Not long ago, I met a woman in her mid‑70s at a small meditation retreat outside Chiang Mai.
She walked with intention, spoke with quiet strength, and laughed with her whole chest.
Nothing about her presence felt muted.
After a few minutes of chatting, she reached into her bag, pulled out a tiny notebook, and showed me a haiku she had written that morning.
There was no performance in her energy. Just aliveness.
That kind of spirit—undimmed by age, rooted in curiosity—is rare.
But it can be nurtured.
Here are 10 things that, if they still come naturally to you in your 70s, signal a spirit that remains fully awake to life.
1. You still feel a genuine sense of wonder
Wonder isn’t just for the young.
If your heart still skips when you see a brilliant sunset or you lean in when someone tells you a story you’ve never heard before, that’s no small thing.
A few years ago, I was walking on the beach with my husband when we saw an older man—maybe in his early 80s—kneeling in the sand with a child’s plastic shovel.
He was building a sandcastle, completely focused and grinning like a kid.
A group of teenagers walked by and laughed.
He just waved and went back to shaping the towers.
It wasn’t what he built—it was the delight he took in the process.
There was no need to impress anyone.
Just joy.
According to psychologist Dacher Keltner, “Experiencing everyday awe opens us up to new ideas and deepens our sense of connection.”
A spirit that stays curious doesn’t calcify.
It expands.
2. You laugh easily and often
Some people grow older and become brittle with seriousness.
Others keep their capacity for deep belly laughter.
If you can still find humor in life’s small absurdities—or better yet, laugh at yourself—you’re doing something right.
Joy is a form of resilience.
Mayo Clinic oncologist Dr. Edward T. Creagan notes that “staying healthy isn’t just about diet and exercise. It’s about finding moments of humor, joy and human connectedness.”
3. You’re still open to changing your mind
Flexibility of thought is an underrated form of vitality.
If you can still say, “You know what? I hadn’t thought of it that way,” or “Maybe I was wrong about that,” then your mind isn’t just working—it’s growing.
Some of the most emotionally evolved people I know are over 70 and still learning.
That’s not luck.
That’s intention.
4. You make space for silence
In a culture that fears stillness, choosing quiet is powerful.
If silence still feels like home—not something to fill but something to enter—you likely have a well‑rooted spirit.
Whether it’s through prayer, meditation, or simple presence, the ability to sit with yourself in stillness is a profound strength.
5. You continue to express yourself creatively
You don’t need to be a professional artist.
But if you still sketch in a notebook, hum melodies in the kitchen, or decorate your home in a way that makes it feel like yours, that’s creativity at work.
Creativity isn’t about the outcome.
It’s about being in conversation with life.
6. You’re comfortable being wrong
This might sound like the same thing as #3, but there’s a subtle difference.
Being wrong—and owning it without shame or defensiveness—isn’t just a sign of mental flexibility.
It’s a mark of humility.
In my own life, the older people I admire most are the ones who don’t pretend to have all the answers.
They listen more than they talk.
They know growth doesn’t stop when your hair turns gray.
7. You still feel deeply
It’s tempting to shut off emotionally as you get older.
After all, if you’ve lived long enough, you’ve probably been disappointed, maybe even betrayed.
But if your heart still aches at injustice, still opens in love, still grieves and celebrates—then your emotional range hasn’t flattened.
You’re still fully alive.
8. You move your body with care and gratitude
This doesn’t mean running marathons or doing advanced yoga poses.
It means treating your body as an ally, not a burden.
Maybe that looks like stretching in the mornings.
Or walking slowly through your neighborhood and noticing the jasmine in bloom.
Movement is presence.
And presence is life.
9. You keep learning (even when no one’s watching)
When no one is grading you or expecting you to improve, do you still seek out new ideas?
If you watch documentaries, explore new recipes, try to understand unfamiliar cultures, or read books that challenge your worldview, you’re doing what many stop doing after school: learning for the joy of it.
This is because lifelong learning is one of the pillars of well‑being in later life.
Neuroscientist Michael Merzenich goes even further, reminding us that “The aging brain is not necessarily a fading brain. Under optimal environmental conditions, almost every physical aspect of the brain can recover from age‑related losses.”
10. You care more about your impact than your image
Let’s not miss this final point.
Many people spend their younger years trying to be impressive.
But if, by your 70s, you care more about being kind than being admired—more about showing up than showing off—then your spirit is rooted in something real.
There’s nothing louder than quiet integrity.
And it leaves a lasting echo.
Final thoughts
Growing older doesn’t have to mean growing smaller.
Some spirits burn even brighter with time.
Not because they resisted aging, but because they stayed in conversation with life.
So if even a few of these things still feel natural to you in your 70s, you’re not just getting older.
You’re still becoming.
And that’s extraordinary.
