How To Be Cool At Any Age

It doesn't seem to matter the age. Most of my life I've spent trying to be cool - at least a little cool & not peculiarly old fashioned. I've wrestled with wanting to be on the egde, out of the box & open minded. In doing so, however, I've often sacrificed being ME. About the time I begin not worrying about being cool, it occurs to me that the days I've lived far outweigh the days I'll be alive. And, I wonder, have I attempted to be cool & failed to show the real me to those around me? 

Here are some thoughts I had earlier today when I saw an article written (by a man) about 50 Shades of Gray:

I quickly read his 4 points and had the following thoughts...

• When we feel like we're seen as being young, we really want to make our own decisions. We're tempted to push the boundaries & go against the "rules" to be cool. 
• When we're feeling not so young anymore (and questioning whether we are seen as old), we want to be seen as young & daring again. We tend to "embrace" controversial thoughts or things that "as we grew up & matured" we would not have supported. 

I think one of the hardest things about life - in all of its stages - is to remain true to our convictions, conscience & values by resisting the desire to do things in order to fit in or seem cool. I realize that's easier said than done. But, I'm challenging myself to do so with more consistency. We only get one shot at this life. Why not let people see who we really are & not be easily swayed by pressures around us.

"To thine own self be true." ~ William Shakespeare

Those old writers & philosophers hit the nail on the head so many times. Didn't they!?!