We stopped and stared briefly at each other, two strangers passing in a crowded restaurant. Do I know her? She looks familiar. Actually—she looks like me. Only older. Much older. Or—maybe I look like that. Maybe I look that old. Oh, wait. I am old.

Encountering that similar-looking stranger made me stop and acknowledge who I really am and where I am on my life journey. We do everything we can to look and feel younger as the days progress. But there really is no way of stopping the inevitable. We all are progressing to our end point as humans on this earth.

We are only “it” for a moment. The best-looking, fastest, smartest, most talented. Those things don’t last forever. Before we know it, we are on a slippery slope downward.

If all that we define ourselves by is “it,” when we are no longer that, we become frustrated, irritated, saddened, possibly even angry. We spend too much time recapturing what was, and lose ground on the reality of where we are and the benefits and blessings we have right now.We don’t focus on what really is important.

Looks, wealth, and talent are fleeting. Compassion, generosity, justice, happiness, and humility can grow and last forever.

That’s how we stay young in the spirit.

(Young in the Spirit is available from ACTA Publications, Amazon.com, and my website.)