Accept The Years

Each phase of our life is marked by different evolutionary aspects, such as the innocence of childhood, the spontaneity of youth and the maturity of the adult. Despite this, as life approaches old age, we sometimes discover aspects that help us value, accept and enjoy this final stage of life.

Old age is characterized by a physical and mental deterioration that, at times, we are unable to accept, which triggers conflicts and difficulties in adapting to new life circumstances. However and despite this, we must try to enjoy all our ages, without forgetting the latter.

The evolutionary phases

As we said, each evolutionary phase has its own personal characteristics, which we usually accept and with which we evolve, without too many emotional conflicts or, at least, not beyond those necessary to grow. And it is important to reflect on the fact that reaching each stage of life necessarily presupposes having lived the first one.

It is therefore a question of learning to value the fact that we never stop being children, young people or adults, but that each phase and its learning will accompany us throughout our existence, transforming itself into a baggage to be carried along the road that remains for us to run across.

“Man’s maturity is equivalent to having rediscovered the seriousness that he used to play as children”

-Frederich Nietzsche-

Overcoming the stages of life

We could imagine specializing in a qualified profession and, for this, we have to go through different types of training and experiences, as well as having to practice the profession depending on the level at which we are training.

The same happens in life, as we move from one stage to another, specializing more and more, becoming wiser, and then changing our tasks and developing our activities, depending on our age.

We could say that, with more experience, the work becomes lighter, calmer, more rested, which leaves room for those who begin their training in life and dedicate themselves to the hardest and most difficult work, necessary to learn and reach the level. as a specialist, as their older predecessors did in their time.

“Getting older is like climbing a mountain: as you climb, your strength diminishes, but your gaze is freer, the view broader and more serene”

-Ingmar Begman-

Birthday is a symbol of wisdom

Undoubtedly, turning years adds experience and learning to life, until you get that wisdom typical of the older people in our society. And this wisdom is, in turn, a treasure for the very young, those who are starting to live life without experience and who need support and advice.

Turning your birthday, in whatever phase of life you are, has always been and always will be a support made of experience and education for people younger than us.

Accept aging

Biologically, we begin to age from the age of 22. Our cells do not grow and develop anymore, but deterioration begins, which we will notice as the years go by, as it is a slow evolution and it depends a lot on how we take care of ourselves.

This means that, more than half of our life, we spend it aging or, what is actually the same, maturing, learning from previous stages and overcome challenges or failures. If we accept this, we will find that our biology prepares us at each stage for what we need at that moment. And, undoubtedly, childhood activity is unnecessary in adulthood and the ability to work is not needed in old age.

“The oldest trees bear the sweetest fruits”

-German proverb-

What exactly does it mean to accept the years?

We could say that completing the age predisposes us to live life in another way. Each year implies more maturity, more acquired learning, different considerations of the future and new challenges. And this is precisely what we must accept.

Perhaps it was easy for us to accept that, as adults, we would not have kept the innocence, the games and the lack of responsibility of the children. Thus, in the same way, we must accept that, in old age, it is no longer necessary to work as before, to continue with the same activities, to follow the same rhythm.

What should we expect from old age?

As we said, wisdom is the fundamental aspect of old age, and when the body needs rest, relaxation and care, the best thing to do is to give it to it. And if our mind is no longer so alert or so active, it means that we cannot demand from ourselves everything we expected before.

Accepting the years implies continuing to exercise our mental and physical activities, but always according to our possibilities, without accepting great challenges, except that of keeping ourselves as healthy as possible and maintaining our well-being, enjoying every present moment.

Accepting the years implies opening the way for future generations, allowing others to take care of us and protect us. Just as we did years before, accepting the limitations of a wise body and mind that, by nature, wish to transmit and express their knowledge, making it useful to others.

Accepting the years of the older ones means thanking them for their wisdom, listening to them, taking care of them and respecting them, to learn from their experience and thus be able to live happier and better every day.

Images courtesy of Kim Dong-Hoon, Raquel D íaz Reguera, Heather Barron