Happiness Improves with Age

We need to consider growing older from a different perspective. If we consider growing older as growth without the negative connotation of old, we’ll look at growing older more positively. Growing older means a loss for many people, and I believe this is a wrong way to view growing older. Growing older focuses on the loss of our youth and looks, but there’s a better way to look at growing older such as growing complete. While younger people may feel their chronological age, older people feel younger than they are, which may be an indication that they are becoming happier.

Growing older provides us with more self-esteem, well being, emotional stability, self-appreciation, acceptance and seeing more of the good in people. Our priorities are much clearer, and our perspective is much wiser with growing older. We also deal with social conflicts more effectively. In a study conducted in 2010, researchers at Stony Brook University found that people over 50 were happier, and their anger declined steadily from the 20s through the 70s. Additionally, stress was reduced after 50. It seems that managing emotions is a skill that takes decades to master. The University of Illinois conducted a study that revealed that the mind gets sharper at a number of vitally important activities, despite some short-term memory loss.

We must honor and value the experience that comes with our age, and if we fearlessly face it ourselves, everyone else will too. Giving into physical benefits for the emotional ones isn’t a bad trade-off. Instead of thinking of growing older as a decline, I believe we should consider how life gets better as we become complete. I believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. We must have the courage to be ourselves because our real value and worth has to do with our soul and not how we look or what we do for a living. I’ve always enjoyed being around older female canines. :)

With lovingkindness,