Benjamin Button?
Call me Benjamin Button. For those of you who don’t know the reference, Benjamin Button is the story of a man who was born old and became younger throughout his life. It was first a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and more recently a movie starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.
People have always asked me how old I am. When I was a little, not more than 12 or 13 people mistook me for someone who was going to be a senior in high school. Now as time has progressed I keep getting mistaken for someone who is younger. If I keep my hair short and no beard most people don’t have a clue how old I really am. I can recall several times this has happened in the last 5 years.
One particular instance really jumps out more strongly than others. I was having a conversation with two others, a guy and a girl, at the hostel we were all staying at. There was a mix up of our place to stay in Miami and it was the quickest easiest available place we could stay on the day after New Years. We were all discussing experiences and things and then one of them asks each of us how old we were. He was “old” at 27 and she was 23. Then he asked me, for one second I thought about telling him 29. Instead I told him the truth, two months shy of 39.
That was a few years ago, now I’m 43. I still get asked, often. If I grow my beard out, it has a lot of white, or my hair, it too has a lot of white, I don’t get the question as much. Instead I get stares in the gym, maybe they think I’m some old guy still killing it. LOL
While I’m not old by any means, there are older people still looking amazing, I’m no spring chicken anymore. I know I act and look younger than I am. This is not by accident. It is by lifestyle and how I choose to live. I don’t go out and party, I don’t “live it up”. I enjoy the gym and I enjoy eating right. Those are important things to do to keep yourself looking and acting younger.
I think even more important is to think like a younger person. I still think like I’m in my 20’s. I do this mostly because I can’t believe I’m 43! I don’t even think of it, I just keep a lust for living and enjoy the ride. There are way too many things to explore and see and do in life to act old and sit on the couch. Because my mindset is young, I need to back it up with good healthy habits to keep myself moving like someone younger. I can’t afford to sit around and just watch the TV or be content with sitting in an office all day with no activity. Life is what you make of it, and I choose to make it a healthy one. If you want to participate in a healthy lifestyle for those of you who aren’t part already, I run a group on Facebook called Gain Muscle Lose Fat. We do challenges there ask and answer questions and help each other by giving encouragement when we need it the most. You are welcome to join it, the more people we can reach and infuse with the younger mindset and healthy bodies the better. Happy Lifting and Strive to Arrive!
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