How to Stop Feeling Over the Hill
Be honest with yourself., Separate your self-worth from societal expectations and images., Realize you are still developing., Appreciate what you have., Enjoy sharing your hard-earned maturity., Remember what joys you've already had., Re-assess your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be honest with yourself.
Whether you admit it to anyone else or not, at least know inside yourself your true status in life.
We all grow old and die, we all slow down.
The evidence is all around us.
Be realistic. -
Step 2: Separate your self-worth from societal expectations and images.
You can only live as yourself, not an expected image or model.
You might not be the rocking or running boomer you see around you (an image).
You might not get the face-lift or other means to try to arrest your development.
You might not need to do or be them.
Nor are you the kid you may still feel inside yourself.
Look in the mirror.
The kids think you are old for sure! That doesn't degrade your self-worth and dignity. , Yes, even now you are growing, maturing, learning new depths, gaining insights, becoming a better person.
You can do many more things, study more, go more places, have more experiences. , You may have family, hobbies, a career, enough health to do what you like, friends, interests, thinking power.
Use all you have to keep exploring the world and yourself.
Don't compare yourself to your kids, but to who you were before, and how you will continue to be a useful person in our world. , You now get to be the senior, the expert, the one younger people can look up, emulate.
You are the role model, the leader, the exemplar.
You are the Wise Woman or Eminence Grise.
Since you are this already, you should enjoy it and fulfill the role well. , Don't pout over losing the past, but remember what good times you've had and be happy for them.
Realize that you've done wonderful things with the life you've been given, and if you are cut down tomorrow, you've had a good time already. , These may be different from before, given your increased maturity.
You aren't a kid anymore, and you must act and think like that.
You can't pretend to have the energy or physical presence to pull off what you could before.
Instead, you have a future to plan for, a family to deal with, perhaps elderly parents yourself to take care of. , You've heard it before, but now that you're half-way there, you'd better think of how to ensure your own future.
This shouldn't depress you, but energize you to prepare yourself for what you can see is coming. , With your new-found perspective, you can better judge and evaluate who you are, how to appear to others, and how to handle a mature life.
Men especially seem to fight this process (hence "mid-life crisis"), and the ability to maintain a psychological balance is critical to not jumping off the deep end (read: young girl, big Harley, or sudden divorce).
For women facing menopause, remember that life is not only about sex.
It may have been when you were young, but now you become the Wise Woman of many cultural tales.
You can be graceful, well-dressed, nicely scented and made-up, and hold yourself with poise and easy confidence.
Encourage your male acquaintances to talk about their appreciation of their female peers, without feeling like you are competing with your daughter.
You can't.
You're past that. , You never stop learning or experiencing.
Life is not over or a dead-end.
Be useful to society around you, or even just do things for yourself.
Pursuing social, spiritual, or personal activities won't put you in a position where people are disapproving of you, but instead will show you in a positive light.
If you must seek the approval of others to not feel "old"
then find places where your efforts are wanted and needed.
Younger people always need mentors, models, a steady and mature hand and eye. , They say "eccentric old people": you're not quite old yet, but now is as good a time as any to begin to be who you really are, or wanted to be.
While being mature, you can now indulge some harmless fancies; you always wanted to do your bathroom in purple, or take up the clarinet, or put up beaded curtains in the kids' old room.
Yes, you can weave baskets or take up wood-carving. -
Step 3: Realize you are still developing.
-
Step 4: Appreciate what you have.
-
Step 5: Enjoy sharing your hard-earned maturity.
-
Step 6: Remember what joys you've already had.
-
Step 7: Re-assess your own priorities
-
Step 8: and strengths.
-
Step 9: Get ready for the next stages.
-
Step 10: Fight depression or mental crises.
-
Step 11: Find new things to do.
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Step 12: Use your age to do what you couldn't do before.
Detailed Guide
Whether you admit it to anyone else or not, at least know inside yourself your true status in life.
We all grow old and die, we all slow down.
The evidence is all around us.
Be realistic.
You can only live as yourself, not an expected image or model.
You might not be the rocking or running boomer you see around you (an image).
You might not get the face-lift or other means to try to arrest your development.
You might not need to do or be them.
Nor are you the kid you may still feel inside yourself.
Look in the mirror.
The kids think you are old for sure! That doesn't degrade your self-worth and dignity. , Yes, even now you are growing, maturing, learning new depths, gaining insights, becoming a better person.
You can do many more things, study more, go more places, have more experiences. , You may have family, hobbies, a career, enough health to do what you like, friends, interests, thinking power.
Use all you have to keep exploring the world and yourself.
Don't compare yourself to your kids, but to who you were before, and how you will continue to be a useful person in our world. , You now get to be the senior, the expert, the one younger people can look up, emulate.
You are the role model, the leader, the exemplar.
You are the Wise Woman or Eminence Grise.
Since you are this already, you should enjoy it and fulfill the role well. , Don't pout over losing the past, but remember what good times you've had and be happy for them.
Realize that you've done wonderful things with the life you've been given, and if you are cut down tomorrow, you've had a good time already. , These may be different from before, given your increased maturity.
You aren't a kid anymore, and you must act and think like that.
You can't pretend to have the energy or physical presence to pull off what you could before.
Instead, you have a future to plan for, a family to deal with, perhaps elderly parents yourself to take care of. , You've heard it before, but now that you're half-way there, you'd better think of how to ensure your own future.
This shouldn't depress you, but energize you to prepare yourself for what you can see is coming. , With your new-found perspective, you can better judge and evaluate who you are, how to appear to others, and how to handle a mature life.
Men especially seem to fight this process (hence "mid-life crisis"), and the ability to maintain a psychological balance is critical to not jumping off the deep end (read: young girl, big Harley, or sudden divorce).
For women facing menopause, remember that life is not only about sex.
It may have been when you were young, but now you become the Wise Woman of many cultural tales.
You can be graceful, well-dressed, nicely scented and made-up, and hold yourself with poise and easy confidence.
Encourage your male acquaintances to talk about their appreciation of their female peers, without feeling like you are competing with your daughter.
You can't.
You're past that. , You never stop learning or experiencing.
Life is not over or a dead-end.
Be useful to society around you, or even just do things for yourself.
Pursuing social, spiritual, or personal activities won't put you in a position where people are disapproving of you, but instead will show you in a positive light.
If you must seek the approval of others to not feel "old"
then find places where your efforts are wanted and needed.
Younger people always need mentors, models, a steady and mature hand and eye. , They say "eccentric old people": you're not quite old yet, but now is as good a time as any to begin to be who you really are, or wanted to be.
While being mature, you can now indulge some harmless fancies; you always wanted to do your bathroom in purple, or take up the clarinet, or put up beaded curtains in the kids' old room.
Yes, you can weave baskets or take up wood-carving.
About the Author
Jessica Adams
Creates helpful guides on hobbies to inspire and educate readers.
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