YOUTH is not a matter of years but of ideas, of reactions, of mental attitudes. The time of youth does not begin at any certain age or end at an appointed time. It is in essence the ever-unfolding awareness in man's consciousness of the eternality of life.
Glowing vitality, enthusiasm, flexibility, and eagerness to learn characterize the spirit of youth. The number of years that a person may have lived neither adds to nor detracts from his expression of a youthful spirit. His consciousness of life and Truth and his expression of it are the determining factors.
Who are the young in heart? They are persons who love much, who love life, who love people, who love their work. Love is a great rejuvenating power; it is a great beautifier, harmonizer, adjuster. Where there is a continual flow of love there is also a continual process of renewal taking place in mind and body, in spirit and soul.
Who are the young in mind? The young in mind are those who hunger and thirst after knowledge and understanding, who are open and receptive to new ideas. The young in mind have the grace and courage to change their mind rather than to cling to an outworn idea because it once coincided with their beliefs. They feel that the world is still new, that man has just begun to explore its wonders and discover its truths. The young in mind believe that the same mind is in them that was in Christ Jesus, and they have the faith to follow Him in the way of Truth.
The truly youthful are those beloved persons who know how to smile, how to laugh, how to be friendly. They appreciate their body as a temple of the living God, care for it, respect it, and maintain in regard to it a consciousness of life, wholeness, and vitality. They who have captured the spirit of youth do not let a consciousness of years dictate their mode of dress, but choose apparel with an eye to beauty and suitability to their needs. The young in spirit think straight, sit straight, stand straight, and walk straight.
Youth is yours! Accept this as the Truth about yourself. Join the young in mind, the young in heart, the young in spirit, if you are not already numbered among them. Say to yourself each morning, “I live in the consciousness of eternal youth now.” This will help you build up a strong life consciousness that knows no deterioration, no let-down, no growing old. God in you is the spirit of eternal youth.
go back