As usual, every 7th day of March since 1950, starting from zero has been adding an year to my age clock, that makes me 76. That’s the physical age, what I have not been able to measure is my mental age. Some of my thoughts today are as crazy as I had at the age of 26. There is not much to look forward to, only look back into small rear view mirror of life.
I learnt very early in life not to dwell over much on the could have beens and should have beens. Thank God none of them happened. It can be anything from not having married someone, or the jobs you did not get, the career you did not have, the travels you missed, the real estate you did not buy, things you got late though you thought should have come to you earlier.
When a youngster asked me, how to handle life or better how did I live my life.
I handled it with a little bit of dishonesty at times, moderate cheating here and there, procastination, a few lies, evasion of small responsibilities, over sensitive, long silences, irritating at times, seeing the funny angle of a tragic situation, many pretensious moments, at times covering up, with hardly any wants and little ambitions, no killer instincts, sometimes very easing going. These things constituted maybe 20 percent of my character, however rest of it, the positive sides made my life happy.
I have no one liner advise except do not try to be some one else, be yourself. We are all unique. Do what can make you happy and benefit others.
One cause of misery is trying to be what you are not.
Be flexible, do not be rigid.
You cannot be always right, most of the times you can be wrong,
We are not fighting for our opinions, it is always borrowed from someone else.
We are rarely in a position to see the whole picture and we fight with what we see.
Remember there are 3 sides to a story, your side, their side and the truth.
Live your life and experience it, don’t think advises from we oldies are always good, our stocks are mainly borrowed ones.
Learn from failures and losses
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A story from the Mahabharata—the story of King Yayati….
King Yayati lived life to the fullest—power, pleasures, success, everything. But when old age suddenly arrived, it shook him deeply. After deep reflection, he realized a profound truth:
“Pleasure has limits, but desire never ends.”
This single realization transformed his life. He accepted old age and explained that life has five inner turning points—not based on age, but on understanding.
Remarkably, these five turning points align with the traditional Indian milestones of 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 years. Let us understand them in simple terms.
60 – Shashti
The mind shifts from accumulation to understanding
Around 60, something changes—not in the body, but in priorities.
The question “How much more can I get?” slowly fades, and
“What truly matters now?” takes its place.
Introspection begins.
Noise, applause, and external validation are no longer needed.
Clarity is what one seeks.
#This is not decline—it is maturity catching up with ambition.
70 – Bheemaratha Shanthi
Peace feels more powerful than proving a point
In the 40s and 50s, we explain ourselves to the world.
At 70, a quiet shift occurs.
You no longer react instantly.
Arguments lose their attraction.
Preserving relationships matters more than winning debates.
One realizes:
Being peaceful is more valuable than being right.
That is why the 70th year is celebrated.
80 – Sathabhishekam
Your presence itself becomes healing
At 80, people don’t come seeking advice.
They come seeking something deeper—
the reassurance that life can be lived, processed, and understood.
At this age, your presence becomes a blessing.
Words are no longer necessary.
Your very being says:
“Everything was okay. Life finds its way.”
That is why 80 is considered sacred.
90 – Navathi
The ego quietly retires
At 90, something rare happens.
You no longer feel the urge to correct people.
You don’t cling to opinions.
Things are not taken personally.
You are not easily hurt.
Not because of weakness—
but because life has already shown you enough.
Petty matters no longer deserve your energy.
A gentle stillness settles in.
This humility is true spirituality.
100 – Shatamanam
Life moves beyond personal stories
Reaching 100 is not just about the number of years.
It is a state where the larger picture becomes visible.
You realize that many of the worries you carried were unnecessary.
The love you gave was what truly mattered.
And life was always being held by a mysterious, compassionate force.
At 100, a person becomes less of an individual
and more of a presence.
Essence
Our sages did not celebrate age.
They celebrated the inner transformation that comes with age.
• 60 – Priorities shift
• 70 – Peace becomes strength
• 80 – Presence becomes healing
• 90 – Ego dissolves quietly
• 100 – Life reaches completion
Age is not deterioration.
Age is a filtration process—
through which wisdom, gentleness, and grace remain.
Thought for the Day
*Growing older means life is becoming purer, wiser, and gentler.
AGING IS A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION: MAKING WAY FOR WISDOM , PEACE , SERENITY , GRACE & GENTLENESS 💐💐💐
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