The Negative Subconscious Effects of Thinking You are "Too Old"

Who decides when a person is too old to do the things they enjoy?

If we can be too old, is it possible to be too young? If we think back to when we were a kid, we can probably remember someone telling us. "When are you going to grow up?' 'Why don't you act your age?"

At that time in our lives it would seem a good idea, from someone else's point of view, for us to act older. Now that we're older, we're supposed to act, and be, older still. How often do we hear the phrase, "I'm doing OK for an old person." Think what that can do to one's self-esteem!

The other day I was talking to a person I hadn't heard from for some months and during the conversation he asked me what we'd been doing. I told him about Celinda's trip to Hawaii to teach health and stress reduction classes. After we discussed that, he asked what I'd been doing. At the time I was in the middle of my "Crossing New Mexico. Running from Arizona to Texas" adventure. His comment took me by surprise. "Don't you think you're too old for that kind of thing?" Out of character, I was speechless. Later, I began to think about his comment.

If a person enjoys making model airplanes, like they did when they were young, when do they have to quit because they're too old? What if the hobby or relaxing past-time is making quilts, planting trees, painting landscapes or playing a game of baseball, basketball or pool? When do we suddenly become "too old" to do those things anymore? Distance running, or any healthful past-time, is no different.

Being too young appears to be more of a problem, in someone else's mind, concerning maturity in the way we act or think. Being too old, in someone else's opinion, is often a matter of them not being able to do things that the other person can. Which is usually due to that person's health related choices.

Lots of people make lifestyle choices that preclude them from being able to do things, so they choose to believe no one should. With those beliefs firmly established in their minds, and other opinions about what is and what isn't acceptable, they try to push their beliefs off on others.