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Headspace Studios.
Hi friends, it's Rosie.
Welcome to Radio Headspace.
The other day, my cousin sent me an old photo of us.
It was back in our early 20s at some party in East LA.
I'm wearing way too much eyeliner, holding a solo cup like it was a Birkin bag.
I was giving the camera the serious side eye smirk that could only come from a combination of tequila and youthful delusion and she goes girl, we were so young, you look so different now.
If you know anything about my family, you know there's always that cousin, The one who doesn't quite mean to be shady but always somehow manages to point out every flaw you didn't ask to be reminded of.
The one who says things like, you're brave for wearing that, or remember when your hair was so long?
Yeah, that one.
Now, to her credit, we've had conversations.
I've lovingly called her out before.
We're definitely in a better place now.
But I still had to pause for a second before replying because that hit me in the ego just a little bit.
And then I laughed because, yeah, aging is weird.
It's humbling.
It's revealing.
And sometimes it's downright unfair.
There's this moment in your late 30s or 40s when you catch yourself in the mirror and you're like wait, who is this grown person?
But also, how lucky are we?
To get older is a privilege not everyone gets.
It means we've survived, we've learned, hopefully, and we've lived.
And the truth is, I do look different.
But that's because I am different.
I think about that 20-something version of me.
How hard she tried to be liked, how much energy she spent trying to be perfect, to prove herself, to blend in, to be chosen.
Now, I care about peace.
I care about alignment.
I care about being in bed by 7.30 p.m.
I care about comfy riding pants that don't lie and friends who text I'm too tired, let's reschedule.
And I respect that energy.
And I care deeply about being able to sleep at night because I honored my own boundaries and told the truth.
And what's fascinating is that science actually backs this up.
There's research in psychology that shows emotional regulation improves with age.
We become less reactive, more reflective, more capable of holding complexity.
Aging doesn't make us perfect. but it makes us perspective rich.
I wish it was a different kind of rich, but I'll take perspective rich.
Not in the I know everything type of way, but in the I know what really matters type of way.
And that's the part we don't talk about enough.
We're so obsessed with youth in our culture, especially for women.
We're sold wrinkle creams before we've even hit 30.
We get taught to fear aging like it's something to battle, something to hide.
But no one talks about how beautiful it is to soften, to settle into yourself, to not care so much about what other people think.
And listen, yes, the body changes, the face changes, the collagen slowly backs.
You trade obsession for presence.
You trade performance for peace.
You stop holding your breath for approval and you just start breathing.
And that's not loss.
I actually think that's a deepening.
So if you're aging, and spoiler alert, we all are, I want you to try something.
Find a photo of your younger self.
Look at it.
Really see this being.
And say out loud, look how far we've come.
Because aging... isn't just decay.
It's development.
It's earned wisdom.
It's the soft, beautiful middle of your story.
And when my cousin sent that photo, I didn't snap back.
I sent her a laughing emoji and said, yeah, thank God.
Because I wouldn't want to go back if you paid me.
I'm more myself now than I've ever been.
And I'm not done becoming.
And if you're looking for some extra support, dear friends, check out the Aging in the Body, meditation in the app.
That's it for today.
If aging has taught you something about your worth, your joy, your identity, I'd love to hear about it.
Message me on Instagram at Rosie Acosta.
Remember, you are a living, breathing miracle.
Not despite aging, but because of it.
I'll see you back here soon.
From building timelines to assigning the right people and even spotting risks across dozens of projects.
Monday Sidekick knows your business, thinks ahead and takes action.
One click on the star and consider it done.
Try Monday Sidekick, AI you'll love to use, on monday.com.
