Age is a meaningless number, but can have psychologically devastating consequences for those who actually buy into the social tags that are associated with it. Age can be blamed for just about any malady or condition that we find ourselves in, such as the weight we gain as we age, the diseases we come down with as we age, the negative outlook we seem to equate with the number itself, and it goes on and on. Age is a great scapegoat for those who would rather blame anything but themselves for the condition they find themselves in.
I like to look at aging as a challenge. I rarely talk about ‘how old I am’, or how I should ‘act my age’, or how I should change my life in a way that would coincide with the numeric number I’ve been given. And I think that our health insurance rates should reflect the condition our mind and body is in. There should be biological markers that measure the condition our heart, lung, liver, and digestive are in at the time we apply for health insurance. These could be standardized tests that would be standardized not according to age expectations, but standardized on a scale reflecting a 10 (for example) as perfect, no matter the chronological age, and on down from there. Our health insurance rates would reflect our rating, using biological as well as chronological markers.
We all know people that are so tied to the numeric number they find themselves at, that they’ve given up taking care of themselves and striving to be the best they can be. It’s all psychological and set up as a way for society to categorize, control, and eventually write us off. If a health insurance system like this were implimented, it would reward those who work hard to take great care of themselves by making available lower premiums.
Don’t ever give in and don’t ever give up learning and bettering yourself. Make sure you are attuned to your ‘mind/body’ connection. Know yourself and learn to nourish your body with the proper foods. Stay away from people who buy in to the negatives of aging and constantly engage in putting themselves down and blaming their advancing age.
If you’re a woman, don’t worry about dating younger men. Males have been doing it forever. Don’t give any credence to gender discrimination by those who would want to break you down in order to build themselves up. Exercise daily and laugh a lot. Change those things about yourself that need changing. Always look at yourself and your situation realistically and educate yourself in areas of nutrition, exercise, positive thinking, meditation,and alternative medicine. It will give you a true edge over the majority of society.
