Youthfulness, Is It Really About Age?

Recently I was observing an old man I had not seen in some time. I had never before thought of him as old. What was it about him now that made him look all of his 80 years? It was not the white hair, or the loss of his figure, or the bigger nose and longer ears; it was the lack of vitality, energy, and lack of passion for the life around him. His essence had left his heart, and his being. All that he was, was dormant. As I contemplated this I wondered how I would make the distinction between youthfulness and oldness.

Youthfulness is about being vigorous, flexible, fresh, simplistic, playful, natural, passionate, engaged, juiced up, enthusiastic, spirited, full of motion and action. 

These words no longer fit this man. It is not that he is in the land of the living dead, but the pilot light is very dim. It made me sad, not for the wrinkles he now bore, but for the powerlessness. Youthfulness is as much a state of being as it is a physical state. You can be old at 30 and young at 80. As we age our joints wear out, our body reflects overindulgence, and oxidation causes wrinkles, but our core essence is still intact.

We are miraculously amazing complex and resilient creatures that are capable of rejuvenating our heart and soul, if we so choose. If we continue unhealthy habits, one day we’ll wake up so far behind that cleaning up seems insurmountable, but it is not. There is always a light of hope burning inside of us. We know that we can be better than we are and even the slightest movement in the right direction can motivate and encourage. No one wants a mediocre life. Stop watching the television, and start making something happen.

Youthfulness is not about being a Baywatch babe. It is all about celebrating you, and the uniqueness you contribute to the world. Cherish that one and only you. Worship yourself by living up to your potential at any age. We are all so gifted to have the power of choice and to be able to act on it. Recapture your youthfulness. Lose the weight, do something daring, spontaneous, and fresh, go to Europe on your own, buy the Harley, jump out of an airplane, find a new passion, or rekindle an old one. Live it up and rejuvenate.