When discussing the topic of youth, various associations usually come to mind. Adults often link youth with spontaneity, creativity, endless energy, curiosity and a simplicity-generated feeling of joy. It seems as though many individuals reminisce about their youth with great nostalgia once they reach a certain age. How many times have you heard the claim that "college years (or period between age 18-22) are the best years of one's life"? Statements such as that one illustrate the common assumption that one's enjoyment of life starts to 'go downhill' shortly after one officially enters adulthood. This is a very pessimistic outlook on life shared by too many people. Do all those good feelings associated with youth automatically shut down when one reaches a certain age? Of course not. Here are areas to look at in order to debunk that myth.

Attitude. Growing up does not mean growing old. Adulthood brings an increasing amount of responsibilities into one's life. Embracing those responsibilities allows one to mature and grow up as opposed to growing old. As far as feelings are concerned, adulthood means that individuals are responsible for keeping the positive feelings associated to youth alive. Maintaining that freshness requires a proactive effort. Singing legend Tina Turner exemplifies this. Despite having endured the horrors of spousal abuse and the subsequent divorce that left her penniless, Tina Turner's shift in attitude allowed her to re-connect with her inner child. The freshness about her could not be ignored as she gave breathtaking performances and looked stunning beyond the age of sixty.

Activity. From a physical perspective, people's metabolism tend to slow down as they get older or as soon as they finish growing. Being physically active is extremely important. Not only is exercise good for preventing excessive weight gain, it is also vital for one's body. Inactivity hurts the body more than any activity. Most children run up and down all the time? An adult is not expected to run around the living room but why should he or she stop being active? Exercise allows the body to remove toxins and will keep one's body feeling alive and young. Yoga, for example, is known for its ability to rejuvenate the body.

Proper Diet. Maintaining a healthy diet is of vital importance to everyone. Eating fresh food will allow one to obtain the necessary nutrients needed for one's body to function properly. Junk food has no nutritional value. Drinking lots of water is good for one's skin and is important for one's kidneys to function properly. Also, one should only consume alcohol moderately. One's system can only take so much beer and hard liquor. Studies have shown that excessive consumption of beer slows down one's metabolism. It is our job to keep our body young. Respect your body!

Avoid monotony. Curiosity and creativity are typical traits of youth. Unfortunately, too many adults allow their curiosity and creativity to be buried at the expense of routine. It does not have to be this way. Every day is a new way and one can find ways to bring variety into all aspects of his or her life. Whether you work at an assembly line in a factory or in an office doing data entry, you can still find ways of making your tasks less monotonous. Kids have a way turning seemingly boring tasks into fun games. Why can't adults do the same?

Know what you like and keep doing it. We all have something that we love to do, places that we love to go to and people whose company we enjoy. These elements play a key role in our well-being as people. They are as important to adults as they are to children as they bring added joy to our lives.

       We all have an inner child that we must preserve and nurture. By doing so, one realizes that age is not a constraint. Growing up does not mean growing old.