Getting Older Has Its Upsides

As I write this, I am approaching my 58th birthday in July. And I can honestly say I am happier today than I have ever been before. Sure, there are some physical issues you deal with as you get older, but in the grand scheme of things I find those not such a big deal (not to downplay those who deal with much more serious physical issues than I have).

Happiness is my only goal. I’ve given up setting lots of goals and objectives for myself and I focus simply on “what will make me happy.” I know it sounds simplistic, but it works for me. It hones my activities down to those I find the most enjoyable. It allows me to easily strip away the stuff in my life that has little return on investment. And surprisingly perhaps, I seem to end up much more productive as I keep my happiness at the forefront of my mind.

As it turns out, older people tend to actually be happier than their younger counterparts. Check out this great TED Talk by Laura Carstensen, Director of the Stanford Center on Longevity. It’s always nice to see what we sense from anecdotal input to have some actual data behind it. Enjoy and let me know your thoughts by adding a comment.