AGING WITH GRACE AND BEAUTY

   Many people are afraid to get old; this is because of the various difficulties associated with aging.Yes, getting older is filled with emotional issues, including fears of losing one's independence or getting a serious illness. Aging gracefully isn't always easy, but attitude matters a lot. Our society is very obsessed with pointing out negative aspects of aging; don’t get bogged down with all the hype about aging. Once you start thinking about it, it can drive you mad. There's nothing you can do; the clock is going to tick away. Here are a few tips to help you age gracefully.

Be Cheerful: Aging with a bad attitude is simply out of the question. Depression is a real threat among the old; some drift into isolation, bitterness, and a sense of meaninglessness. Still others put up their faces, determined to go down swinging. Be happy and cheerful.

 Be a Survivor: It's true that aging brings hardships, but remember that the old are survivors. Wisdom, resilience and a mature perspective are often cited as the hard-won prizes of aging. But growing old itself is an accomplishment. Through good luck or good genes or both, the old have dodged fatal accidents, premature disease, and other things that kill the young. The people who do the best with aging aren't thinking that much about getting older, they're not really focusing on what's not working anymore. If you sit around mulling over the meaning of existence and how time is running out, you're building in a scenario where you're not going to age as successfully.

 Accept Change:  Accept the inevitable changes of aging, rather than seeing them as aberrant crises. To age gracefully, one needs to anticipate the changes that are inevitable and plan ahead. People who think rigidly tend to get overwhelmed. They can't manage it, and they get depressed.

 Avoid Stereotypes: Get over your own stereotypes about growing older. It’s not disgraceful to mourn the loss of your beauty, 

Find Meaningful Activities: Continue to find meaning later in life. Retirement has always been a time when we see people withdraw from their roles, some older people succumb to depression and a sense of meaninglessness. Part of the challenge of aging gracefully is that you have to continue to find things that are important to you. That could include travel, spiritual pursuits, hobbies, new social groups, lifelong learning, or recapturing time with family. Plan for purposeful activities before you retire.