A Brief Article on How Your Beliefs Affect Aging and How You Can Control Your Energy
- Lenny Richardson
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
Table of Contents
Introduction: Why We Accept What We're Told
Most of us never question the "truths" society hands us. We accept them because they sound reasonable, because everyone else accepts them, or because challenging them feels uncomfortable. Yet, when you blindly adopt these societal ideas, you surrender control over your own self-perception. Nowhere is this more obvious—or more damaging—than in the way we think about age.
We are taught from a young age to fear getting older. The fear becomes so ingrained that it operates silently in the background of our lives. It influences how we move, how we dress, and even how we dream. What if aging isn’t the enemy we’ve been taught to fear, but rather the beliefs about aging that weigh us down?
When you start to examine where these ideas come from, you realize that most of them are built on shaky foundations. Culture, media, and even casual conversations reinforce the myth that aging equals decline. But when you question that narrative, a different truth emerges: the way you perceive your age can redefine your experience of it.
The "Shoulds" of Society: A Dangerous Illusion
From the moment you’re born, "shoulds" begin to creep into your life. You should act your age. You should settle down by a certain time. You should slow down as you grow older. These "shoulds" are not laws of physics; they are inherited perceptions, reinforced by repetition until they seem like undeniable facts.
The danger lies in how deeply these "shoulds" embed themselves into our identity. You start to make life choices based not on what you want, but on what you think you "should" want. The more you live according to these "shoulds," the more you disconnect from your true potential.
Living by "should" makes you a passenger in your own life, giving away the steering wheel to societal expectations. To live fully, you must learn to distinguish between what you actually desire and what you’ve been conditioned to desire. Only then can you reclaim control over how you age and who you become.
Voldemort Syndrome: Why I Treat My Age Like a Secret
I made a deliberate decision years ago: I don't speak my age aloud. To me, it’s like Voldemort—the thing that shall not be named. When someone asks, I dodge or make a joke because I know that once you say your age out loud, you start to identify with it. You start behaving according to the stereotypes that number carries.
It's a small act of rebellion, but it’s a powerful one. When you refuse to attach a number to your identity, you protect yourself from the silent pressures that come with it. You insulate yourself from the subconscious self-limitation that often follows age identification.
Age should be a background detail, not the headline of your life. When you make it a headline, you inevitably start editing your actions to fit a societal script—often one that limits you more than it empowers you. Keeping my age a secret helps me stay focused on what I can do, not what society says I "should" do.
Why Staying "Young" Matters
Youthfulness is often idealized for its physical vitality, endless energy, and unbreakable optimism. But these qualities are not automatically lost as the years go by. Rather, they are given up when we start to believe that time erases them. Many people mistakenly assume that growing older must come with inevitable deterioration, but what if the real problem isn’t aging itself—it’s the mindset that aging requires decline?
When you think about the times you felt your best—physically, mentally, emotionally—it likely had little to do with your age and everything to do with your attitude. Enthusiasm, hope, and drive are not functions of the clock; they are habits of the mind and spirit. By nurturing these traits, you can maintain the "youthful" qualities that make life vibrant.
Choosing to stay young at heart doesn't mean denying the passage of time. It means refusing to allow time to dictate how much life you have left to live. Staying "young" is a conscious act of defiance against a culture that celebrates decline more than resilience. It is a radical form of self-care.
Mental Aging vs. Physical Aging
Aging is real, but the story we tell about it is often exaggerated. Yes, there are biological processes that occur—muscle mass decreases, bone density changes, metabolism slows. However, the narrative that these changes must define your existence is a dangerous half-truth. It ignores the vast power of the mind in shaping the experience of the body.
Mental aging—the belief that you're "too old" for certain activities or dreams—is often the real culprit behind premature decline. When you think you're supposed to slow down, you do. When you think you're supposed to become fragile, you begin to act fragile. Your mindset acts as the script, and your body obediently follows.
The inspiring reality is that your mind remains flexible, even as your body matures. Neuroplasticity research shows that your brain can rewire itself well into old age. Physical resilience, cognitive sharpness, and emotional vitality can be preserved—or even enhanced—when you refuse to mentally surrender to aging.
The Energy Myth: Do Kids Really Have More Energy?
We've all heard that kids have "endless energy," but a closer look reveals a more nuanced truth. Children expend energy in bursts—they sprint, leap, shout, and play—and then they crash into deep sleep. They are not masters of stamina; they are masters of reckless expenditure.
Adults, on the other hand, learn to allocate their energy wisely. A seasoned adult can stretch their output across an entire workday, manage a household, and still have the energy for hobbies and socializing. This difference isn't necessarily a loss; it's an evolution toward efficiency.
By understanding energy management, adults can achieve a kind of sustainable vibrancy that children simply don't possess. Recognizing this shifts the conversation from lamenting "lost youth" to celebrating mature vitality. It's not about having infinite energy; it's about using what you have intelligently.
The Power of Observation and Experimentation
Observation is a powerful antidote to societal myths. Instead of blindly accepting that "old people are tired" or "young people have it easy," step back and watch. Pay attention to how people actually behave, not just how they are portrayed. Reality often looks very different from the stereotypes.
Through simple experiments—watching children burn out after short bursts of play, or observing vibrant elders who outwork their juniors—you begin to see patterns that defy conventional wisdom. Experience becomes your evidence. Life, not hearsay, becomes your laboratory.
By grounding your beliefs in direct observation and experience, you free yourself from secondhand assumptions. You get to rewrite your own rules for aging. And often, you'll find that life is far more flexible and forgiving than society would have you believe.
