“Tell yourself you are ageless. All day.”

               How old would you be if you didn’t know how you old you were?”                                                                      -Satchel Paige

I love Satchel Paige for this remark. He reminds us that when we are living from a clear space and engaged and involved in life at every stage, the question of age becomes a moot point. This is easier said than done especially in America where youth is prized and our elders … not so much. In many cultures, the elders are honored and revered and taken care of. So maybe the metaphor here is that we have to learn to take care of ourselves as we grow older and wiser and honor our own aging process.

The truth is that a child born today will most likely live to become a centenarian and many of us will do the same with our healthier lifestyles and the advances in medical science. So this skill of living longer and happier becomes an ever more handy talent.

And the best time to imprint good habits is ideally when you are young. Then it becomes part of you, but, truly, it is never too late to start

There is an old affirmation out there and it goes like this: “My life is getting better and better every day.” Now, if you really stoke this idea and message it to your body, then you will notice, I guarantee, that this becomes true.

Then getting older is safe, no matter what stage of life you are in, because your life gets better and better and age is irrelevant. You are happy.

Our job really is to grow, and to expand our reach, our creativity and our ability to love and find wisdom. My life in the last third of my life is definitively deeper and more joyful than when I was 25. And if I don’t identify with my physical body, but instead with the deeper aspects of my being, it is all good. This is a big assignment but not unattainable if you can hone in on developing a joie de vivre (joy in living) at an early age and let it sink in and rule the day, every day. Then when you notice the gray hairs creeping, in, no worries. Because life is always getting better and better, remember?

Simplistic? Hell ya.

Satchel had it right. And I think he would agree that the answer to his question is:           Tell Yourself You are Ageless.