The View from the “Hill” - It's Different Than You Thought

I turned 39 yesterday.

The top of the proverbial “hill” is clearly in sight. And honestly, it looks so much different than I imagined.

My mom once told me that our souls stop aging at 29. That “on the brink” age brings together a combination of youthful exuberance and progressive adulting that sticks with us, she said, as an underlying current throughout our lives.

As usual, mom was right. I feel pretty locked-in at 29ish. My soul is continuing its blissful, age-defying process.

But other parts of us do age.

They wear, and tear, over time. We can’t stop the clocks, but we can soften the sting of their hands. And that’s one of the most powerful things I’ve learned in the last decade - some perspective on how to take care of our most important parts.

Our Heart: This is the part of us that’s the hardest - but most necessary - to keep young. Hearts are a canvas of contrasts. Fragile and strong. Open and afraid. Hopeful and distrusting. Your heart will be broken. Many times. Often by those you love the most. Sometimes by folks you barely know. It’s not about protecting it. Temporary destruction is inevitable. It’s about learning to embrace its breaks and blemishes. And then having the courage to rebuild it, one imperfect piece at a time. You’ll be amazed at how resilient your heart is when you allow it to reconstruct itself. A big part of feeling young is keeping your heart light, forgiving, and well-stitched.

Our Body: This one will battle you the most. And, unless you learn to be a smarter fighter, it will always win. As you age, everything you put in, take out, or push through your body is magnified. And the math is awful. The good stuff works half as well, and the bad stuff hurts you twice as much. Drinking. Smoking. Eating poorly. Not working out. Not breathing fresh air. All that stuff catches up. You have to dedicate yourself to daily decisions that will change the formula and reverse the equation.

Our Mind: This is one thing that actually gets better with time if you listen to the signals and follow the signs. Intelligence is one thing, but I’ve seen a lot of smart people do some really dumb things - myself included. Awareness is the key. Self-awareness, situational-awareness, and societal-awareness. If you are in touch with yourself and your surroundings, then, as you age, you begin to add experience, intuition and knowledge to that base of intelligence. You start to sense the dumb things before you start them. You predict the turns before they happen. And, if you’re really tuned in, you begin to see the “angels in the marble”. The key is to keep experiencing new things. Keep learning. Keep pushing yourself. That’s the best way to keep your mind young AND wise; a lethal combo.

Our Spirit: I believe Spirit and Soul are two different things. Your Soul is your truest essence. You can’t change it, and, all things considered, it’s innately all good. Your Spirit is the manifestation of that essence, and it’s affected by your energy and the energy of those around you. It’s influenced by your daily pursuits and your ongoing challenges. And it needs fuel to keep you burning. This is where Passion and Purpose come in to play. Passion is about you; it’s about spending time doing the things you love. Sometimes you have to try a lot of things (back to the Mind above) to figure out your passions, but you’ll find them if you’re intentional about it. Once you do, try to focus your life around them. Do them as much as you can. If you can’t make a living doing them, plan them into your nights, breaks and weekends. Unleashing your passions will give you the energy you need to be hopeful, ambitious, and optimistic. It will help you work really hard. And then that recipe of positive energy, belief and hard work will lead you to something even bigger: your Purpose. And, ironically, your Purpose has nothing to do with you. Its much bigger than you. It’s about others. How you help, give or serve, for the greater good. Purpose is the guiding force that will move you from year to year with resilience and grace. It won’t make anything easier, but it will make each day much, much more meaningful.

So, here’s to 29-year-old souls for life. And hearts, bodies, minds, and spirits that stand the test of time.

For me, I’m nearly four decades in, grateful, and just getting started.

#besomebody.

At Besomebody, our mission is to help build the world's best companies - People, Business, and Culture.