Don't Merely Grow Old, Grow Up.

"Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional," declared Chili Davis. To Maya Angelou, "Most people don't grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honour their credit cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging." Today, let's reflect on growing up rather than merely growing old. Do you know that while growing old is outside your control, growing up is a choice? Often, we see flashes of birthday celebrations and hear drums of birthday ecstasy. Some persons have taken birthday issue so high that they have quarrelled with loved ones or done away with relationships with persons who forgot or missed to recognize their birthdays. A question is, when one celebrates birthday, what does one really celebrate? The years in one's life or the life in one's years? While one has no control over growing old - in fact, one can't choose not to grow old - growing up is a conscious act and must be done intentionally. Maya Angelou shared his thought: "I am convinced that most people do not grow up... We marry and dare to have children and call that growing up. I think what we do is mostly grow old. We carry accumulation of years in our bodies, and on our faces, but generally our real selves, the children inside, are innocent and shy as magnolias." While it's okay to live long, it's more important to live a life of value and impact, to optimally develop your capacity, to make the best of what you have, to maximize your abilities and to actively drive the actualization of your potentials. So, enhance your capacity to determinedly grow up. Recognize, as Oprah Winfrey noted, "We can't become what we need to be by remaining what we are." Be alert, as E. E. Cummings said, "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." Therefore, challenge yourself to grow up - improve your reasoning, refine how you speak, enhance your problem solving skills, build your network, grow your ability to positively impact others, increase your level of maturity, widen your sphere of influence, challenge yourself to be better, fly at higher altitude, focus on what matters, etc. Listen to Jennifer Elisabehe's challenge: "Stop trying to be less of who you are. Let this time in your life cut you open and drain all of the things that are holding you back." Always remember Brandon Stanton's words: "Just because you're an adult doesn't mean you're grown up. Growing up means being patient, holding your temper, cutting out the self-pity, and quitting with the righteous indignation." As you step out today, consciously take steps to grow up. While it's fine to celebrate every new day under the sun, focus more on celebrating your growing up. In all you do, always remember Lois Bujoup's thought: "Growing up, I have discovered over time, is rather like housework: never finished."