Each year we are privileged to see gives us the opportunity to celebrate another birthday in our lives.
While there are those who are scared of aging, there are also those who look forward to the next year of their life with excitement.
Some one once said to me "As the year runs so are we growing old." And my reply was, "It's not just about aging but aging gracefully."
To age gracefully largely depends on what we do with the life God has graciously bestowed us with as we witness each day we come across.
It is not about trying to look younger than our age just as some social media influencers would like to portray and there is nothing absolutely wrong in looking younger than your age.
But more to it is about living your life to the fullest the very best way you can, living a purposeful life in sound health and mind.
What most people don't realize especially those who are scared of aging is that like fine wine, we get better each year growing in wisdom and strength.
In two days, on the 14th of November to be precise, I would be adding a year to my beautiful and glorious life and in retrospect, I have so many things to be thankful and grateful to God for. He runs my life.
Being faced with so many challenges in every area of life right from time, overcoming these challenges, still standing strong and graciously moving on in wisdom and vitality is enough reason to be grateful to God for.
Life certainly is full of challenges but how we go through and overcome these challenges is what makes life so rich and worth living with it's experiences.
There is no greater gift than the gift of life. You may not have all you wished for, you may not be where you wish to be or attain the height you have ever dreamed of attaining and you may have lost valuable things and even relatives but like they say "When there is life there is hope"
The fact that one is still breathing and in sound health gives you hope to start afresh or keep pushing. Each day you witness is an opportunity to pursue your dreams.
You see, life is not just about existing but living to make the most of each day as it comes, making your years count, valuing relationships, being kind, loving and generous.
Learning to let go, forgive, love unconditionally, accommodate, laugh, dance even in the storm, being grateful at all times, impacting lives positively, having fun with dear friends and family members.
Despite the fact that we all wish to live a long and prosperous life, none of us know exactly when we are to leave this earth to the after life.
They say "Life is too short" But we can make life too sweet even in the short period that we have. So why not make the most of life each day like its your last?
In as much as we may have limited time on earth, we have today to live and make the very most of it. It is said that "Yesterday is history, today is a gift and tomorrow is a mystery."
Tomorrow is mystery that we do not know off or how it's gonna pan out but we have today for the moment to make the very most of it by living our dreams irrespective of the challenges and making our days productive.
Each day we witness to live out our dreams presents to us new discoveries as we ask questions and think of ways to reach our goals in life.
For instance, my publication of articles in this blog is weekly but this week, I was lost on what to write plus the week has been very a hectic one.
Anything I think of to write did not sit well with me so I asked God, what am I to write this week? Nothing came to my mind till today being the fourth day (Thursday) of the week, It dawned on me to write about this topic which is about life as I look forward to another awesome year in my life.
Each day brings us closer to our dreams. The dreams we so much desire to want to see come to pass in our lives.
Be it love, a place we can sweetly call home, the peace of mind we so much crave for, the joy of every moment we experience, the kind of life we want to live and become.
The challenges we go through become our character builders as we get to discover and develop the virtues in us.
Through these challenges, we learn new things, become refined and turn out to be the beautiful persons we are today.
In our vulnerability, we realize how human we are. We realize we are not perfect beings but a work in progress.
WAYS TO AGE GRACEFULLY
Instead of being scare of aging, you can actually get excited about aging with the folksinging tips below.
LIVE A PURPOSEFUL LIFE : Not everyone had the privilege to see the next birthday of their lives. So many people we know, friends and relatives are not here today but we have today to make the very best use of it.
Do the best you can to contribute to making life worth living through the number of lives you touch. Late Myles Monroe once said "The value of life is not about its duration but in its donation."
He went further to say "You are not important because of how long you live but how effective you live."
We can do all of the above when we live a life of purpose as ordained by God for everyone of us. No one on planet earth is without a purpose.
Living a life of purpose makes life worth living as you set goals for yourself to achieve each day. These goals keep you focused in life making you stay on your lane and less concerned about the race of others.
A purposeful life also keeps you less concerned about the happenings around you and gets you less worried because you are focused on where you are headed.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR OVER ALL HEALTH : Our health is all encompassing. It is an intersection of our mental, social, physical, emotional and spiritual well being.
Physically, eat right. As you age, your diet ought to change. Learn to eat healthy balanced diet. Less or no alcohol, cut down on natural sugars, have enough sleep, be aware of your moods, exercise often and avoid a sedentary life style. Stay physically active.
Mentally, learn to keep your mind at peace at all times irrespective of what is happening around you or to you.
Learn to talk about your feelings to close friends and family members and not bottling them up because not talking about your feelings especially when feeling bad can lead to depression.
For your brain to function well, you also need to eat well and eat good foods that feed the brain such as whole grain meals or cereals, vegetables, nuts and drink plenty of water.
Learn to free your mind from worries, anxieties, envy, jealousy, competitions, hatred and trivial matters that are not worth your time.
Stay contented, positive and live a life of gratitude at all times. This keeps you mentally stable and happy
Socially, Have healthy connections with well meaning people. Cut off from toxic relationships. You need healthy interactions to stay happy and fulfilled.
Healthy interactions include your friends, family, co-workers and even people you meet on daily basis. How well you get along with people will determine how happy you become socially.
Your tolerance and open mindedness towards the people you interact with goes a long way to impart your social health negatively or positively.
No man or woman can live in isolation hence the need for social interactions to stay healthy.
Emotionally, be in control of your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Let no one or circumstance take charge of your emotions.
Learn to feel good about yourself and who you are as a person. Learn to cope with challenges with an open and positive mindset. Have a good perspective on setbacks so you can bounce back with a great comeback.
Being emotionally healthy doesn't mean you don't feel pain, anger, stressed or sad sometimes but that you are aware of your feelings and then put them under control.
Spiritually, Draw close to your maker with each passing day. Develop your relationship Him daily. Through this, you build your morals, ethics and values. You are able to discern what is right from what is wrong.
Drawing closer to God daily gives your life a sense of direction and purpose, increases your faith and hope, keeps you calm even when life deals a hard blow on you.
Witnessing another birthday gives us the privilege to not just age gracefully but humbly because it is only by God's grace that we would get to see another birthday.
So instead of celebrating your birthday in fear, anxiety or fear, do it in joy, excitement and gratitude. Embrace all of who you are including your flaws because they are a part of who you are.
Make a difference today. Do something amazing no matter how tiny or small. Keep living your dreams irrespective of your age for as long as you are still alive, there is so much more to you than you can imagine so keep discovering who you are daily.
Quote for the day - "It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." Abraham Lincoln
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