In physical terms, I am now in my fifties. Mentally, I rarely pass beyond my twenties. The statement, so generally spoken, The mind is willing but the body refuses to respond becomes ever more true as we get older in months. But we do not need to age mentally or emotionally.
I have crossed paths with so many many people I have known in my life, and there are so many that have not only aged physically, but mentally, as well. There is fairly often no sparkle or light in their eyes. They not only look old, but their very presence feels old.
Combating age is really a two-fold process:
1) Physical Aging
2) Mental and/or Emotional Aging
Of course, we all know the rhetoric on dealing with physical aging: Diet, exercise, adequate sleep. So many of us know what to do. So many of us intend to do well. But so commonly we just dont get around to it. But take heart. Its never too late to start! But you must initial , and beginning now. Begin gradually, of course. Do not try to become an olympic contender overnight. Gradually work into a physical routine and get plenty of rest and eat properly. My wife and I began our regimen when I became sixty pounds overweight. The kicker was that my blood pressure went from 120/80 to nearly 160/95! My wife found some books on healthy eating and lifestyle, and we began. I have now lost 40 pounds and am well on the way for the rest.
Then there is the question of mental/emotional aging. For the most part, this is an aging of choice. That might seem like a harsh statement, but it is true. In fact, it is a daily choice that we consciously build. We react, for the most part, to the circumstances around us. We adapt and adjust to the circumstances of life as we perceive them. Acting old is the effortless way out. It is a reaction of surrender. But beware, for it is a choice of addiction and eventual debilitation of the mind...and the heart. Mental aging will cripple you quicker than any physical complication or challenge will.
Age is a cage
We forge for ourselves
With shackles and chains
We keep on its shelves;
The gatekeepers key
Is hidden from view
For the secret to freedom
Is only within YOU!
So contruct the decision, and do not put it to committee. Decide to be happy, regardless of your physical circumstances and limitations. The conscious choice of being happy might not cure your physical ailments due to aging, but it will make your life so much more bearable.