Argued by some to be the purpose of existence, the fuel that keeps the individual rowing through the ebbs and flows of life, is the pursuit of happiness. Feeling joy transcends the barriers of language and human difference. It’s so desirable that it leaves us looking at those in the happiest season of their lives with deep longing…but at what age are we happiest?
In truth, the age you are happiest feels as if it could be any one other than the stage you’re in at this moment. It’s as if being unsatisfied is as large a part of human experience as searching for joy. However, through a present awareness and practicing self-love, you’ll find that happiness knows no bounds, including that of age.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the three main phases of life, what mindsets hold the most important during those ages, and how you should implement those philosophies regardless of what generation you’re in now.
Childhood
The world is at its largest and purest in the eyes of a child. Untainted by heartbreak and general stresses, it’s the period of life where you are at your most innocent. To many of us, it’s the age we would most like to travel back to, but what’s hindering us from doing so other than our own mindset?
Allowing yourself to indulge in childlike pleasures is a deeply healing experience, one that you can instill into your life starting today. Buy the lego set you would have begged your parents for at age five or wear the frilly dress of your princess dreams. Take the time to reintroduce yourself to who you were as a kid, and fulfill their dreams. They still live in you.
It could go deeper than material possession, too. While it may be difficult to recall, childhood graced us with the ability to forgive others and love relentlessly. Take a minute to discern the relationships most important to you, and express that unconditional love with the heart of a child- it’s an act that you, and your inner child, will appreciate.
Young Adulthood
Some people claim the teen years to be the most transformative period of your life, but dissecting the life changes that unfold during your twenties proves that to be false. Free from public education, and able to take on the world as an individual for the first time in your life is terrifying, albeit profoundly liberating.
Tackling the world with that same fear and hunger to discover can be a world-altering attitude to adopt. It’s in young adulthood that we boast this insatiable desire to really find ourselves. We test the waters and swallow hesitance, yearning to fulfill all of our curiosities. Don’t lose that fire. Don’t ever stop wanting to learn more about yourself.
This era of life can also be the most painful. You’ll deal with breakups, rejections, and this overall feeling of “I have absolutely no clue what’s going on”– but you’ll persevere, begrudgingly and sometimes tearfully, but that persistence and relentless burn to continue is something we need throughout our time on Earth. It’s what leads us to the golden years.
The Autumn Of Life
To be aged and happy is a privilege, and one of the most fulfilling rewards of being alive. Though it’s likely you’ve not yet grown into this stage of your life journey, there are still approaches of those years that you can try to adopt before you get there.
Of all the regrets that people have on their deathbed, the most common grievance to carry with you on the last leg of life is not living unabashedly. Too often we make decisions based on the opinions of others- from what career to pursue to even something as minuscule as we eat for breakfast.
Living for the approval of others jeopardizes your most important relationship: the one you have with yourself. While it’s only natural to be concerned about what others think of us, the momentary joy we experience from their approval pales in comparison to finally accepting yourself fully- “imperfections” and all.
Final Thoughts
To be alive is to be happy, just as it is to be angry and sad and human. Though there’s deliberation about what age of our Earthly journey is happiest- the truth is that no one’s answer can ever truly be right. Happiness is everchanging, morphing with us throughout each stage of our lives, and quietly giving us important messages along the way.
