In the spirit of Thanksgiving, ask yourself these questions: “What are you thankful for about being the age you are?” What are the blessings that come with being 43, 58, 62, or 97?

To answer these questions, reflect on the ages you’ve been and what has changed as you have grown into who you are today. The young are often energized and dream about things to come while the more mature are blessed with insight. They understand that relationships are what sustain us, not the accolades we have collected along the way.

When you are in your 40’s you are full of self-determination and aim for respect and accomplishment.  You’ve had the opportunity to learn how to connect with others and have begun to feel a sense of gratitude for wisdom gained from previous life experiences.

In your 50’s the satisfaction of accomplishment and the value of connecting with others sets in. The demands of your 30’s and 40’s are diminishing, allowing you to diversify your interests. You are gaining back time to do things you have put aside for years.

When 60 rolls around, you are entering an entirely new, exciting point in life. You possess the ability to see yourself clearly and take action on things that you feel need more attention. The park has more meaning as you appreciate the moment, and the morning air becomes the kind of potion that you have not known since childhood.

At 97, you are a marvel! The quality of reflection you have on life is so different from the young that your words must certainly be listened to. You become society’s living history. You have seen triumphs and tragedies, revolutions and wars, and great achievements in technology. Gratitude shines in the freedom from the urgencies of earlier days and you have truly learned to cherish each moment.

The truth is that no matter what age you are, life is about doing every age well. So find thankfulness in your Age-esteem!

Isabel Contreras, 57, Switzerland

What comes to mind when I hear Age Esteem is having self esteem so that when you age you will feel good about yourself.  Age Esteem is about having self esteem while aging.  I suppose that for me aging is once you reach 55 onwards.

Isabel’s Tips: Because I am very active in the work that I do, my own concern with aging is that I want to look relatively fresh.  I feel very young inside so therefore I would like to look very young on the outside – and I know and see that gravity is inevitable in aging.  Sometimes I’m concerned about that.

Positive thinking is key.  I maintain a positive attitude in everything I do.  I keep my dreams high, exercise,  read positive books, and avoid being with negative people.  I think that has been the most important thing.

I would say that to age well you need to enjoy every day of your life, to greet every morning with love in your heart, and to be grateful to be alive and to enjoy every day as a gift from God.

Isabel Contreras is founder of  Life Motivations and an international trainer.