Young at Heart: Living with Intention
My mother-in-law
made a conscious decision to stay young at heart, and until she passed away at
91, she was cooking, attending church services, participating in church
activities, and practising yoga. There were a few ailments, but she never let
them deter her from living life to the fullest as much as was possible. At 61,
I try to use my mother-in-law as a role model and not give in to the
limitations that aging brings.
Staying “young
at heart” doesn’t mean clinging to youth. It means making a conscious decision
to remain joyful, curious, and open. Ageing is inevitable, but how we view the
ageing process is a conscious choice we make. Some feel weighed down, while
others choose to embrace each year with intention and adventure.
What does it
mean to be young at heart?
·
Choosing
to laugh freely and often because laughter is the best medicine.
·
Experimenting
without the fear of failure.
·
Hanging
in even when life sucks. Life is most unfair, but take time to count your
blessings.
·
Choosing
relationships that nourish rather than drain. Engage in genuine friendships and
deep conversations.
·
Continue
to move because movement is medicine, and movement supports agility and longevity.
·
Never
stop learning. Stay curious, explore, read, travel, and broaden your horizons.
·
Stay
lighthearted. Play, dance, and sing. Singing and dancing badly is permitted, so
just do it. Play board games, doodle. Just have fun.
·
Dream
on. Goals and dreams don’t come with an expiry date.
In
the words of author Ruskin Bond, “Don’t stop dreaming, no matter how old you are
and no matter how much you have achieved, because you can always do things
better. You can write a better book, find a better piece of music or a better
song or a greater painting. You could always do better. Hold on to your
dreams.”
Gentle Reminder:
Ageing
intentionally is more about living better than living longer. So live, laugh,
love, be yourself, choose joy intentionally, and whisper a prayer.
What are you
going to choose today?
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I’ve always believed that growing older doesn’t mean growing dull, and your story just reinforced that beautifully. The part where you described laughing over silly jokes and still choosing sparkly things over “age-appropriate” choices? I loved how you tied intention to joy instead of just goals; that shift in mindset is so refreshing. The story about the aunt dancing at 75? Iconic. That’s the kind of energy I want in my life, minus the creaky knees maybe! Living with intention and whimsy is such a powerful idea—we forget that adulthood doesn’t have to be a grayscale filter.
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