Succeed At Being Yourself
He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
—Psalm 23:3 (NLT)
At my age now I feel really great—which shows that things like energy, health, and happiness don't need to decline as we age. But part of my contentment comes because I've become comfortable with who I am. I've succeeded at being myself. I don't pine away for my twenties, partly because I didn't like my twenties anyway, and partly because it wouldn't matter if I did! Here I am now, and I have chosen to live today!
People who long for their youth are never content, because every day that youth gets a little farther away. Don't despise getting old, because if you stay alive you can't avoid it. It's much better to enjoy who you are now and try to live and look appropriate for someone like you. It helps to find role models. We don't think of fifty or sixty-year-olds as needing role models, but they do! Everyone does.
Billy Graham is a good role model for me, and I can honestly say that I have never worried about how much he weighs or how many wrinkles he has. I admire him for his spirit, commitment, accomplishments, and dedication to God and his life's calling. Discontentment is one of the big giants we must conquer if we ever hope to enjoy life fully. Discontentment with looks, age, position, possessions, and anything else that makes us ungrateful for what we currently have.
We may not have all we would like to have, but we certainly have more than some people. No matter how you think you look, there is somebody who would love to look like you. No matter how old you are, there is someone older who would love to be as young as you. Cheer up and make the best of things. Love yourself and love your life; it is the only one you have!
