Aging: Knowing Myself...

It can be as simple as knowing the curve of my chin, and therefore where to twist a bun that is most flattering:  I love that as I get older, I know myself better.

When I was younger, I was more often than not testing my limits. Can I focus with a headache? Can I wear bright pink lipstick? Can I stay calm in an argument? Can I eat sugar on an empty stomach?

A friend reminded me the other day in a text message: “knowledge is power.” Too often I think of this statement regarding only learning the world around me. But of course, it also includes knowledge of something much closer: myself. By knowing myself, I feel more empowered to do life and to do it successfully.

For example, when I wake up late for work, I know how to apply makeup in less than five minutes. I know how to make a quick, nutritious breakfast that I can eat in the kitchen or take with me. I know which medicine (out of hundreds on the market) will soothe my throbbing head, and I can quickly put that in my purse along with a makeshift lunch that I know I will look forward to, despite my hurried morning.
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It may not seem like much, yet it’s powerful: By better knowing myself, I have the authority to not only conquer a rough morning, but even greater challenges that would have caused havoc in my life years ago.  

Now, meet the glory of getting older and what the years have given me as a gift: time for trial and error.  It’s constant trial and error from day one (which makes childhood horrible and wonderful and every emotion in between), but with each year, I’m grateful that they become less and less. In an ironic way, knowing my limits is freeing, by giving me the power to make choices for myself that will help me age gracefully – something beneficial for both myself and everyone else who is aging along beside me. 

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