Aging Is Beautiful. 7 reasons why aging is beautiful. So often we hear about the down side of aging, but what about the positives? This is a compilation of some of the joys of beautiful aging.
(Friends: The links in this post are affiliate links. The Aging Authority will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking through the links.)
7 Reasons Why Aging Is Beautiful
1 Being comfortable with Oneself
In your senior years you reach a comfort level that is hard to achieve until you have lived with yourself for many decades. As you age, you build confidence, care less about what others think, begin to forgive yourself more, and, to and extent you begin to feel more comfortable being uncomfortable so it doesn’t bother you as much when it happens. Older people also tend to have better social skills and more empathy for others.
2 The gift of time
In our middle years we are so wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of life, that we rarely have the chance to enjoy it. In our older age we have more time to pursue hobbies and activities that make us happy, spend time with our loved ones, travel, or even embark on an entrepreneurial venture or dream that has been on our hearts for a long time. Exploring creativity is one of the primary passtimes I have noticed many of my clients enjoy such as painting, drawing, or writing. These are things they simply did not have time for before but enjoy wholeheartedly now.
3 The Joy of Giving back
Many seniors enjoy being able to give back to their communities through volunteering and spending time on special projects that better their community. For seniors who might be feeling isolated or lonely, Senior Corps is a network of national service programs for Americans 55 years and older, made up of three primary programs that each take a different approach to improving lives and fostering civic engagement. Senior Corps volunteers commit their time to address critical community needs including academic tutoring and mentoring, elderly care, disaster relief support, and more. https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/senior-corps
4 Getting to Watch your Children Succeed
I often hear my clients say the best thing they did in life was raising their children. The sense of price one feels when looking back at their own accomplishments, can often only be trumped by the pride in watching their children succeed and do good in the world. Being there through the milestones, as they graduate, pursue careers and raise their own children, is one of life’s greatest experiences. Child rearing is no easy task, so having done it successfully is a true achievement to be celebrate.
5 Contributing to Raising Your Grandchildren
Grandparents have done their time raising children and now get to enjoy the perks of enjoying their grand children without the down sides of parenting like sleepless nights for example. The love between kids and grand kids is like no other, and contributing to their learning experiences and growth is a fulfilling role. Studies show that there are benefits to both the children and grandparents when they are are actively engaged in their lives- the children tend to develop into more emotionally stable adults who are more socially equipped, and the grandparents could benefit by living an added average of five years to their lives.
6 More Money
Seniors tend to be more financially stable than their younger counterparts, which gives them the freedom to buyer larger ticket items that bring them joy (sporty car anyone?), travel, treat their family to gifts and experiences they enjoy, and donate to causes that they are passionate about. As an added plus, the charitable donation tax deductions allow seniors to lower their taxable income.
Furthermore, seniors spend less due to the perk of discounts at many places they shop AARP has a comprehensive list of businesses that offer senior discounts https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/
7 Investing in Oneself
Many older people may enjoy the luxury of being able to invest in themselves through higher education, reading, or learning a new skill. People are living on average 10 years longer than they were in the mid 1900’s, so that gives them plenty of time to pursue another degree, certification, or even embark on a second career/entrepreneur venture.
For all of these reasons, and others I am sure I forgot to mention, our golden years really can be the best years of our lives. Aging is a beautiful thing!