In my 20s and 30s, I had abs you could bounce a quarter off and the metabolism of a hummingbird on espresso. But did I walk around like the Greek god I apparently was (based in comparison to now)? Nope. I was too busy noticing the one chest hair that curled the wrong way or wondering if my receding hairline was going to continue its march.
Flash forward: I find an old photo and think, Holy hell, I would have hit on me.
Here’s the cruel joke — most of us are sexier in the moment than we ever give ourselves credit for. We spend years critiquing ourselves into oblivion, only to look back later and realize we were serving up prime rib while thinking we were yesterday’s leftovers.
The truth? Hotness has an expiration date… but not the way you think. The body changes, sure, but confidence, playfulness, and that sly glint in your eye? That’s the stuff that gets spicier over time. And, when we care less about being hot, we turn into a warm human being…and that’s really sexy!
So here’s my midlife public service announcement: stop saving your best underwear for “special occasions.” Stop ducking out of photos. Stop thinking you’re past your peak.
Because right now — yes, right now — someone out there would look at you the way I just looked at that 1994 beach photo of me… and think, damn, that dude is smoldering.
Beyond our looks and our likes (Facebook) are our laughs and our loves. How we connect and enjoy time with those we cherish. You could get some butt or brow surgery, but why not invest instead in a deeper form of surgery—a figurative sculpting of the heart. To open one’s heart—at any age—is a courageous and beautiful act, which is exactly how we feel the glowing warmth that our hearts emit.
It’s time for us all to get over being hot and start focusing on our inner warmth.
-Chip