“My best years are behind me.”
It’s a thought that creeps in around birthdays, reunions, or when we notice new lines in the mirror.
We look back on younger days: more energy, more opportunity, more excitement.
We imagine those years as golden, and these years as their faded afterglow.
It sounds convincing.
Like life is a mountain, and the best views are only at the peak we’ve already passed.
But here’s the thing:
That’s upside-down.
Because what made those moments feel like the “best” wasn’t youth or circumstance. It was presence. It was the aliveness of being caught up in the flow of experience.
And that isn’t locked to a calendar.
The same capacity that lit up our so-called best years is still here.
It never went anywhere.
Every year—every moment—can only be experienced fresh, from the inside out.
Here’s today’s Upside-Down Wisdom:
The best years aren’t behind you. The best is always right where you are.
This is Upside-Down Wisdom—a series where we flip the script on the conventional "wisdom" we've been taught. If you would like to read other posts in this series, please visit the Upside-Down Wisdom page.