6 Amazing Benefits of Getting Older! 

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that people almost expect me to dread my upcoming birthdays. They hesitate to ask me how old I am. They joke that I’m turning 29 again. And if they do know my age, they may even comment on how old I’m getting. 

As if that was a bad thing.  

Something to be dreaded. Or even feared.  

Even my son one day joked that his dad was getting old. And I piped up saying, “So what?????” 

And he didn’t know how to respond to that.  

Because our culture teaches us that getting older is a bad thing. And I think sometimes we don’t even question why. 

But did you know that the global anti-aging market was valued at $62 billion in 2021, and it is expected to increase to around $93 billion by 2027? 

Many people out there are making A LOT of money off our fear of aging.  

And that makes me mad.  

Because let’s say I followed our culture’s lead and decided to dread getting older.  

Well, my grandparents are still alive and in their 90’s. Which means I could live another 50 years.  

That’s more years than I’ve even been alive so far! 

Why would I want to spend the next 50 years of my life fighting the inevitable, denying the reality of my age, and dreading what comes next? 

Why do we fear getting older? 

Now, don’t get me wrong. There are some very valid reasons we may feel afraid when it comes to getting older.  

• We may fear other people’s reactions to our age, the changes our bodies are going through, and we may fear being diagnosed with health issues.  

• We may fear facing the reality of unfulfilled dreams and things we never got around to. 

• We may fear getting to the end of our lives and realizing it’s too late to make any changes or to do anything differently. 

• We may fear being helpless because of physical limitations.  

• We may even fear getting older because our age is just another reminder that we’re nearing the end. And we’re not really sure what’s going to happen next. (If you’re feeling this way, please feel free to comment below and we can chat more about this.) 

These are all very real fears.  

But is this really the way we want to live? Fretting over something we have no control over? Desperately trying to fight the inevitable?  

Wasting an incredible amount of effort and money on the futile pursuit of trying to look young even as we get older and older. As well as wasting precious time looking behind? Wishing for the good old days so much that we miss out on the beauty of today? 

As it says in Ecclesiastes: 

“Don’t long for ‘the good old days.’ This is not wise.” -Ecclesiastes 7:10 NLT

3 Reasons We Shouldn’t Fear Getting Older

From what I’ve seen, when we’re young we long to be older, and when we’re older we long to be young. But by doing this we end up missing out.  

Because we don’t realize what we’ve got until it’s gone. 

This is why I want to challenge all of us to reframe our thoughts on growing older, so we can improve our attitude and mindset on aging.  

And we can start to do this by considering 2 important reasons we shouldn’t fear getting older.  

1) It is a privilege to grow old.

What is the privilege of growing old? It is simply the fact that you are getting older. Because if you think about it . . . this is a privilege denied to many. 

Every day someone dies.  

If you are alive today, then that someone isn’t you. And the truth that you have another day to live should fill your heart with gratitude.  

2) Getting older is a beautiful and natural thing.

Getting older isn’t a bad thing. It’s exactly what is supposed to happen. Our bodies are just doing what comes naturally.  

Now, I’ve noticed over the years that there’s a growing movement that encourages women to embrace and love their bodies after pregnancy. To see the stretch marks and not-so-flat bellies as beautiful signs of the times they’ve literally carried another life within them.  

This movement encourages women to celebrate the ways their bodies have changed. And to be grateful for what their body did.  

And I think this is exactly the way we should view aging as well.  

• Wrinkles, age spots, and fine lines . . . are like priceless souvenirs from all the times we’ve laughed and cried.  

• Aches and pains . . . are simply reminders of all the adventures we’ve been on. They mean we had fun when we were young.  

• And all the hairs that turn gray . . . are beautiful symbols of the wisdom and grace we’ve gained.  

I love this quote by Ellen Degeneres. She said:

“Why do they say we’re over the hill? I don’t even know what that means and why it’s a bad thing. When I go hiking and I get over the hill, that means I’m past the hard part and there’s a snack in my future.” 

Exactly. 

3) There are actually many benefits and positive effects to getting older.

Yes, you heard me right. There are a lot of advantages to being old. And if you want to learn what the benefits of aging are then keep reading! 

What are some of the benefits of getting older?

Growing old is a blessing. Not a curse. And there are many wonderful benefits and advantages to being older.  

So what are the good things about being old and what are the positive effects of getting older? 

Well, as we age, we often enjoy things like: 

1) An improved sense of self.

One of the benefits of aging is an improved sense of self. As people age, they often develop a greater sense of self-acceptance and empathy.  

They tend to view themselves in a more positive mindset.  

At the same time, they are also more honest about their weaknesses and strengths. This means they can look honestly at themselves so they can work on their weaknesses while using their strengths to their advantage.  

2) An increased desire for connection.

