Who wants to grow old? Who wants to grow weak and eventually die? 

Of course everyone wants to live on this earth until earth itself disappears. But that is not the cycle of life. What is born on this earth must one day die. An old man might feel awkward when he looks at himself in the mirror. He might look at all those wrinkles on his face and feel old. But when a man learns the art to treat himself well without comparing himself with others, only then will he know how to be young at 80. Because it’s not what you look at that matters; it’s what you see. 

Death admittedly is the ultimate fear of every human being. It is believed that before we were born, before us as a sperm raced to meet the ova, our death was destined. Just like Abraham Lincoln said, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count; it’s the life in your years.” 

In defiance of knowing that their death is ingrained, people try to bring their best to the table before they take their last breath. These are the people who know that the privilege of a lifetime is being who you are. 

So the secret of being/living young is being unique. The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique. God made seven billion of us but you are one of a kind. He put a copyright stamp on you. You are original.

There is a huge difference between empathy and being jealous of somebody’s life. Whether in an examination hall or an interview for the job of your dream, displaying yourself as a true human being is the most important thing. You may not be qualified academically but what you have is that special spark within yourself that no one else can acquire. It doesn’t matter how old you may be but how skillful you’ve been within those ‘old’ years counts. 

No matter how rusted a knife may be, it isn’t useless. We have to be able to grow up. Our wrinkles are our medals of the passage of life. They are what we have been through and who we want to be.

Parajuli is a recent SLC graduate from Malpi Institute