New Tricks to Keep Grumpy Away
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)
Most of us have heard “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” and “The older we get the grumpier we get.” These old wives’ tales are not factual. Sure, some older people fit these definitions, but so do many younger people. I volunteer with an 84-year-old woman who worked as a nurse until she was 80. She runs around, keeping up with the kids she helps mentor at a local elementary school. It isn’t that she has had a perfect, blessed life, free from health concerns. My friend has had food allergies all her life, which the medical community did not understand when she was younger. Yet, she found a way to thrive. It is an honor to call her my friend.
In The Atlantic magazine article “The Curious Personality Changes of Older Age,” Faith Hill challenges our preconceived notions of older age. It isn’t just getting old that changes us. Older people change for the same reasons younger people do. “When people lose the ability to control their circumstances, their selves sometimes evolve instead.” Older people tend to face more life changes, often painful, that cannot help but change how they perceive and respond to the world around them.
Many emotionally mature older people learn to cope and adapt well to changing circumstances. Hill maintains, “Research has shown that when people get older, they commonly recalibrate their goals; though they might be doing less, they tend to prioritize what they find meaningful and really appreciate it.” Emotionally mature people learn to focus on what they can still do rather than obsess over what is no longer possible. Good mental and spiritual health begins and ends with gratitude. Seeking to appreciate our blessings motivates us to live beyond our limitations.
Today, think about the challenges in your life. What can make you cynical, judgmental, and grumpy? How does it limit your ability to thrive? Next, make a gratitude list. Carve out the necessary time to think through the areas of your life that remain joyous. Then, prayerfully ask God to open your heart to see the joys around you. Yet, many things that made you happy are no longer possible, but something remains to keep the grumpy you away. You still have new tricks to share, and that is worth appreciating.