7 Things to Look Forward to as You Age

Article by Aaron Wong

has written 116 awesome articles for us at Looking For My Life

January 20, 2010 · 0 comments

in Blog

People may dread this process, but here’s why we should cherish getting older:

1.  Wisdom comes with age

There is nothing a 20 year old can do to obtain a 70 year old’s 70 years of experience in living life, except to wait 50 years.  It is entirely possible for this 20 year old to be wise, intelligent, and have many experiences in a short period of time, but years of experience are priceless.

As we age we learn about ourselves, the world, and others. Our understanding of things can deepen.  What we thought was a hassle and an obstacle yesterday, will no longer be a struggle since we’ll have done it several times already.  One of the side benefits of obtaining this wisdom as you get older is that you can contribute to improving future generations by passing this wisdom and knowledge to youngsters.

2.  You’ll have more stories to remember and share

Do you ever catching yourself saying, “Do you remember the time when…” and then proceed to recall a fond memory?  Perhaps you’re with a former coworker talking about a funny incident at the office or you’re with your friend from college and talking about the time you stayed up until sunrise and then got breakfast.  When we reminisce and talk about these things with others, it creates a warm feeling of satisfaction and joy. Moments like these will only increase as we age.

3.  Having the benefit of seeing how the world has changed

I remember my mom and dad telling me about how the iceman would bring a block of ice for the “icebox.”  This was quite shocking to hear about, because I was already accustomed to seeing a refrigerator that was plugged into the wall.  Just within my lifetime, I’ve seen the emergence of computers from being sparsely available to a common household item like a TV or a telephone.  Even the internet and mobile phones have come a long way within my lifetime.  Seeing how the world changes (for better or worse) is quite a fascinating phenomenon. 

What are some things you’ve seen change within your lifetime?

4.  Patience grows

Remember when you were a kid how people wouldn’t want to share things with each other?  How about that time when your parents were just so irritating and nosy that you just wish they’d leave you alone.  Maybe you’d get mad that your girlfriend was always late to dinner. 

Often, as we get older our patience grows.  Petty things won’t bother us as much.  You simply won’t have the time or energy to sweat the small things anymore.  When we’re young it is so easy to focus on things that are unimportant in the grand scheme of things.  Choose your battles and stick to your guns on issues that are important to you.  Fortunately, this becomes easier as our patience grows with age and we understand ourselves better. 

5.  Kids and grand kids (or other people’s kids)

You may not be ready for these fiery balls of energy just quite yet, but you may already have some of your own.  Either way, let’s face it, kids are fun little people.  I don’t care if you’re the grumpiest person on earth, there is at least one child out there who can make you smile. The silly things kids do, the socially unacceptable behavior, and the innocent looks on their face are just priceless.

The joys of seeing a child develop into a grown person is simply amazing.  Molding and shaping a young child’s future can be a very rewarding process.  It is an opportunity for you to make a difference in this world.  Plus, their unconditional love for you and looking up to you as a role model can be invigorating.

Even if you don’t have kids or may not want kids of your own, you can still enjoy the children of others.  I am in the boat of not having any children at this time, but it’s still fun to play with family friends’ little ones.  One of my best experiences in life was volunteering at a Head Start program where I had the opportunity to enjoy and make an impact on these kids without having to manage the challenges of raising a child.

Recall the moments where a child has lit up your life.

6.  Getting married (or staying single loving the freedom)

Getting older gives us the opportunity to find a significant other.  Or if you remain single, you can enjoy certain freedoms at a time when others cannot.  Either way, things only get better with age. 

How great is it to meet someone with whom you have a deep emotional connection.  Feeling the loyalty, love, companionship, romance, and much more are things that we as human beings are lucky to be able to experience.  Having good friends is great, but having someone as your partner is out of this world. 

If you’re single into your older years, you still have many things to look forward to in life.  While your friends who are married must always think about someone else, you’ll be fortunate enough to make decisions taking only yourself into consideration.  You could even quit your job and live a nomadic lifestyle without worrying about someone else’s desires in life. 

However you look at getting older, both being single or in a relationship only gets better.

7.  Retirement

Take a moment to reflect upon what you would like to do when you retire.  Keep this in mind as we continue to explore getting older.  I encourage you to try your best to live your dream life now and everyday, but sometimes finances or other things can be inhibiting factors.  There will come a time when you retire, your kids are grown up, you have saved up some money, and you can do whatever you want to do with your life.

No longer will you have to report to your job and carry out the tasks of someone else.  No longer will you be required to spend time stressing out over the hurdles your business faces.  No longer will you have to worry about changing diapers, until your grand kids come along and grandpa and grandma become the next day care center.

You will be free to lie on the beach.  You will be free to enjoy the outdoors.  You will be free to sit down and watch TV all day.  You will be free to do whatever your heart desires.

Some of you may continue to work because you are passionate about something and want to stay busy.  Others will travel.  Some will sit around and do nothing.  The greatest thing of all is that you will have the freedom to focus more on yourself and your spouse.

Please feel free to share some other things to look forward to as we get older.

Article by Aaron Wong

has written 116 awesome articles for us at Looking For My Life