As people age, they tend to place a higher value on their relationships and take the time to create opportunities to connect with others. This leads to greater feelings of happiness, joy, and peace as well as a greater sense of purpose.  

3) Higher emotional and social intelligence.

Another positive aspect of aging is higher emotional and social intelligence.  

Studies have shown that older people have better control over their emotions than younger people. They’re not as impulsive and tend to consider the cause and effect of their decisions. They also tend to have a better understanding of relationships, and how to navigate different situations. 

They’ve had time to develop the mental strength needed to face the challenges and hard times in life.  

There are also certain nerve cells in the brain that are required for the fight or flight response that helps humans survive. But as we age, the number of these cells may drop by half, causing the ability to generate anxiety, fear, and panic to decrease.  

That sure sounds like a good thing! 

4) More life experience.

Older people have had more life experiences which in turn helps them to be wiser and make smarter decisions. And it also helps them show empathy for others because they understand what they’re going through. 

5) Increased gratitude.

Older people may be more grateful for their families and their physical, mental, and financial health.  

And even the fact that they are still alive.  

They are more likely to count their blessings and be grateful for everything they have.  

6) Older people still can benefit from brain plasticity.

Science shows that the brain can continue to create new neural pathways and neurons throughout its entire life. Even as you get older.  

(Just ask Nola Ochs who earned her bachelor’s degree at age 95 and her master’s at age 98!) 

What Does Positive Aging Mean?

If you’re still debating the pros and cons of growing old after discovering all those advantages of age and the benefits of living longer, we shared above. And you still aren’t quite convinced about the joys of aging . . . well, as I was doing some research on this topic, I came across the term “positive aging”.   

Positive aging is simply adopting a positive view of aging as a healthy, normal part of life. To see the beauty of growing old.  

It means to live life to the fullest as you grow older. To do whatever is needed so you can continue to do the things you love and that are important to you even as you grow older.  

Our attitudes can directly affect our emotional and even physical health. 

Studies have found that people who choose to reject the negative stereotypes about aging, and instead have a positive attitude toward getting older tend to live longer and healthier lives.  

A study done at Yale found that seniors who held more positive views about aging actually lived 7 1/2 years longer than those who held negative views on aging. 

And another study done on 14,000 adults over the age of 50 found that the people who had the highest satisfaction with aging also had a 43% lower risk of dying from any cause over 4 years. And they had a lower risk for conditions like diabetes, stroke, cancer, and heart disease.  

As well as tending to be less lonely and depressed, had better cognitive function, better quality of sleep, and were overall more optimistic with a greater sense of purpose. 

These are all great reasons for choosing to view getting older as a good thing.  

T. Boone Pickens said at 90 years old:

“Be the eternal optimist who is excited to see what the next decade will bring.” 

The Best Thing About Getting Older

There are so many good things about being old that we should be excited to celebrate each year that passes. We should never be ashamed to say our age out loud or be embarrassed about the wrinkles and lines on our faces.  

And if we do find ourselves feeling down about it all, then we just need to spend some time reflecting on all the positive aspects of aging to remind us that our age is something to be proud of. Because as we’ve seen there are a lot of great things about getting older.  

But I think the best thing about getting older is . . . . you really start to realize what truly matters.  

• What you look like doesn’t matter.  
• How much you make doesn’t matter.  
• The things you own don’t matter.  

What matters is loving God and loving people.  

As CT Studd said:

“Only one life twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” 

When we get to our last day and prepare to take our final breath, I guarantee we won’t be thinking about all of the gray hairs on our head or the wrinkles on our faces.  

• Rather, we will be thinking about the memories we made . . . or the ones we wish we would have.  

• We’ll be thinking about the people we love. And all the things we wish we would have told them.  

• We will be thinking about whether or not we lived the life we wanted to live. The life God called us to. Or if we let our life pass us by.  

• We won’t be thinking about what the people around us think about us. Instead, we will be thinking about what God will say when we see Him face to face.  

So, let’s stop worrying about what age does to our bodies. (We get new ones in Heaven anyway.) And let’s instead be grateful for every minute of every single day as we follow our Savior along life’s way. 

Let’s celebrate the years. Because if smiles and laughter mean more wrinkles and fine lines . . . then I say bring on the good times!  

And let’s focus less on the years that have passed and more on how we can use the time we have left to make a difference in this world. 

Because in the end, it’s not what we look like that matters.  

What matters is leaving a legacy of love. And pointing people to Jesus.  

If you find this encouraging, please share it to inspire others! 

And be sure to check out these other inspirational reads: 

• How to Build Mental Strength in 10 Profoundly Simple Ways
• Why Thankfulness Matters: 5 Impressive Health Benefits of Gratitude
• 15 Practical Tips for Dealing with Grief Over Health Issues