Age and Youthfulness

We all get old daily. Very often we hear other people commenting that they are old and no longer youthful. They are resigned to slow down and do what old people do. Taking it easy, doing as little thing as possible in retirement or semi-retirement mode. Whilst it is true that everyone is getting old with increase in age, I question whether we must forgo our youthfulness.

I see growing up as a process of maturation. It is both physical and mental maturation. We gained physical and mental maturation as we grow up from a baby to a teenager and then to adulthood. Upon reaching adulthood, we may have stop growing taller physically, but we are still growing physically to maintain and sustain a meaningful and healthy life. However, we never stop growing in mental maturation in the acquisition of knowledge. In the process, we grow wiser either through the gain in knowledge or through personal experience. Because we are growing, we are living. By living, we go beyond the simple physical level of maturation and touch the deeper levels of life. By living meaningfully, we maintain our enthusiasm in life and therefore our youthfulness.

Youthfulness is an attitude of vitality and freshness that brings colour, life and love to a person. Youthfulness is blind to age. We do not have to forgo our youthfulness because we are getting old.