Youth

A question which popped up in one of the many "Friday General Meetings" (back in Bangalore, some weeks ago) was this :-

Is "youth" a state of mind or has it really got to do with numbers ?

I am talking about the people in their 20s/30s/40s, and not people in their 70s or 80s.

I believe Youth is more a state of mind.Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals/giving up/sulking and brooding/regretting.Some people look lively and bubbling all the time , whereas some people look worn out and tired. Each face tells us a different story.Various opinions came out of the discussion.

One of the discussions which arouse out of this topic went something like this :-

Can we prevent ageing by "taking interest" and "enthusiasm" about many things like hobbies

I think, this is true in its own way.If we have the appetite for adventure over the love of ease, I think we can achieve grow older at a lesser rate(and be happy).A child has an un-ending supply of enthusiasm in it. It is always curious and takes the game of living as a kind of joy, it just doesnt give up and start seeing "a pattern" in life and make predictions and finally end up bored.It always has the attitude of "whats next" in life.

We can simulate curiousity and joy by just forcibly involving and exploring new things with renewed josh and thus keep us "alive".

A counter argument ran something like this :-

Some of us here have had really rough times and life has taken us through perilious paths.They often look a lot mature than their "age", they have wrinkles and white hair faster because they worry and they had a reason to worry.

I would agree that one too.The ones who are beaten by the weathers of tough times.

But, as I just read in one of the forwards I got today :-

In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station; so
long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men
and from the Infinite, so long are you young.

Current Music - Pearl Jam : Alive