Don't let the old man in

When you were a child, one of the biggest aspirations was to grow old. Older at the very least. Older people seemed to do all sorts of fantastical things that you couldn’t.

Don’t let the old man in.

Here is the funny thing. We never stopped. In fact, at every phase in our lives, we reinforce the belief. I am twenty now. I am thirty now. For some time, it does not matter.

Then suddenly it does.

Your chronological age catches up with your belief that you are old. Now, when you say I am old, you are stating facts, not desire.

There is a problem.

At some point, emphasizing your age to yourself is detrimental to you. It is worth listening to one of the all-time great coaches in the world, Bill Beswick.

Bill is 75. When he wakes up, he says I don’t let the old man in. Allowing the old man in would compel me to make choices I do not wish to make. If this sounds unrealistic, it is important to understand how the mind works.

The mind believes what you tell it. Whatever you tell it.

So if you tell yourself you are old, your body will start to believe you. Your bones will feel brittle.

Your muscles will feel saggy and weak. You will feel low energy. It will be hard to get up and do things.

Now the body is believing what the mind is saying.

Which is why it is critical to pay heed to what Bill says. Dont let the old man in.

It is not my intent to suggest that you dismiss your reality. Perhaps your muscles are weak. But emphasising this fact does not make things better.

Doing something about it does. The only way to do is to believe you can, which brings us full circle.

Don't let the old man in.

Reach out to me on twitter @rbawri Instagram @riteshbawriofficial and YouTube at www.youtube.com/breatheagain