The Secret to Never Ageing

I’m not going to write some long drawn-out article and make you read to the end to find out what I think the secret is. Don’t you just hate that?! Here it is:

Forget how old you are!

Ok, so perhaps that needs a little explanation…

I rarely tell people my age. I do my absolute best to avoid the topic, and even in official situations I sometimes lie.

Our society is so aged focused, it’s ridiculous. As if age somehow automatically explains who you are. Even your “stage in life” cannot be determined by age. I know a few people who had traveled the world, raised their brothers and sisters, and had multiple relationships by the age of nineteen. At nineteen I was basically a child. How can we possibly compare ourselves based on age? The same is true for a forty, or fifty, or sixty year old. Age also does not equate to wisdom. Not only do life experiences shape our maturity, but our values and goals are massively varied. I’ve never been a fan of people putting me in box, of any kind really, and age is one of the worst.

New Zealand, in particular, I find to be virtually obsessed with age. It’s like people just have to know how old you are. We are a traditional society, with stages and roles that the vast majority seem to readily follow without question. Case and point, if you look at any flatmate wanted ad, you’ll find the age range they’re looking for. How about, instead of age, people just put – “houseful of bookish nerds seeking similar type” ? So many assumptions are made based on age. And that’s one reason I object to talking about it. I didn’t suddenly become a loser when I hit thirty-five. If anything, I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable and confident in my skin, and certainly more interesting!

We are only as old as we believe we are

Another reason I don’t talk about my age is because I think that we are only as old as we tell ourselves we are. The power of thought is astounding. If you are actively and consistently talking about how old you feel, or obsessing about the ageing process of your body, you will almost certainly age more, irrespective of surgeries and beauty products.

I went through a couple of years of listening to Abraham Hicks (the origins of The Secret). In the end I decided Abe was not for me, but I’ve never forgotten what Esther says about ageing, and I believe she’s exactly right. If you don’t want to age you need to change the way you view the whole process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk8dLxJ62oQ

Don’t use your age as an excuse

I constantly hear people talking about how their body is too old to do this or that now. Even people in their thirties! Or they’ve got the good ol’ middle aged spread – it’s just inevitable.

I whole-heartedly disagree. My body is in better shape now than it was at twenty. Why? Because I’m more active now than I was at twenty. I’m also vegan and have very healthy habits. When I gain weight, as I sometimes do, it’s because I’ve stopped going to the gym and eaten more cookies – not because my metabolism crashed due to an extra year having passed. I quite literally forget how old I am until someone (like my mum – lol) reminds me.

My parents, incidentally, are both very active and fit, and I’m not sure they’ve ever really slowed down much either.

Don’t talk about your age or let people define you by it

What I generally find when I don’t share my age is that people assume I’m the same age as they are. People who are around my age or older catch that I’ve got a bit of life experience and maturity. People younger than me focus on my youthful side. Many people have commented that they just can’t guess – I’m sort of ageless. And that’s exactly how I plan on staying. I want to be ME, not me as predetermined by a box I’ve been put in. If I want to go to a hipster club and dance all night, I damn well will. I’ll go to music festivals and wear silly costumes. I’ll jump into rivers and swim like a kid. I will hike up/slide down sand dunes with a much younger boyfriend, and I will not let anyone tell me I’m too old for ANYTHING. Stubbornly ageless – you see.

Here I am, hiking up a sand dune. Photo taken by “much younger boyfriend.”

Don’t EXPECT to age

Another thing I’ve noticed is that people are constantly anticipating ageing. “Oh… I’m getting old” people say. Bah! Whatever! is my cheeky response. I’m not (smirk). And so far, touch wood, nothing much has changed – no random physical ailments, no grey hair, nada.

Now, I know that is a radical shift in thinking. I mean, getting older is part of life and we can’t avoid it, surely… And I hear all the people older than me thinking “just you wait and see…” lol. But I’ve decided that, for now, I’m not going to start mentally preparing and anticipating. I’m just going to keep on being me and see what happens. Here’s why…

Forgetting your age impacts you on a cellular level

According to Abraham Hicks, and I am inclined to believe it, thinking this way will actually impact you on a cellular level. That means if you never think about your age you won’t physically deteriorate as much. I mean, my appearance has definitely changed… but it’s happening very slowly, that’s for sure. And in terms of energy levels, I’m better than ever! Just the other day when someone asked my class who their teacher was, the students described me as “the young one”. Hilarious given at least half the teachers I work with are much younger than I am!

So there you have it. Stop letting people tell you age matters, stop giving a crap about it, and hey, you’ll probably also stop ageing. Or at least you’ll stop being a stereotypical member of a society that inadvertently cages us all. Freedom baby!!!

Now you all want to know how old I am, right? Alas, even if I could remember, I still wouldn’t tell you.