“There is an old lady at the door” is what I heard first thing this morning.  I was at one of the high schools I consult with and a freshman boy was looking out the locked classroom door to see who was knocking. After he let me him, I hugged him, we laughed and then I whispered in his ear that people should never talk about a women’s age!

The Truth Hurts

The truth does hurt sometimes, even from a freshman boy you don’t know.  The funny thing is that I do not feel old but my face gives me away.  I feel young, healthy, vibrant, energized, and strong.  Let me change my words.  Instead of saying, “I feel”, I want to say, “I am”.  I am young, healthy, vibrant, energized and strong.

Move Forward with a Positive Mindset

I can’t do anything about my chronological age or the wrinkles on my face, but I can stay youthful on the inside.  I can do this by making healthy food choices, staying active, and continuing to learn and grow.  Setting goals and moving outside of my comfort zone also helps to keep me challenged both physically and mentally.  I continue to learn new things.  As an example, I am not a very technical person so that is one of the areas I am working to improve.  The other day I figured out a technical problem and I sure had a sense of accomplishment. For another blog post on aging see How to Stay Fit As You Age.

So the next time a student says “There is an old lady at the door”, I will probably react the same way.  I will laugh, hug them, whisper in their ear in a fun way and go on about my day.  I will do this because I know I am healthy, vibrant, energized and strong.