While your peers might be settling into predictable routines, you're still signing up for pottery classes, language lessons, and adventures that make your family raise their eyebrows. That's exactly why your mind is decades younger than your birth certificate suggests.
Last week, I signed up for a pottery class at the community center.
As I walked in, clay-stained apron in hand, the instructor did a double-take.
"Are you here for the beginners' wheel throwing?" she asked, clearly surprised.
When I nodded enthusiastically, she broke into a smile.
"Good for you! Most people your age stick to the hand-building class."
Most people my age? Those words used to sting, but now they make me chuckle.
While my knees might creak when I stand up too quickly, and I definitely need my reading glasses more than I'd like to admit, my mind feels as curious and eager as it did decades ago.
Maybe even more so, because now I have the time and wisdom to truly savor the learning process.
If you're reading this and nodding along, chances are you know exactly what I mean.
That flutter of excitement when you discover something new, that itch to understand how things work, that pull toward unexplored territories of knowledge; these are signs of a mind that's stayed young, vibrant, and wonderfully alive.
1) You actively seek out experiences that challenge your comfort zone
Remember when trying new things felt scary but necessary?
In our younger years, we often pushed ourselves because we had to: For our careers, our families, and our survival.
But when you're still deliberately choosing discomfort in your 60s and beyond, that's something special.
When I decided to learn Italian at 66, my first thought wasn't "I need this for my resume."
It was pure want.
I'd dreamed of wandering through Rome, actually understanding the conversations floating around me in cafes.
The first class was mortifying. I stumbled over pronunciations while twenty-somethings rattled off perfect phrases.
But you know what? I kept going back because a young mind doesn't let embarrassment win over curiosity.
Do you find yourself signing up for things that make you a little nervous?
Maybe it's joining a book club where you don't know anyone, or finally taking that painting class you've been eyeing.
That willingness to be a beginner again is golden.
2) Your questions have shifted from "why" to "why not"
There's a beautiful evolution that happens when we stop needing permission to be interested in things.
Young minds at any age share this trait as they've moved past asking why they should learn something to asking why they shouldn't.
When I told friends I was learning piano at 67, several asked why I'd bother when I'd never be a concert pianist but that question missed the point entirely.
Why not learn piano? Why not discover if my fingers could coax music from those keys? Why not give my brain the workout of reading music and coordinating both hands?
This shift in questioning opens up the world.
Instead of needing justification for our interests, we need reasons to hold back.
And honestly? There aren't many good ones.
3) You're genuinely excited by how much you don't know
Here's something they don't tell you about getting older: Realizing how much you don't know can be either terrifying or thrilling.
A young mind finds it thrilling.
I spent 32 years teaching high school English, feeling pretty confident in my knowledge, but retirement opened my eyes to entire universes I'd never explored.
Technology, for one.
I'd avoided it like the plague, but when I finally took those computer classes at the senior center, it was like discovering a new continent.
Sure, I still accidentally FaceTime people when I mean to call them, but the possibilities feel endless.
Think about your own reaction when you encounter something unfamiliar: Do you feel overwhelmed or intrigued?
If it's the latter, your mind has maintained that beautiful quality of wonder that many people lose along the way.
4) You notice and appreciate small details others might miss
A young mind pays attention; the deliberate, delighted attention of someone who knows that every moment offers something worth noticing.
In my pottery class, while others rush to shape their bowls, I find myself mesmerized by how the clay responds to pressure, how it can be both yielding and stubborn.
This kind of careful observation—whether it's noticing the way morning light changes through the seasons or really listening to the stories behind your grandchildren's drawings—keeps your mind engaged and present.
5) You're comfortable saying "I don't understand" and asking for help
Pride is aging's worst enemy, but a young mind has learned that admitting ignorance is the first step to knowledge.
When I started writing after retirement, I had to swallow my teacher's pride and ask for help with online publishing platforms.
My grandchildren became my tech support, and instead of feeling diminished, I felt connected.
They loved being the experts for once, and I loved seeing their patience and teaching skills emerge.
How often do you ask for help or clarification? If you're doing it regularly and without shame, you're keeping your mind open and growing.
6) You make unexpected connections between different areas of knowledge
One of the most delightful aspects of a young mind is its ability to see patterns and connections that span different domains.
After decades of accumulating experiences and knowledge, your brain becomes this wonderful connecting machine.
Just yesterday, I was practicing piano and noticed how similar the finger movements were to kneading bread, something my mother taught me sixty years ago, or how learning Italian helped me understand English grammar in ways my years of teaching never did.
These "aha" moments of connection are signs that your brain is actively building new neural pathways.
7) You're planning learning adventures for the future
A young mind always has something on the horizon in an anticipatory, can't-wait way.
Right now, I have a list that includes learning to identify birds by their songs, understanding how my car actually works, and maybe trying my hand at stand-up comedy.
Will I do all of these things?
Who knows? But having them there, having that sense of future possibility, keeps my mind looking forward instead of just backward.
What's on your list? If you're actively planning what you want to learn next year, in five years, that's your young mind refusing to accept that learning has an expiration date.
8) You celebrate small victories without needing external validation
Perhaps the most beautiful sign of a young mind is the ability to find joy in learning for its own sake.
You're not trying to impress anyone or build a resume as the satisfaction comes from within.
When I finally played a simple melody on the piano without mistakes, I didn't need anyone else to hear it.
The triumph was mine alone, and it was enough.
When I successfully ordered coffee in Italian from the bewildered barista at my local cafe, the confused smile I got in return was just a bonus.
Final thoughts
Having a young mind is about recognizing that curiosity, wonder, and the capacity to grow don't have expiration dates.
If you see yourself in these signs, celebrate it.
You've managed to keep alive something precious that many people lose: The ability to approach life as an endless opportunity to discover, learn, and become.
If you're worried that you don't see all these signs in yourself yet? Well, recognizing that and wanting to cultivate them is perhaps the youngest mindset of all.
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