I have always believed that age is a state of mind. I know 20-somethings that sit around and watch TV all day long, and I know an 82-year old who still comes out to the dropzone every weekend to make a skydive (His name is Jim, and he’s my hero). That is my proof. So, instead of thinking about how old I am in terms of my physical age, I try to look at my youth in terms of my experiences. How I choose to live my life determines my youth, but that doesn’t mean I want to go back to the days of all night keg parties and waking up to strangers passed out in my bathtub (Sadly, this was once my life).

My Mom and Dad split up sometime in 1983-1984. I don’t remember exactly when, but I do remember hanging out at my Dad’s apartment. We watched MTV and listened to Van Halen’s 1984 all the time. It was cool. My Dad was young. Somehow over the course of time, my Dad isn’t young like that any more. He listens to smooth jazz now; he takes bubble baths; and he falls asleep in his chair when we’re visiting… a lot. Don’t misunderstand me. My Dad is and will always be one of the coolest people I know and I love every thing about him. But watching him change as I have grown, makes me wonder: How does it happen? How do you go from jamming out to rockin’ music to living in a perpetual elevator? Can this be prevented, because if so, I want the answer!

Being young is a mindset. It’s thinking more about now, and less about tomorrow. It’s about believing that what is most important is happiness, and not the daily grind, taxes or laundry. It’s so difficult not to get caught up in all of that, I certainly catch myself there all the time. You know what saves me more often than not? My kids.

I look at my kids and I allow myself to be reminded how much fun it is to be young. When we go to our park, I watch them play and fight the urge to yell out, “Don’t get any of that mud on your clothes”. I stop myself because… is mud really so bad? Isn’t it just wet dirt? Shouldn’t enjoyment be more important than whether or not clothes get dirty? Why is it that when we grow up, we forget the little things like this? Maybe it’s because we only see the work involved in cleaning up the mud, or maybe it’s because we’ve forgotten that fun is what it’s all about. Losing sight of “fun” is the same as losing your youth. To me, they’re one in the same. It’s not as if we don’t have fun as grown ups, but instead of fun being priority… being the impetus for every choice we make, it becomes something we do when everything else is taken care of.

Here’s another way of looking at it. If tomorrow was going to be your last day on Earth, what would you do? I can tell you I wouldn’t go to work tomorrow, that’s the first thing. I realize we all have responsibilities to keep, and so you can’t just live everyday like it was your last no matter how great it sounds. But, to recognize the things that you love so much that you would spend your last moments on Earth doing them is like opening a door to your youth. So, what would you do? I would go hiking with my kids and then I would skydive (Yes, I know. Big surprise). Whatever your answer is, figure out a way to incorporate that into your life, and MAKE time for it. Don’t do it only when and if you have available time and money. MAKE it happen.

One other piece of advice that prevents us from staying young- Forget about the end point. Just forget about it. So many people stop doing things they love because they start thinking more about the “end” and less about the “now”. How many people do you know who have given up something they love because they have become overly cautious about protecting their life? I know many. Here’s where skydiving comes into play again. There’s is nothing more effective at reminding you of your impermanence here than jumping out of a plane. It brings the rest of life into perspective. We are all here temporarily; some of us will live to a ripe “young” age, and others may die tomorrow in a freak accident. You never know, so thinking about and trying to prolong the inevitable will do nothing except keep you from enjoying your time here on Earth. You’re going to die… get over it.

So, remember the power of youth. Remember what you’re here for (not taxes or laundry)! I will leave you with this quote. The first part is well known, but it’s been modified by skydivers alike:

I refuse to tiptoe through life only to arrive safely at death, but rather I will skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out loudly proclaiming… WOW What a Ride!!!

So, How Young Are You?

Here’s a great article I came upon today. It was in many ways the inspiration for this post. It’s a Hoot. 25 Signs that Sadly, You’ve Grown Up.

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