Stop Acting Your Age
87. Stop acting your age.
What I notice most about people who try to act their age is they seem to become a little boring and are much less likely to take risks. Another thing about acting your age is you usually start acting how you think people your age should act. People who tell you to act your age are probably very similar to those who tell you to be “realistic;” remember Tool 64? When you act your age, you limit your ability to grow, have fun and enjoy life. There is a balance, though.
Keep in mind we are not talking about being irresponsible. What we are trying to flourish is that no-holds barred attitude you had when you were younger that allowed you to discover new things. The ability to try and go for it because you weren’t as worried about what others would think. The balance occurs when you can apply the knowledge you have accumulated as an adult while never losing the twinkle in your eye that you had when you were young.
What are the benefits to you using this Tool? Well, for starters thinking young expands your options. When you don’t try to simply approach everything like someone your age would, chances are you open yourself to many more opportunities. Why? Because the simple statement of “acting your age” suggests that you should try to act more mature, think things out and make decisions based on what is safe and “realistic.”
When you try to act your age, you try to make decisions according to what people your age would do, and we are not trying to do what people our age would do, we are trying to do what successful people do. When you stop acting your age, you will find that you will be open to newer and more experiences because you don’t base your decision on what your peers would decide. Those who tell you to act your age do so because they believe it can limit the possibilities of making mistakes. We should now know that making mistakes is crucial to growth.
I think lastly and most importantly, acting younger just makes you more fun to be around. If you want to reach levels and goals you never have, being fun to be around can only help. When people want to be around you and fall in love with your spirit, it feels good. When you feel good, you like who you see in the mirror and affirmations become easier and more believable. The take home message is that acting your age boxes us in and takes decisions out of our hands and puts them into a checklist of what is okay and not okay for the others similar to our time bracket.