A Certain Mindset – defining thoughts for January 2026 and beyond

Do you believe that once you hit a certain age, that is how it is going to be?

I heard someone say that when he became 70, it hit him with horror like a brick wall.

A schoolfriend of mine described himself as ‘an old, fat, shuffling bastard’ and I was horrified when I heard of a friend of a friend, researching what wheelchair she would like when she was older!

I once read of a fashion photographer who said that some of the models he photographed, would talk about their fear of ageing. He said to them that if they believed they were going to get old at a certain age then they would. He said he could see the difference in those who didn’t take their ageing seriously, as they looked much better than those who gave up when they reached a certain age.

Some of the great philosophers, artists and scientists accomplished some their greatest works when they were 80. Socrates learned musical instruments at 80, Lord Tennyson wrote his poem ‘Crossing the Bar’ at 83, Michaelangelo painted at 80, and Isaac Newton was still working at 85.

My ex mother in law, at 95, who has bowel cancer, told me she still cleans her house each week with a walking frame in one hand and her vacuum in the other. She also decorated three Christmas trees in her home last December, with her husband, who is 94.

I have recently read a Joseph Murphy book called ‘The Power of your Subconscious Mind’ in which he offers these thoughts on ageing:

It may be the fear of time that has a harmful ageing effect on our bodies. The neurotic fear of the effects of time may well be the cause of premature ageing.

You are as young as you think you are. If we think we are too old to take things on, that is surely the way to stagnation and mental death. Your subconscious mind is conditioned by your thoughts. You are as young as your thoughts.

Be sure your mind never retires: reject ideas of not being useful. Instead of saying ‘I am old’, you could say ‘I am wise in the way of life.’ You have talents, abilities and wisdom that you have garnered through the years, which can be of great help to younger generations.

Wisdom, which comes with age, is the the awareness of the spiritual power of the subconscious mind and the knowledge of how to apply it.

This takes me back to the example of the fashion photographer and his models:

What you think, your subconscious mind believes it to be true, and faithfully reproduces it for you. Therefore, it is a great idea to think positively, not only about ageing, but about everything in your life.

This is another example of what I have read recently about ageing:

People who age well, do not let their age define who they are. They accept their ageing without giving up on themselves. They acknowledge their age but do not identify themselves with it completely. They do not say ‘At my age, I can’t do that’. Once a person see themselves as old, that shapes everything else.

One of my previous blogs on my website, entitled ‘The Rose is Blooming’ offers more of my thoughts on ageing. You can read it here https://marybishop.co.uk/2023/02/05/the-rose-is-blooming-my-thoughts-on-my-lifes-progression/

May 2026 be a year of joy and happiness for you, however, if you are going through a difficult time, my wish for you is that you get through it with more ease than you thought possible.