What I Wish I Knew When I Was Younger

June 14, 2017 AARP published an article entitled “The Age at Which You Are Officially Old.” They cited a study done that year by U. S. Trust that found perceptions regarding the onset of old age vary widely among different generations. Millennials (born between 1981-1996), for example, say that you are old once you turn 59. Gen Xers (born between 1965-1980), on the other hand, are a bit more generous in their viewpoint, saying that old age begins at 65. When it comes to boomers (born 1948-1964) and the silent generation (born 1928-1947), both agree that you’re not really old until you hit age 73. Let me make an observation regarding their perspectives and add a couple of thoughts.

•    The older the generation the higher they put the age at when someone is officially old. We like to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt.
• We all are going to age as there is only one alternative.
• I’m convinced age is a matter of perspective. As I have often said, “Age is just mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter!”

What got me to contemplating age was me making a list of things I wish I had known when I was younger. I am not going to share my entire list here, but I did want to share some of it. Please understand this list does not list spiritual things because those who know me, know that is a given.

1. What other people think of me is not important – I spent way too many years consumed by the opinions of others. If I’m happy in my own skin and believe I am where I need to be, what others think should not matter. When we spend our lives seeking approval, we will find ourselves living a life we don’t recognize.
2. Invest in my future earlier – Compound interest is an amazing thing. Albert Einstein said, “Compound interest is the 8^th wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.” I would have invested much earlier in life.
3. Learning to choose my battles wisely – We should not stay angry with people that do not deserve either the attention or the time. I’ve spent too many years in the past replaying all of the what-ifs and what-could-have-beens.
4.  Don’t take myself too seriously – I wish I had learned earlier in life to laugh at myself. Life could have been a lot easier if I had.
5. Wear sunscreen – Many trips to my dermatologist and being cut on or frozen about once every 6 months taught me this in a hurry, just too late.
6. Mindset matters – We will either focus on the bad things that happen or the good, but not both. Choosing a mindset that focuses on the good things is a game changer.
7. A good dog is better than a big house – I’m not saying houses are not important, Angie and I just purchased one. But our dogs cost us a lot less money, and have brought so much more joy, laughter, and love to our lives than we ever could have imagined.

What about you? What are some things that you wish you had learned earlier in life?