As my birthday into the next decade approaches, I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s worth leaving behind in my younger years, and what awaits in the next decade of life’s adventure.

In our society we tend to worship the concept of youthfulness, and surely, the ability to become excited by life and have the energy to engage in it is why we strive for health in the first place, right?

But over-glorifying our younger years can set us up for a lot of judgment and unnecessary challenges as we enter the next — and inevitable — stage of our lives.

When I look at the people around me who’ve aged gracefully, they tend to have a few things in common: they value time with friends and family and are frequently caught laughing, they make time every day for movement but have also learned how to rest, and their meals — which they’ve most likely cooked themselves — contain something green. (It’s as if they had a health coach!)

I’m curious how your aging, rather than being seen as the antithesis to health, has actually contributed to your wellbeing. What happened as you aged, or even when you stopped resisting getting older? How have your 30’s—or 60’s—been more rewarding? I’d love to hear from you. Chime in with a comment below!