Adult lifespan - Research Paper Example

Age is Just a Number When wines are aged, the better taste it will get. This perception sometimes does not work towards people. There are instances that young adults look at people who are 50 years old and above as useless and put them into nursing homes. This should not be the case. Age is just a number that measures the span of time that a person stays in this world. What today’s youth should understand is that if not for the people who are already in their senior age, the world today will not be the way that it is.

Age should not be gauge of a person’s competency towards achieving success and fulfillment in a fast paced world.Age is Just a Number Children always look forward to their birthdays. Once they step on that double digit or once they turn 10, children are too eager to step on those teenage years. This decade seem to just pass by. The teenage years are the years where a person undergoes too many changes whether physically or emotionally. Stepping out of college means more independence for a young adult who is stepping out to the real world.

There is always that anguish in a person while he waits the time for him to be able to stand up on his own two feet (Thomas, 1994). In 2010, it was distinguished that 1 in every 9 Americans are considered as “old.” As this world is changing really fast, the definition of the word “old” also changes. In 2010, when a person turns 50 he is said to be old. However, in 2011, an old person is when he is already in the 60s. As the years in a person’s life increases, people would consider themselves to be aging (Hayflick, 1994; Eckstein, 2011).

What is aging? Does it constitute that when a person ages, the lesser capable he becomes? Leonard Hayflick (1994) defined aging as the materialization of biological occurrences that happens in a person’s lifetime. Though as a person ages, there are concepts that their actions and capabilities become limited. There are people who gain ailments as they ages. That is one of the reasons why their capabilities tend to become constrained. Dr. Barbara Hawkins, PhD (2005) thinks otherwise. Age is just a number that should not be a gauge whether a person is capable or not of doing tasks.

What contributes in aging well is having a healthy lifestyle, active daily activities and peace of mind. Ailments can be avoided by keeping a person’s body as healthy as possible. In this world that is filled with numerous advancements, even the produces that are being sold are markets are not as healthy as it seem. There are instances that the fresh produces that people will think as healthy will contain chemicals that will put a person’s physical condition in jeopardy.When a person is still a child, he is too eager to age.

Once he reached his 30s or 40s, that person would want to stop the hand of time as there is a perception that their time in this world is almost up. That should not be the thinking of people. Age is just a number that counts the years of existence. But it is not a gauge of one’s success or defeat. As the numbers add up, a person should reflect as to what has he have done in his lifetime.Before a person turns 50, one should reflect as to what have been his contributions in this world. Aging well is not just a mere physical occurrence; it is accompanied by mental growth and appreciation of the beauty of life.

Aging well means living a meaningful life. It is not merely just waking up each morning and sleeping every night. There are so many hours in between that a person can contribute to the advancement of human life.What the youth should always bear in mind is that they should experience life a day at a time. There are no shortcuts. Life is so beautiful to waste thinking as to what one will do tomorrow or once he reaches a certain age. Aging well means living each and every day to the fullest and not missing a single opportunity to make it a meaningful life.

There is a distinction between living and existing. Existing is just being there. A person who exists is contended as to what is there and would not aim for more. Living is making the most out of what this life is offering him. A person should make it a point to be actually living and making an impact not just towards a person’s self but also towards his peers.ReferencesEckstein, M. (2011, August 11). Senior Population Growing as Youth Population Declines to New Lows. Retrieved from .Hawkins, B. A. (2005, June 15).

Aging Well: Toward a Way of Life for All People. Retrieved from < http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1364512/>.Hayflick, L. (1994). How and Why We Age. New York: Random House.Thomas, R. J. (2008). Crucibles of Leadership: How to Learn from Experience to Become a Great Leader. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.