Tonight I am sitting here feeling like I am in my 20’s but I am actually in my 40’s. And for a moment I was telling myself that I need to stop feeling like I am 20 years old because “you are 42 years old Melissa.” And then quickly after that I asked myself, “what does a 42-year-old feel like and act like?”

That is a hard question because I am a 42-year-old who is not sure what a 42-year-old is supposed to feel like.

Is it supposed to feel full of energy and spontaneity? Am I supposed to feel joyful and ambitious? Am I supposed to feel like climbing Mount Shasta? (Because I am) Am I supposed to have so much desire to live out this life to the fullest? Is it wanting to learn new things and share them with others? (Because I do)

Can I ask…what defines your age? Experience or lack thereof?

Because I am telling you what, I am a 42-year-old that feels like a 20-year-old because I have ambition and desire for life. What defines you? Your age? Your experience?

I think your experience and your desires define you. I say that what you dream about and what you desire in life, you should go for it! Because I believe the moment that you stop reaching for your goals and you stop dreaming, you become old.

That is the moment that age defines you. Never give up on your dreams, your desires and your goals will always make you feel young regardless of what the reflection in the mirror tells you.

Written by: Melissa