Age is Just a number

I celebrated my 59th birthday on 22nd January 2017.  Everyone started highlighting the fact that I am going to be senior citizen next year. My response to them was,

“So what, I am celebrating the 41st anniversary of my 18th birthday.”

This article is inspired by the book written by Joseph Murphy - “The power of Subconscious mind”.

How to remain young forever? A lot of people ask me the secret of my energy and positivity. In my opinion you need to be kind, loving, compassionate, helping, patient, happy and positive as these qualities never age. If you continue to nurture these qualities you never grow old in spirit. The fear of time and not time itself results in premature aging. If you begin to tell yourself that now you are growing old and are done with life, then definitely you will grow old, sick and eventually pass away even before you begin to enjoy the golden period of life. On the other hand if you believe that age has got nothing to do with happiness, enthusiasm and energy, then you are definitely going to enjoy the fruits of a successful life i.e. health and happiness.

Recently, I met someone who was over 80 years of age. He was frustrated and his thoughts towards himself were very negative. He kept telling himself that he is old, his memory is fading. He kept complaining about his aching knees. I could see his health was deteriorating. Somewhere around that time I also met the grand dad of my brother’s son in law. He is 90+ years old. He wakes up at 4:00 AM each and every day, makes his own tea, and goes for 4km walk in the morning and evening as well. He visits his office everyday and guides his son and grandson in business. In his words - “If you let go your health and wealth, it’s gone forever.”

Old age is not tragic occurrence. It is to be welcomed joyfully because each phase of life is a step forward towards it. Your mind and spirit will never grow old, unless you give us on life and give in to the petty issues along the way.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet and philosopher, said “We do not count a man’s years until he has nothing else to count.” Your character, the quality of your mind, your faith and your convictions are not subject to decay. Age has its own glory, beauty, and wisdom, which belong to it. Peace love, joy, beauty, happiness, wisdom, goodwill, and understanding are qualities which never grow old or die.

Some men are old at 30 and some are still young at 80. I remember a short story narrated by the keynote speaker Krish Dhanam at MDRT Mumbai. His father finished his master’s degree at 77 and enrolled himself in a local University to begin work on his doctoral studies. His father was reminded that he will be in his eighties when he finishes his PHD to which he responded by asking “how old he would be if he did not try.”

This statement is very inspiring, “When my obligations in this life finished, I still had an obligation to my dreams.” I met an executive who was forced to retire at the age of 65. He came to the wise conclusion that he was no longer going to concentrate on making a living, but was going to give all his attention to living life.

Instead of telling yourself “you are old“, you need to tell yourself “you are wise”. Don’t let the world or statistics hold a picture before you of your old age, declining years and uselessness. Reject it, for it’s a lie. Refuse to be hypnotized by such propaganda, Affirm life not death. Get a vision of yourself as happy, radiant, successful, serene, and powerful.

Some research physicians say that the neurotic fear of the effects of time may well be the cause of premature aging. Fear of old age can bring about physical and mental deterioration. You grow old when you cease to dream, and when you lose interest in life. Become a producer and not prisoner of society.

And, this is my way of staying young:

I start a new venture every 3 years. I move around in startup circles and make young entrepreneurs my friends. I learn about new ventures and new technologies happening. This keeps me young.