How Aging Can Be Fun - MaritaSteffe.com

How aging can be fun

Ooooh, this is a fun subject. Great to have you here and thank you for your interest. Let me guess, you might be getting older…. and are trying to find out how aging can be fun 🙂

Right now I have difficulties to accept that I´m gaining belly fat. My friends roll their eyes and call me neurotic, because I look good. But somehow there is still this crazy idea that I would like to stay a size 6.

I admit, I gave in and let go of all the pants that were too tight and settled into the next size up. I only held on to a beautiful, expensive pair of bell bottom jeans, they are tooo cool to give away, Maybe there is a creative way to extend them 1″ on each side. If you have an idea let me know.

Hitting 62….feels like a new chapter in my life. Mondane things like success, being important, having lots of stuff, are not so interesting anymore and a zen- lifestyle is becoming more appealing. I let go of my car and ride my E-bike, I don´t need to travel to far away places anymore. I used to love to be in the sun, but now it´s no fun because I have Vitiligo. My solution is to visit colder countries with less sun, I always wanted to visit Iceland and swim in the Blue Lagoon. Acceptance of reality is a long process, that things are changing and part of it incorporates a bit of sadness and grieving.

Letting go

3 years ago I let my hair turn grey and had it cut it short. This process took years to finally have the courage to do this. These days the colour of my face is paler, because of the vitiligo… so I wear a bit more makeup.

My clothes are getting more colourful and adventurous. Somehow I find that black, which used to be my favourite colour is not so flattering these days and it´s being replaced with brighter happier colours.

For me, and this might be different for lots of people, I will not to get a facelift, a breast-lift, or any other lift. I chose for myself that it´s important to accept reality for what it is, without fighting it. I try to like my softer skin, my spots, and my wrinkles.

Suffering because I lost my youthful beauty and being adored by men? No way…or maybe a little bit once in a while. I try to fill my life with meaning, purpose, humor, creative projects, lovely people who share my views. Complicated people, worry and exposure to negativity is being limited.

One of the major teachings in Buddhism is: Let go of attachment.

What is attachment?

Loving someone can be an attachment, especially when we are afraid that the loved one will leave us, or when we try to please others to a point where it´s unhealthy.

Attachment can be the illusion of our thinking.

What life should be like
What our families should be like
What our children should be like
What work-situations should be like
What we should be like
What our spouses should be like
What we should look like

The older I get, the more I want to do the things that make me happy and forget about all the “shoulds”.

How Aging Can Be Fun for me

I love to be creative and now I allow myself lots of creativity. Time to paint, time to write, time to mess around, time to dance, time to stare into nothing, time to walk, time to inspire others. As long as I honor this need I feel good.

Allowing myself time for myself and to drop the need to do practical stuff is highly important. Is it easy? No it´s not…because I was trained to not follow my dreams and be practical. Dreams were frivolous. You can´t be an artist, they don´t make enough money, don´t waste your time on great dreams, you could be dissapointed.

Can you relate? Not to point the finger at anybody…. this is what happened to most people. Creativity and dreams did not have a place in the world and creativity and self-expression were forgotten in one of the drawers of life. Creating flocks of unhappy unfulfilled people.

For me that´s the beauty of getting older. To just honor whatever I want to do. Fill life with meaning, express myself, have fun, share what interests me with friends.