Aging from infancy to old-age, life is a beautiful, absolutely beautiful journey. And moreover, a fulfilling one. Starting from birth through childhood, through teens, through young adulthood, through old adulthood and finally death, the journey of life is so much more interesting than the destination. The last stage of life, when one smiles satisfactorily, of having experienced the various ages and stages of life, is nothing short of accomplishing a mission. A mission, not everybody is fortunate to complete successfully.
Now what we know about age and it being in complete sync with life, was not known before, years ago. Age was never tracked. There was no age-based demarcation between individuals. Children were considered as miniature adults. And then the concept of time and age came into being, and became a crucial one. So much so that today age dictates a person's work and behavior among other things. So then, why do we say age is just a number? Does age actually matter all that much? Mark Twain, a noted American author, was once quoted as saying, 'Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter'. If I have to elaborate on his quote, I can find a strong co-relation between his quote and the non-existence of age, centuries before. When age and time were unknown, people went about doing everything without any mental baggage which also facilitated and enhanced their abilities. So, the whole idea is as simple as it gets - only if you let age matter does it actually matter. The mere thought of age can create bars that may enforce unnatural behavior. We are alive only as long as there exists spirit, hope, and desire to live. It is the zest for life that actually keeps a person alive. Because a live corpse is still referred to as a corpse. History is filled with men who have succeeded only because of their never-say-die spirit and child-like passion towards whatever they did best. It is up to us to choose whether to ignite that child-like enthusiasm or to let age get the better of you. 'Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.' As rightly quoted by Betty Friedan, growing old brings along its own set of opportunities to explore. To feel old enough to be able to tackle any situation that comes your way. To be able to be in a position to pay back to the world what you gained over the years. To be mature enough to advice the younger lot and help them along the way. And to be old enough to share the beautiful memories and moments from the past with the younger generations. Aren't these enough opportunities to want to experience aging with as much gusto as with teens and youth?
In Hinduism, the life of every person is compartmentalized into 4 stages or asramas. The first quarter of life is devoted to being a student or brahmacharya. This emphasizes that being a student and dedicating your life to learning in these early years stimulate growth in all respects of life and prepares you for the next stage of life. When a person completes the first stage or Brahmacharya Asrama, he/she is prepared to take up the worldly responsibilities of settling down into wedlock, looking after the family and taking up the duties of a householder and being a responsible adult. This constitutes the second stage of life or Grihastha Asrama. Look, how these stages emphasize what is expected of any individual, in the moral sense, during each of the various stages of life. Growth is emphasized in every stage of life in order to serve our purpose as true and dutiful human beings. In the third quarter of life or Vanaprastha Asrama, after having fulfilled all his worldly duties, an individual is ready to pass on his/her duties to his successors and lead a life of fulfilment and retirement. In the fourth and final stage of life, also called as Sanyasa Asrama, one gradually frees himself/herself from all the bondages and takes to renouncing the world to resort to a life of peace, prayer, worship, and absolute non-interference.
All the above mentioned references just validate one purpose, which is morality and how life should be lived in the right fashion. All in all, if life is to be ever lived, live it originally. Whether young or old, you are the only front runner in your life; so, don't hesitate to live it the way you wish to. If you ever want age to matter, add life to your age. And live your life so beautifully that even when you become old, you are still looked upon as someone who is ageless. So, set the right standards!
Now what we know about age and it being in complete sync with life, was not known before, years ago. Age was never tracked. There was no age-based demarcation between individuals. Children were considered as miniature adults. And then the concept of time and age came into being, and became a crucial one. So much so that today age dictates a person's work and behavior among other things. So then, why do we say age is just a number? Does age actually matter all that much? Mark Twain, a noted American author, was once quoted as saying, 'Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter'. If I have to elaborate on his quote, I can find a strong co-relation between his quote and the non-existence of age, centuries before. When age and time were unknown, people went about doing everything without any mental baggage which also facilitated and enhanced their abilities. So, the whole idea is as simple as it gets - only if you let age matter does it actually matter. The mere thought of age can create bars that may enforce unnatural behavior. We are alive only as long as there exists spirit, hope, and desire to live. It is the zest for life that actually keeps a person alive. Because a live corpse is still referred to as a corpse. History is filled with men who have succeeded only because of their never-say-die spirit and child-like passion towards whatever they did best. It is up to us to choose whether to ignite that child-like enthusiasm or to let age get the better of you. 'Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.' As rightly quoted by Betty Friedan, growing old brings along its own set of opportunities to explore. To feel old enough to be able to tackle any situation that comes your way. To be able to be in a position to pay back to the world what you gained over the years. To be mature enough to advice the younger lot and help them along the way. And to be old enough to share the beautiful memories and moments from the past with the younger generations. Aren't these enough opportunities to want to experience aging with as much gusto as with teens and youth?
In Hinduism, the life of every person is compartmentalized into 4 stages or asramas. The first quarter of life is devoted to being a student or brahmacharya. This emphasizes that being a student and dedicating your life to learning in these early years stimulate growth in all respects of life and prepares you for the next stage of life. When a person completes the first stage or Brahmacharya Asrama, he/she is prepared to take up the worldly responsibilities of settling down into wedlock, looking after the family and taking up the duties of a householder and being a responsible adult. This constitutes the second stage of life or Grihastha Asrama. Look, how these stages emphasize what is expected of any individual, in the moral sense, during each of the various stages of life. Growth is emphasized in every stage of life in order to serve our purpose as true and dutiful human beings. In the third quarter of life or Vanaprastha Asrama, after having fulfilled all his worldly duties, an individual is ready to pass on his/her duties to his successors and lead a life of fulfilment and retirement. In the fourth and final stage of life, also called as Sanyasa Asrama, one gradually frees himself/herself from all the bondages and takes to renouncing the world to resort to a life of peace, prayer, worship, and absolute non-interference.
All the above mentioned references just validate one purpose, which is morality and how life should be lived in the right fashion. All in all, if life is to be ever lived, live it originally. Whether young or old, you are the only front runner in your life; so, don't hesitate to live it the way you wish to. If you ever want age to matter, add life to your age. And live your life so beautifully that even when you become old, you are still looked upon as someone who is ageless. So, set the right standards!
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