How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking? And what does your age mean to you? To some people, it’s just a number. For others, it is a significant number that determines how they feel about themselves, physically, mentally and emotionally.

No matter how you feel, though, there’s a natural cycle of germination, growth, decline and death, like everything else in the universe. You can’t really defy the law. But you can do your best to live in harmony with it.

So today, on my birthday, I want to share with you a little wisdom I’ve learned from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

I’ve always felt that my life has developed in stages. It turns out that, per Ancient Chinese wisdom, life does develop in stages, but the stages for women and men are a little different. For a woman, every 7 years marks a new cycle; and for a man, every 8 years marks a new cycle.

A woman starts her menstruation at age 14 (earlier nowadays due to better nutrition). Her sexual essence peaks at age 28. And, per the Chinese, this is the prime time to give birth and have babies. At age 35, her sexual essence begins to decline, reaching exhaustion when she’s 49 years old (menopause).

Men follow a similar pattern, except that they get a few more years in their sperm bank and will reach sexual exhaustion at age 64.

Of course this is a generalization. Everyone is different depending on the endowment we inherit from our parents at birth – and how we take care of ourselves at each stage of the cycle.

We can’t change what we were born with, but we do have the power to influence the aging process, so we can live a healthy and happy life at every stage of our lives.

Here’s some simple advice drawing from my personal experience...

Before 28 (women) and 32 (men): You are young and healthy, and you have bountiful energy. But don’t abuse it. You’ll need plenty of energy in reserve later on. So cultivate healthy habits and avoid the unhealthy ones, such as smoking, excessive eating, and excessive drinking of alcohol, soda and coffee.

After 35 (women) and 40 (men): I know you still feel the same way. I do, too. But it’s time to take extra care of yourself. Consider taking some supplements and tonics to strengthen and nourish your body. Fish oils, ginseng, dang dui and maca are just some examples. Especially for ladies, this is an important stage for you to delay menopause and aging.

For a long time I was one of those people who believed that I could defy aging and live healthy and happily forever by the sheer force of my will. As I’ve grown older, however, I’ve gradually come to terms with the fact that the aging process is natural and inevitable. The best we can do is to live in harmony with it, rather than against it.

So enjoy where you are, but take care of yourself throughout the stages of your life, taking nothing for granted and making the very best of what you have…