Chronologically, with the passing of every second, our physical bodies grow older. But I have good news – no matter what is happening without, you can grow young within.
This will happen if you are:
1) Willing To Never Cease Learning
2) Willing To Reach Beyond Your Current Capacity
3) Willing To Dream Big Dreams
4) Willing To Never Retire, But Rather Re-fire
So let’s take a closer look at these four areas that will keep you growing younger, no matter how old you are.
1) Willing To Never Cease Learning
Someone once said to me that we will be where we are in the next five years as a direct result of the people we associate with and the books we read. That is why I choose to hang around people who are younger, and those of any age who are smarter than myself. I simply choose to keep the company of those who have a much higher IQ than myself and ask lots of questions while taking plenty of notes. I don’t need to know everything. I just need to have access to those who know more than I do.
In addition, I spend the bulk of my reading time reading ‘wisdom’ literature, starting with the Glorious Quran and then working my way through books written by brilliant men and women who have lived throughout the ages and into this present time. They inspire me, teach me, and cause me to think beyond my current thought patterns. They in fact mess with my head – and yet out of that mess comes great clarity.
2) Willing To Reach Beyond Your Current Capacity
Some people are ‘toe dippers’ while others are ‘plungers’. I have to admit it – I’m a plunger. I go where angels fear to tread as it were. It’s either sink or swim. But I’m pleased to report that I have to date never come close to drowning. Oh sure, I’ve probably gasped and spluttered along the way, but have finally, because I had no choice but to survive, learnt very quickly how to put together the necessary strokes that were required for me to reach the other side.
By stretching beyond our current capacity we suddenly become a bigger person who can handle more stress, pressure and responsibility, because we have dared to grow beyond the status quo.
3) Willing To Dream Big Dreams
I dream more while I’m awake than when I’m fast asleep. I dream ‘impossible’ dreams. I dream ‘ridiculous’ dreams. But the crazy thing is this – I have watched many of these dreams come true, because I dared to dream.
To be a dreamer is to be someone who looks forward with anticipation towards a promising future. It fills you with hope. It packs your brain with plans. It forces you to become creative. It brings you into the company of other dreamers. This is the place where life must be lived if you are to continue to grow younger with every breath that you take.
4) Willing To Never Retire, But Rather Re-fire
Man was never created to retire. We were created to re-fire. With the addition of years the wisdom , the experience, the insight that you have obtained needs to be imparted to the generations that follow. Retirement in fact is a selfish word. If you simply settle into retirement you are robbing future generations of the riches that are yours, and which have always been given to you to share with others.
Every time I’m given the opportunity to mentor someone younger (Specially my younger brother) than myself, I feel that I have become richer because of it – and often learn much more about myself. I find that I’m actually smarter than I first thought, and am amazed as to how much I’ve actually learnt throughout the years. The law is true – the more you keep giving, the more you keep receiving.
So shelve your plans for retirement, and reposition yourself by finding someone younger to help, and burn with a fresh zeal in your re-firement.That way – until the day you leave this earth – you’ll continue to always grow young.
