Birthdays are fun to celebrate at first, but when you get older the anticipation disappears. You don’t get excited over gifts anymore — your head is filled with pressure and thoughts about the future. It will make you feel like racing with time as you assess achievements and goals you’ve reached a certain age. Getting older is often associated with a level of success — during your 20s, you should have a successful job, in your 30s you should be financially stable, etc. It’s just a lot to process, which often leads to birthday blues. Your mind will be messed up with the thought that you haven’t done enough.

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Aside from pressure and anxiety, you’ll also feel sad that your parents are growing older as well. Physical changes are becoming more apparent, and they get sick easily. Aging reminds you that you might only have a few more years to spend time together. Youth is slowly fading for you and for them — the past already seems like a mirage. Turning a year older is often the main cause of financial, health, relationship, and identity crisis. It’s impossible to stop time, people are only left with acceptance — making peace with the idea that aging is normal. The only way to accept that is to shift perspective and focus to the perks of being an older adult.

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Once you’ve fully absorbed that age shouldn’t be a big deal, you’ll suddenly see the advantages of it. Some perks come with celebrating your birthday as an adult. It’s not the gifts or the special treatment but the lessons you’ve gained throughout the years. Acceptance will make you see things brighter, like how these Redditors did. LizardPossum started an interesting discussion with the question, “What's the best thing about aging?” The answers below the post can help you reach a realization. Here are a few of the responses that prove aging is beneficial.

Regrets Become Less of a Big Deal

Every person has several embarrassing moments that sometimes keep them awake at night. If you could only turn back in time, you would do it just to remove that incident in your life. Regrets eat you up until you realize that you are far from the person you were before. “The beauty of aging lies in the gradual distancing from one's regrets,” sonicchronic420 commented. You survived even if you went through that embarrassing phase. It’s never a big deal anymore, as it's only a memory. Instead of feeling shame, you finally learn to just laugh about it.

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Focusing More on Yourself Than What Others Think

The pressure often comes from caring about what others think of you. But as you age, you start to seek validation from yourself because you are finally owning your life. No one else gets to say something about your life — you can achieve goals in your phase, and it’s even okay if you don’t want a family of your own. LadyoftheHounds answered, “I do and say what I want, and I don't really care what others think of me for it.” Also, you gain peace of mind after silencing the demanding voices of society. You cannot please everyone, so you might as well do what makes you happy unless you are walking on the wrong path. Aging has given you the right to be comfortable without effort.

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Lessons from Mistakes

Age comes with wisdom — people become wiser due to the lessons they’ve collected through the years. It’s easier to avoid mistakes when you learn from your younger self. And due to those experiences, you become more open-minded about the world’s reality. For this reason, you shouldn’t be harsh towards yourself if you commit mistakes. That’s what makes a person human — nobody is ever perfect. More importantly, mistakes are stepping stones to the person you are supposed to be. You’ll need those lessons to navigate your life with enough wisdom.

Peaceful Weekends

“My weekends have become more peaceful. I am in my own house, doing things on my terms, a nice night's sleep and no longer hungover every weekend like I was in my early 20s. I feel completely at bliss sometimes,” rainandmydog wrote. Aging gives you the benefit of not having major FOMO about everything. You’ll have the mindset of “been there, done that.” Quiet and slow weekends are more tempting to you. The sudden mindset change makes you gravitate to healthier hobbies, knowing yourself, and spending time with those who matter the most. It’s not all about partying until three in the morning anymore.

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Not Feeling Bad After Saying No

Since pleasing people is a thing of the past, saying no without feeling guilty is a breath of fresh air. You take importance in valuing what you actually want or feel at the moment. People asking you for favors or making decisions for you must get used to hearing "No" from you. RelaxedTiger330 commented, “When you say NO, you mean it and don’t feel bad about saying it!” You are free to turn down invitations as well. Aging will certainly show you the significance of boundaries, especially when you have your own priorities.

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Your birthday is something to be thankful for — celebrating life even when it’s not always enveloped in sunshine. Aging is scary, and it’s normal to feel that way. However, you must not allow it to hinder you from seeing the good things, whether they're big or small. You are alive, and the people around you are thankful for your existence. The perks of aging should be taken advantage of — it’ll lift a huge weight off your chest. If you are worried about getting older, then it’s best to read the whole comment thread. Share your insights and engage with Redditors that might help you feel less afraid of the upcoming years.