Lingonberries

The Benefits of Maturity

The Benefit Wheel

These are some of the Benefits of Maturity.
I will highlight four of them.

Meaning

The world is hungry for meaning. Especially, in countries where most of us do not have to worry about food shortages or becoming homeless.

Employers stagger towards a new insight: that status and high salaries are not enough, not even important when meaning is absent.

The People of Ukraine have given us a stark reminder of what is worth fighting for.

People crave someone or something to lift them up. To remind us of who we want to be, and what we are capable of. What the landscape of purpose looks like, and what the touch of meaning feels like.

But if you want to have meaning, you also have to turn down the ME volume.

That is part of growing up. To go from a cackling ME mindset to a quiet WE mindset.

When you care less about yourself, and more about what is good for all of us in the long run – you will feel better.

This is old wisdom. Unfortunately, we are not good at putting it into practice.

A mature and meaningful life is about being useful.

It is about adding value to the world.

If you do, your life will have meaning, no matter what you do.

Old Brothers in Arms. Lviv, Ukraine

Peace of Mind

When you quiet your own ego and think more in terms of WE, instead of just ME, you will be calmer. Immediately.

Mature people have peace of mind.

They have no battles going on with themselves, and, thus, do not need to be in a constant battle with the world. They choose their battles wisely.

Mature people have an overview perspective. They can even look at themselves from the outside. And accept they are minute, passing grains in the universe.

That does not mean you are not needed.

Mature people know they can handle pretty much anything the world throws at them.

That makes you as calm as a Swedish forest.

Swedish forest
A Swedish forest

Know Yourself

Mature people want to know themselves.

If you know yourself better, you will spend more time and energy on what is good for you.

Make better life choices.

What kind of job? What kind of people to be with?

You will know what adds sparkle to your life.

What can you give to others? What do you stand for?

What kind of world do you dream of living in?

Many waste their lives because they never ask themselves such questions. They die without knowing who they are or what they might have been capable of.

That is what Socrates meant by living an unexamined life is not worth living. Or what the philosopher A.C Grayling calls an unconsidered life.

 

And knowing yourself and loving yourself complement each other.

Love Yourself

Mature people love themselves.

Not in an over-hyped narcissistic way. In a true way.

If loving yourself sounds itchy, what about liking? Or being your own best friend?

You want this person to lead a good life.

To saunter to work. To return home humming an old melody.

To have a lasting body and a sturdy mind.

You encourage yourself to improve and maintain high standards.

Accompanied by some friendly nudges to push you out of your comfort zone.

You reprimand yourself when needed.

“That wasn’t necessary, was it? ” What were you thinking?”

Then ask how to do better next time.
You give yourself a hug when you have had a bad day at work. 

You let yourself dream more and test out what is right for you.

Perhaps you will make a fool of yourself. Who cares? Your main source of affirmation will be you. Hence, what other people think will be of much less importance.

“Yes, but I don’t want to do everything on my own?!”

– Aha!
When you love, like and accept yourself it will be much easier to give the same to others.

Plus, when you also know yourself, you are much better equipped at discerning who you want to spend time with,
and who you do NOT want to spend time with.

But you already knew that, didn’t you?

“Maturity is not about ME, it is about WE, you say, Sissel.”

But what is the purpose of this WE mindset? 
What is the purpose of Maturity? Except for the benefits to me?”

Click the link and I will give you an answer. 

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