A gray hair here. A laugh line there. A moment in front of the mirror where you think, well, time certainly has been busy.
Most of us have been taught to fight aging. To see it as something to dread. But what if the whole thing looked different with the right words in your ear?
These 15 quotes curated by Senior Resource from poets, actors, novelists, and thinkers who have been where you are just might do the trick.
On Mindset
“It’s not how old you are. It’s how you are old.” — Jules Renard
French novelist Jules Renard got it right. Your attitude toward this chapter matters more than the number on your birthday cake.
“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” — Mark Twain
You can spend your days counting every wrinkle. Or you can decide that you have earned every single one. Mr. Twain knew the difference.
“Youth has no age.” — Pablo Picasso
Short, sweet, and Picasso to the core. Age is more a state of mind than a state of being.
On the Beauty of This Season
“Know that you are the perfect age. Each year is special and precious, for you shall only live it once. Be comfortable with growing older.” — Louise Hay
Instead of dreading your next birthday, try seeing it as a once-in-a-lifetime gift. Because that is exactly what it is.
“Aging has a wonderful beauty, and we should have respect for that.” — Eartha Kitt
In a 1998 interview with the Deseret News, Kitt put it perfectly: “There’s nothing one can do about aging, so why not admire the fact that you’ve put all of these years into life and now have some knowledge you wish you had when you were 26?”
“We turn not older with years but newer every day.” — Emily Dickinson
Dickinson wrote this line not in a poem but in an 1872 letter to her cousin, Louise Norcross. Leave it to her to say it best.
On Opportunity
“Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” — Betty Friedan
The next time you catch yourself missing your younger years, flip the question: what can you do now that your younger self never could?
“Age is an opportunity no less than youth itself.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Opportunity does not expire. It just changes shape. You still have thousands of possibilities in front of you.
“There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love.” — Sophia Loren
Never let age be a barrier to sharing your talents or chasing your goals. Sophia Loren certainly did not.
On Looking Forward
“I suppose real old age begins when one looks backward rather than forward.” — Mary Sarton
There is nothing wrong with cherishing good memories. But Sarton reminds us to stay open to making new ones, too.
“I never understood the idea that you’re supposed to mellow as you get older. Slowing down isn’t something I relate to at all. The goal is to continue in good and bad, all of it.” — Diane Keaton
Keaton was a working actress until she died and had three unfinished projects at the time of her passing. That is a life well and fully lived.
On Laughter and Joy
“You don’t stop laughing when you grow old. You grow old when you stop laughing.” — George Bernard Shaw
Both scientifically and at heart, laughter keeps you young. If you are feeling a little cranky today, call your funniest friend. It genuinely helps.
“Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.” — Unknown
This one is famously misattributed to both Walt Disney and Chili Davis. No one knows who actually said it first. But whoever did? They were onto something. There is no age limit on making dandelion wishes or daydreaming or having a tea party with your friends.
On Wisdom
“The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.” — Robert Frost
This one may be a Robert Frost quote or an old Swedish proverb — no one is entirely sure. Either way, it says something true: you know things now that your younger self could not have imagined.
“Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” — Franz Kafka
It is easy to get caught up in what is wrong. Kafka’s reminder is simple: look for beauty, and you will find it. Step outside. Put the phone down. Take a little walk. It is there, waiting.
Fifteen voices across the centuries, all saying the same thing in different ways. This season has something the earlier ones did not. You have earned it. You might as well enjoy it.
