Anti-Aging?

I'm always amazed when I hear the term anti-aging. It makes aging sound like a bad thing. Yet this term is used every day in conversations, advertisements for products (not just skin care products), in news reports, and even reality TV. You name it—people view aging negatively.

I was speaking with a client on the phone one day. She asked me what anti-aging products I thought she should use. I told her the best recommendation I could give her for anti-aging was to step away from the mirror. The phone went silent, and I think I caught her off guard, but I was actually halfway serious. It is only because we see our reflections in the mirror that we know what we look like. The less you look in the mirror, you will see less of your so-called flaws.

I promise I don't say these things to trivialize your thoughts and fears about getting older. I say them in order to give a voice to the other side of the story. We are constantly inundated with anti-aging-this, look-younger-that, and I'm quite sure that will not be changing soon. But I can change—and so can you. You don't have to give in to the theory that as you age you have to look younger than you are. Strive to look your best, of course, but getting rid of age is not only impossible, it takes up a lot of energy. Personally, I barely have enough energy to get me through a normal day. If I worried and spent a good deal of time worrying about how young or how old I look, I wouldn't make it past lunchtime.

I'm just advocating paying attention to the other side of aging: the anti-anti-aging side. Take the best care of yourself you can and do whatever you feel is appropriate for you to do to look your best. And give yourself a break at the same time. Remember, what you put your attention to is what you will attract into your life. Put your attention toward being healthy and at peace—no matter what your age. To me these things would far surpass erasing any wrinkles I might be accumulating. Back to Articles List