3 Age Limiting Beliefs That Sabotage Our Ability To Enjoy Life
In early June, I was in Canada to attend the celebration of 50 years since I graduated from chiropractic college. Some of my colleagues were chiropractors I had seen several years after graduation. Others I hadn't seen in over four decades. Others I had not seen in 50 years. Some had passed away.
Most of my class members are no longer practising; a few, even in their 70s as I am, are still practising. A few had changed so dramatically due to ill health or the years taking their toll. It was a shock to see how people I knew well had changed.
Ageing is an interesting phenomenon. The current President of the United States is frail, suffers memory loss, confusion and is obviously cognitively challenged. Everyone can see it. Then there is Donald Trump. Whatever you think of him, the difference between Trump and Biden is like night and day. However, I believe Trump showed signs of ageing when I heard him recently interviewed. Biden is 80, and Trump just turned 77. I'm in the same age group.
As we approach the "retirement" age, there are 3 messages that society, our workplace and families feed us that restrict our vision for our future years. Some people, even as they hit 50, start to think differently. I have to laugh when I hear 50-year-olds say they're getting old.
Belief #1 "I'm too old."
Many people see themselves as a car wreck. What you focus on, you become. Age is a number, but how you perceive yourself is how old you really are. So age is in your mind, even though your body may tell you otherwise. This message that "I'm too old" says that it is too late to do what we would love to do with our lives or that it is too late to change. The message is we should be shrinking, not expanding our horizons. Shrinking thinking is a crippling state to be in.
Recently, singer Tony Bennett passed away.
Sure, his voice didn't have the strength it used to have, but he was inspired enough to still perform into his 90s. In addition, he is known for his paintings hanging in some public spaces. Was Bennett sitting back and waiting to die? We'll all die, so you may as well enjoy the journey instead of being miserable along the way.
When we restrict ourselves, we swallow other people's values and do not live true to ourselves. An Australian Palliative Care Nurse did a survey of people about to die. She asked them what they regretted most. The most common reply was that they had yet to do what they would love to have done but did what they thought their families or others wanted.
You are never too old. Some seniors are making their mark in our society and achieving outstanding results in many areas of life. Many can "try out" physical experiences, such as exercises, dancing, and various sports. Similarly, we can have mental challenges to work on.
Many doctors continue to practice beyond the expected retirement age, including one fantastic lady named Leila Denmark.
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