The Real Cost of Believing the Lies About Aging
Believing society's script about aging comes with hidden costs—not just in how we feel but in what we become willing to accept. When you buy into the idea that getting older means getting weaker, you unconsciously give yourself permission to stop trying. You accept limitations that may have otherwise never existed. Little by little, you surrender your vitality not because you have to, but because you believe you must.
The mental tax of believing in inevitable decline is massive. You begin to lower your expectations for what you can achieve. You stop pushing yourself to grow, explore, and evolve. It's a silent form of surrender, a slow erosion of potential that often goes unnoticed until it feels too late. The real tragedy is not in the aging itself, but in the loss of spirit that believing the lie causes.
Worse, these beliefs often become self-fulfilling prophecies. When you expect to feel tired, you do. When you expect your best years are behind you, you act accordingly. The narrative shapes your reality far more than your biological age ever could. Challenging these narratives isn't just helpful—it's critical if you want to live a vibrant life at any age.
Your Identity Shapes Your Reality
Who you believe yourself to be has a profound impact on your actions, emotions, and even your physical well-being. If your internal narrative says, "I'm getting old and slowing down," your body and behaviors will follow suit. Conversely, if your story says, "I'm energetic, capable, and growing stronger every day," you'll move through life with a vibrancy that defies expectation.
Identity acts like the blueprint for your life. Every thought, habit, and decision you make stems from the core beliefs you hold about yourself. When you see yourself as youthful, resilient, and capable of growth, you make choices that reinforce those qualities—from how you exercise to how you approach new challenges.
The most powerful change you can make isn't external; it's internal. Redefine your self-image, and the external results will eventually catch up. Your body listens to the stories you tell yourself. Make sure you're telling one worth living.
The Research That Changed Everything: Ellen Langer's Counterclockwise Study
Few studies illustrate the power of belief over biology as dramatically as Ellen Langer's "Counterclockwise Study." In this experiment, elderly men were placed in an environment designed to replicate the 1950s—the era of their youth. They dressed, spoke, and acted as if it were 1959, and they were decades younger.
After just one week, the results were astonishing. The participants showed measurable improvements in strength, flexibility, posture, memory, and even vision. Outside observers noted that they looked younger. These weren't minor changes—they were substantial improvements driven largely by a shift in self-perception.
The implications of the study are profound. If acting and thinking younger can reverse some physical signs of aging in a matter of days, imagine what sustained belief and behavior could do over months or years. This study offers a blueprint for anyone who wants to challenge conventional wisdom about aging and reclaim control over their vitality.
The Ripple Effect: Why I Stopped Saying My Age
After learning about the Counterclockwise Study, I made a personal decision: I would stop telling people my age unless absolutely necessary. Every time you declare your age, you invite others—and yourself—to box you into a set of expectations. You reinforce an identity that may have very little to do with who you actually are or how you feel.
By removing that number from conversations, you give yourself the freedom to define your reality based on your current energy, passions, and abilities—not some arbitrary societal template. You stop preloading interactions with baggage about what you "should" be able to do or feel.
This small act of defiance has powerful ripple effects. People treat you differently when they don't know your age. More importantly, you treat yourself differently. You open the door to living authentically, based on who you are today, not who the world expects you to be based on the year you were born.
Expect Pushback: Misery Loves Company
When you start rejecting the norms about aging, don't expect universal applause. In fact, expect resistance. People are heavily invested in their beliefs about aging, and when you contradict those beliefs simply by existing outside of them, it can make others uncomfortable.
You may find that friends, colleagues, or even family members subtly—or not so subtly—try to "put you back in your place." They'll remind you of your age. They'll point out your "limits." They'll insist that decline is natural and unavoidable. But remember: their discomfort is not your responsibility.
Misery loves company because it validates complacency. Your vitality challenges that complacency, and not everyone will like it. Stay the course. Be a living example that youthfulness is not a number—it's a mindset.
Practical Steps to Reclaim Your Youthful Identity
Start small: stop declaring your age. It sounds simple, but it has a profound psychological effect. Removing the number severs the subconscious ties to societal expectations about what you can or cannot do.
Next, challenge every "I'm too old" thought as it arises. When you catch yourself thinking it, pause and ask, "Is this objectively true, or just a belief I've inherited?" You'll be surprised how often it's the latter.
Finally, cultivate a youthful lifestyle. Stay curious. Move your body daily. Surround yourself with energetic people. Seek out new experiences. Read, learn, laugh often. These habits are the fuel that keep your youthful identity alive, no matter how many birthdays pass.
Final Thoughts: Age Is an Illusion
Chronological age is real, but its meaning is largely invented. The number of years you've been alive has far less impact on your quality of life than the stories you tell yourself about what those years mean. Age, like most of life's constraints, is a mental construct that becomes real only if you allow it to be.
Refusing to identify with your age frees you to live by a different set of rules—your own. It grants you the freedom to chase passions, tackle challenges, and embrace life with the energy and spirit that many people wrongly believe are reserved only for the young.
Stay curious. Stay defiant. Stay youthful. And most importantly, stop telling people your age. Your future self will thank you.
About Leviticus Rich
Founder | Top Productivity Strategist | Author
Leviticus Rich is a leading voice in the world of productivity, personal mastery, and high-performance living. Through his flagship company, Productivity Accelerator, he empowers busy professionals and entrepreneurs to take control of their time, sharpen their focus, and achieve more in less time — without sacrificing their lives.
From best-selling planners to sought-after coaching programs, Leviticus is on a mission to help you unlock the best version of yourself.
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