Another Year, Another Birthday: Processing Getting Older

For the past few birthdays, I’ve been telling everyone I know that “I’m turning 24 again!” Huh. What are the odds? Now of course I’m kidding, but the reality is that as I’ve gone up in my 20’s the mentality of growing older becomes more and more evident. And before anyone wants to bite my head off (please don’t), I am aware that I’m still relatively young. But this year’s birthday stung just a tad — the number signifying my last year in this decade. The number that acknowledges adulthood in real, overt way with important responsibilities — a true marker of growing up. And though I’d simply love to keep perpetuating the line “I’m turning 26 again” (notice how it went up as a desperate attempt to cling to the mid-20’s now?), I know I can sort this out. I know there’s a brighter outlook, somewhere, in the midst of processing getting older, and to all you lovely readers, feel free to join me for the ride. First off, I tell myself to not compare. This one is huge. Caps lock HUGE. Write-it-on-the forehead-huge (well, actually that’s probably not a great idea). Comparisons with our peers are so incredibly easy to do, especially in our time of social media. It’s understandable to feel behind when we see others having all kinds of successes (this one personally stings, sometimes, in the writing field). And it’s understandable to feel behind when we see others achieve all kinds of milestones that we aren’t ready for just yet. Basic...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Aging Personal Success & Achievement Coping Skills growing older Milestones Source Type: blogs