3 Wicked hard, nearly impossible steps to aging gracefully

I could have titled this post

3 simple steps to aging gracefully. 

And then maybe it would have been pinned on pinterest, maybe it would have been printed out and put on your fridge.
But who would I be kidding? Ain't nothing simple about aging.

Simple steps.
Let's keep it real here. There is no such thing as a simple step.
If we are talking about self-discipline it is never easy.

I googled "3 simple steps" and I found these:

3 simple steps to flatten your belly.
um. Do you know what ice cream tastes like?
And do you know what it feels like when you are sweating and your muscles are burning?
You call that simple?
Worth it? yes.
Simple? no.

3 simple steps to capture a man's heart.
Here we go again. Do you know what it feels like when he is wrong but acting like he's right?
Do you know what it feels like when pride kicks in and you want your way?
Do you know what selfless love feels like?
Worth it? yes.
Simple? no.

So when I look in the mirror and see wrinkles and gray hair.
When I look in my closet at the 12 pairs of jeans all folded neatly in the back because they haven't fit me for 3 years, but I keep thinking maybe someday they will.
When I feel my back aching and my I realize that botox and tummy tucks aren't in the cards for me,
I have to take a step back and figure out what exactly I can do to gracefully approach this unavoidable thing called aging.

Here are my 3 wicked hard, nearly impossible steps to aging gracefully.

1. Stop being bitter.
I am saying that it's hard and it really is. The older we get, the more people we meet. The more people we meet, the more relationship issues we can possibly have. The more relationship issues we have, the easier it is for bitterness and unforgiveness to set in.
Let me tell you something right here and right now.

Forgiveness doesn't make them right. It makes you free.

This is huge to understand. I used to feel like if I forgave someone when they didn't ask for forgiveness or if they didn't deserve it, that it made it seem like what that person did was right. And I felt so strongly like it was not, and it was so unfair and unjust to let that happen.
As if I was the judge or something.
I am not. And by me holding on to pain and the past, the only thing it was doing was making me in bondage to them. Holding me captive to this ugly sin.
The Bible refers to bitterness as poisonous and says that it will cause trouble and corrupt you.
This will age you, people. This will age you faster than you want to be aged.
You do not want to look older just because you refuse to let go of things.
Just let go. (love covers over many sins. Just be better at loving.)
And laugh more. It really does make you feel better.

2. Select your five closest friends carefully.
We teach it to our kids, but sometimes we don't take the advice ourselves.
It has been said that we become the average of our 5 closets friends.
While this is not a proven fact, it absolutely makes sense.
We start acting like the people we hang around with the most.
If your friends are negative, you are more likely to become more negative.
If your friends are lazy, you will most likely become more lazy.
On the flip side, if your friends are positive, big dreamers, achievers, you are more likely to become more positive and dream bigger.
If your friends are active, you will most likely become more active!

If you spend time with people who are constantly exercising, and being adventurous, you are either going to be encouraged to do the same or you are going to pick new friends.
Truth.

3. Start eating healthier.
It used to be that I could eat whatever I wanted. Then, when I felt like I was getting a little bit of a gut, I would just stop eating bad for a few days and it would be back to normal.
Then I turned 30.
No lie. It was like an instant what-the-hay-just-happened?!
My metabolism slowed down and suddenly, getting rid of those few pounds took like weeks of no sugar (oh the horror!) and running like crazy.
But it is a fact that our bodies are like machines. And what we put into them affects how they work.
I'm not talking crazy-town eating raw, and giving up ice cream.
Because, really. What kind of a life would that be? ha!
I believe that God created food for our pleasure, not just as a way to keep us alive.
So I will enjoy it, but the truth remains: the older you get, the more careful you need to become.
Start drinking more water, be aware of the nutritional value of what you are putting into your body.
Eat less (not NONE) sugar, eat more vegetables.
Take vitamins...just make a conscious effort to be aware of what you are putting into your body.
Maybe it means just ordering the grilled chicken instead of the fried, or drinking water with your meal instead of soda.
Even just small steps will make a difference.

So there you have it.
Wicked hard.
Nearly impossible.

But yet not totally impossible.
Not exactly simple, but definitely doable!
We have to age, but we might as well do it with grace.
Be the kind of person you would want to hang around with.
And enjoy every second of each day God has given you...you never know when it might be your last.