The psychology of human experience for most of us is heavily influenced by one's age. What you thought important as a teenager will differ greatly from the thoughts you will have when you become a retiree.

The libraries are full of research that shows what issues and ways of thinking are predominant at different ages. For example, people in their twenties don't feel secure yet as adults and are constantly seeking reassurance that they are competent. Immediately after retirement, many people who have closely identified with their work wonder who they really are. And so forth.

One of the personal irresistible forces that you need to be careful about, then, is thinking and acting as though you will always be the same age you are today, or were yesterday, and that you'll have exactly the same concerns. While being active, idealistic, and open-minded like young people can do a lot for you, taken to an extreme these characteristics can also make you feel insecure and lead you to reject the benefits of more age and experience.

You should instead adopt an ageless perspective, one that combines the best of the questions and concerns of each age in a person's life. Among other things, this perspective will make you more mature and understanding when you are young, and more interesting and outgoing when you are older.

A good way to obtain these perspectives is to be sure that you have plenty of friends, family, and acquaintances in all age categories so that you can refresh your ageless perspective by seeing the world through their eyes, as well as yours.

By achieving and maintaining an ageless perspective you can acquire sooner the benefits that usually only accrue later in life and thus be able to use those benefits for a longer time. Such benefits include a practical and well-considered approach for dealing with the personal and family challenges that you'll encounter, like saving for your child's higher education and for your own retirement plans.

Another advantage to having an ageless perspective is realizing that each age has its unique pleasures and joys that can be carried into other times of your life. Almost everyone enjoys being with young children, and that experience doesn't have to be limited to being a young parent.

At any age, you can volunteer to help with youngsters in other parts of your family or community. Indeed, the world is full of children who want and need more attention from caring people. You can be one of those caring people, and everyone will benefit from your participation.