How old do you feel?

Somewhere, recently, I read an article about a family reunion where four generations of family members had gathered together. The patriarch of the family was a great grandpa who had 92 years behind him. He was a healthy active man.

At one point, the youngsters asked grandpa, “When did you start feeling old?” And he replied, “I’ve never felt old. I feel as young today as when I was your age.”

I said, “Right on!” when I read his comment, because I feel the same way. I don’t feel one little bit older now than I did 40 years ago. My mind is more active than ever, more expansive, more liberated from limited beliefs, and my life is lived at a much higher level. It feels great to be where I am. There is nothing backward or regressive about living life.

Why do some people feel old with advancing years? It's all a matter of perspective...

If we characterize our life in material ways, for example, by how many miles we can run and how fast, how many pounds we can lift, by the absence of wrinkles on our face, or simply by the number of years we’ve counted, we have a limited sense of life’s possibilities, and feel limited accordingly. But when life is measured by the good accomplished, the love expressed, the wisdom gained, there is no regression or diminishing of mental strength and activity. There is only constant progress and healthy growth. And the body will stay healthy too that is governed by the healthy thought.

Perhaps the physical body doesn’t do the same things at 60 that it did at 20, but that doesn’t matter. Life is not about the physical. It’s about the spiritual. And when the spiritual is flourishing, the body comes along without complaint, adjusting and adapting to the spiritual demands of the moment. What are we accomplishing spiritually is the big question to answer aright.

Every time I see ninety year old men happily playing tennis at my local court club, I’m reminded how illusionary the so-called effects of growing old is. They never quit living or thinking. And then I notice others who retire, fall into a state of idleness and lack of initiative, and whither away into a mental and physical state of inactivity. There is a lesson here!

The active mind leads an active life. The expansive mind leads an expansive life. The progressive mind leads a progressive life. And the most active, expansive and progressive life one can lead is the spiritually inspired one. When thought is inspired, uplifted and progressively engaged with truth, it is going to be forging into new fresh mental territory on a regular basis, and the inspired life lived follows right behind.

So, how old do you feel? Ideally, not old at all! Life is too fun and engaging to spend time thinking about age.

“Life is eternal. We should find this out, and begin the demonstration thereof. Life and goodness are immortal. Let us then shape our views of existence into loveliness, freshness, and continuity, rather than into age and blight.” Mary Baker Eddy