ON AGING AND PEAKING TOO SOON.

I'd like to make mention of the disturbing trend of poor appearance with aging.

Having recently turned 30, the troubling trend with my peers is that they have spent the better part of their 20's setting themselves up for a lifetime of poor health and living below their potential. There is an acceptance with aging that "I'm just supposed to go along with the crowd, and look like hell and not take care of myself." Whether it be related to drinking too much, poor nutrition, being overweight, poor hygiene or complete lack of attention to appearance, people seem to expect their poor health, out-of-shapeness and other alarming red flags that can lead to a lifetime of managing health problems instead of really living each day for the purpose that they are actually here.

Yes, it takes work to keep all these things in line. But the easiest thing is rarely the best thing.

The hottest, best-known and wealthiest movie stars are generally in their 40's.  Why peak at 25 or 30?

Some of the most successful entrepreneurs started businesses AFTER they turned 60.  Why peak at 25 or 30?

Do you want to look 5-10 years younger and impress everyone around you? Even those who think you're "sick" because you lost weight? Forget them, and lose weight. Immediately.

No, I don't leave the house every time in a suit. No, I don't eat perfectly every time I pull up to the table (though I have made huge gains in my nutrition and most things i used to hold as dear in my dietary routine don't hold any appeal anymore).

But in the majority of cases, I understand the image I display is a reflection of self-worth and self-confidence and can directly affect how I will succeed in life. Have we become so wrapped up in so much time spent seeking material things that we don't take time to work on ourselves and find out who we are such that we can make that a priority? Do we try to fill our insecurities with material things when we should be spending time getting to the root of our problems and hang-ups to realize why we don't feel good about ourselves?

We now expect that we are supposed to have declining health as we age because, well, "thats just the way its supposed to be."

We now expect that we are not supposed to take care of ourselves properly (which includes dressing poorly) because, well, "thats just the way its supposed to be" and "I don't have anyone to impress" and "I just don't care anymore." Well if you don't care, then why should anyone else take the time to care?

And we wonder why the divorce rate is so high. Men and women both, if you don't continue to work to impress your mate, then how much more "second-rate" could you possibly make them feel? When the luster comes off and you resign yourself to "well I got him / her now, I can just let myself go and he / she will still love me," its no wonder people begin to look elsewhere for someone who still wants to impress them by staying in shape, dressing nicely (including perhaps wearing what the other would like to see) and generally spending time and effort taking care of themselves. The love affair doesn't end with the wedding, it ends when you die.

I know people who spend so much time on a pet that they neglect themselves. This includes someone who got a new dog, wouldn't discipline it properly, it helped to throw her back out and this has helped lead to that person's overwhelming health problems for years now. Think about the amount of time and money spent feeding the pet, getting medical care for the pet, boarding the pet, paying the neighborhood pet sitter to come watch the pet, replacing things in your home because the pet has destroyed them, paying for cleaning services, replacing carpet, the tangential effects upon your own health in cases of allergies, medical care and so on, and then realize that this all also can turn into self-neglect. If only due to the fact that that money poured into a pet could be used to better feed or clothe yourself. When something or someone else is depending on you for their survival, invariably you will put their needs above yours. Which is to be expected with a child - but a pet? And not that pets are in and of themselves bad. I don't hate pets. But where are our priorities? We need to get ourselves in order first.

Yes, financial resources are always an issue to many. And it is not altogether inexpensive to dress well and to eat healthily. But do we have our priorities completely mixed up if we don't work to properly take care of ourselves first? This is not selfish and don't let anyone convince you it is. I've found that I've spent too much time going and doing for others when actually neglecting some of my basic physiological, emotional and spiritual needs.

Making little steps towards better nutrition and reducing stress leads to being in better shape, which leads to feeling better about oneself, which leads to more confidence, which leads to the desire to dress in such a way that one radiates this confidence is certainly a process that people can go through if they wish.

Even if no one but you notices how well you try to take care of yourself (though I assure you that won't be the case), isn't that the most important person to impress? That confidence and self-assuredness will grow with time and by default you will impress others.

And like a good football team that doesn't want to peak too early in the season, what is gained by peaking at 25 and then heading downhill towards pain management for the next 50-75 years? Make every experience worthwhile and use the knowledge from it to move the ball forward and build into making your life something that will peak at the right time.

Don't let the expectations of the "world," or lack thereof, keep you from living up to your potential.

Have A Strong Day.

Bravo out.