The power of words are very impactful, both to the person saying them and the person being said to. They’re an expression of emotion and knowledge, but sometimes the words we say can begin to dictate how we think, without knowing. Especially our own self-talk and thoughts.
I am 25 years old right now. To some people, this is young. To others, this is old. To me, this is just an expression of time. I don’t feel old, and I continue to surprise myself at different physical feats I accomplish. The minute I start thinking, “I’m too old for this”, “that’s for younger people”, or “I wish I would’ve started this sooner in life”, I take a step back and reflect. It’s important to be realistic, but most of the time that’s just my own imposter syndrome making excuses out of fear, and lack of confidence. If I let those excuses control my decisions, I’ll never grow and become the person I want to be as I get older.
It’s hard to not let myself get worried about aging, especially as my 26th birthday approaches and people remind me I’m closer to 30 years old than 20! But what I do to counteract any anxious feelings, is remind myself of the facts. I tell myself, “you can do this”, and take action towards spending time everyday to stretch, exercise, and stay healthy so I can keep feeling my best. I think of the people in their 50s, 60s, even 70s that I look up to for their physical capabilities; anything is possible as long as you’re on your own side. If you believe you can do it, you’ve already completed the hardest step. All that’s left is to work for it.
