays.
I love my Spotify music, its so easy to listen to tunes from my early days that makes my heart sing & for me so worth the monthly cost. I up the volume a little if by myself while doing housework or cooking & often dance the same way I used to when younger.
I still travel & was brave enough to go on a coach trip recently for the first time and enjoyed it. But I’d prefer to drive off to destinations myself & have my independence.
I sometimes hop on a country train or two and travel to the big smoke where I know my favourite coffee shops are, parks and gardens where I can walk in nature.
I focus on what I can still do and find new and different ways of doing it.
i have dance pretty much all my life. from dancing school till age ten to learning all the dances on Bandstand. i’m 80 now and i have major heart issues that make me get out of breath fast. i would love to dance the nite away like i use to, not sitting down for 3 hours but unfortunately those days are over. it makes me sad bc dancing was my love! it’s nice to say keep doing what you always loved but when you realize you can’t, you have to do something else. painting, being on the computer more than you would like things like that. my point is to never give up on yourself you just have to rework you life.