They say that as one gets older, one becomes more mature and more cynical. And there is some truth to that. A lot of mature people tend to be more cynical than those who aren’t; and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Cynicism isn’t always a negative trait to have. In fact, it can be very healthy a lot of times. It gives you a more genuine and less distorted view of what’s in front of you.
It gives you a clearer picture of what reality truly looks like. And as a result, you stop clinging on to things that you shouldn’t have been clinging on to in the first place. You stop caring about the things that shouldn’t really require much of your time or attention at all.
1. What other people think of you.
You aren’t going to care so much about being liked all of the time. You aren’t going to care too much about always winning other people’s approval. You are going to become more selfish – and that’s a good thing. Because it streamlines your standards and expectations significantly. It gives you more focus and it trims out the fat.
2. The need to be right all of the time.
In the days of your youth, you might have had a fiery and competitive personality. You might have wanted to win every argument you found yourself in. But as you grow older and more mature, you’re going to discover that there is more value in being able to listen to new perspectives and learning from opposing opinions.
3. Achieving your perception of the perfect body.
You aren’t going to get those chiseled abs. You aren’t going to get those toned legs. You aren’t going to get those really defined biceps; the perfect jaw; the dimples; the blue eyes. And that’s okay. The more mature you become, the less important a person’s physical appearance is going to be. You will start to focus on what someone has to offer on the inside.
4. How other people judge your fashion sense.
Instead of dressing to impress, you just dress to feel good. That’s what happens when you mature. You stop caring so much about having people approve of your outfits. You choose what you wear because you feel good wearing them; and you stop caring about whether you’re breaking any style rules or not.
5. Senseless gossip that doesn’t concern you.
You stop caring about drama – especially when it’s drama that doesn’t concern you. You don’t like to involve yourself in the lives of others when it’s so unnecessary to do so. You don’t engage in gossip especially when you know that you have no stake in the situation at all. You would rather invest your feelings in more productive aspects of life.
6. Maintaining relationships with toxic people.
You will start to understand that not all people who come into your life are meant to stay there; that not all relationships that you’re in are worth holding on to. The more mature you get, the easier it will be for you to burn bridges and cut ties with people who no longer add any value to your life. It’s part of growth and moving forward.
7. Trying and failing at something.
You won’t let fear cripple you into inaction anymore. When you become more mature, you know that failure is a part of growth; and you don’t really fear it anymore.
Sure, it’s nice to have a lot of people who can be there to show their support for you; to express their admiration in you. But the older you get, the more you’re going to realize that admiration is great, but it’s not everything. It’s mostly about being able to look into a mirror and like what you see in the person staring back at you.
9. Things that you don’t have.
You won’t keep on having the “grass is greener on the other side” mentality anymore the more mature you get. You will gain a better appreciation of the things that you already have laid out right in front of you.
10. Regrets.
You no longer worry about the things that you could have done in the past. You don’t care about the things that you shouldn’t have involved yourself in anymore. They are regrets and they are all stuck in the past. You are more invested in the person that you are now and the person that you’re aspiring to become in the future.
11. Material possessions.
Yes, having fancy and shiny things can entertain you for a little bit; but at the end of the day, you’re going to come to realize that they’re just things and they don’t really hold as much value as you think they would. As you mature, you’re going to find that your perception of value is going to change. And hopefully, that’s a change for the better.
