Three Keys to Youthfulness

What is the best age of life? I was pondering this question because my niece turned 18 this week. What a great time of life—exciting new opportunities and challenges await.

So, was 18 the best age of your life? You might not call it the best, but most of us were filled with great hope about the future and had ambition to match.

But is there a best age of life? Did any particular milestone birthday change your perspective about the best years of your life—good or bad? Maybe change how you look at your past and envision your future?

We tend to notice people who appear to have a grasp on the vitality and importance of their current age—at every season of life. My friend walk into her favorite Starbucks and her attention was immediately drawn to a lady waiting for her order. There was something about her that sparked her curiosity.

After striking up a conversation, she couldn't help herself—she was starring at the fountain of youth. The question just had to be asked, “How old you are?" Enthusiastically the woman replied, "ninety-two," looking back at my friend with a look that just begged her to ask her how she did it.

“What is the secret to your youthfulness?”

It must have been the question she was hoping for. She proudly stated, “Three things,” she said, “First, dye your hair. Second, stand up straight. And finally, dress inappropriately for your age.”

There you have it—the best age of life is not 18, it is 92 and every year and day in between. It’s youthfulness derived from wisdom. The Psalmist wrote, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12).

William Keiper, in Life EXPECTANCY: It's Never Too Late to Change Your Game, writes, “Our mission should be to create the best life we can at the ages we are today. The rest will take care of itself based upon what we do now, not what we would do if we were able to relive the days now passed.”

It is a mistake to think that 30 is the new 20, 40 is the new 30 or that any age is something that can be relived or revived. We breath life into our days when we realize our best age is neither in the past, nor is it in the future. Your best age is always the present day—it’s now.

How do you make the present day count? Well, you can always start with standing up straight, dying your hair (works for some of you), and dressing inappropriately for your age.

“I’ve got great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom.”

— Thomas Carlyle

Making today (your present age) your best does not require a carefully crafted strategic plan. Youthfulness simply requires you to not allow routine and habit to crowd out opportunities to create experiences, build relationships and make an impact on the people who will cross your path today.

Here are five questions to break you out of your daily routine.

1. Who do I serve? These should be the people you most want to be remembered by.
2. How do I serve? Think about what you want to be remembered for.
3. What do I need to do more of?
4. What do I need to do less of?
5. What do I need to stop doing?