The day one truly grows up

“When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” ― C.S. Lewis


This is how I would describe maturity. “Putting away childish things including the fear of childishness and the desire to grow up”. 

Steve Goodier narrates his own definition of maturity in one of his posts in his blog,
“My wife and I were married when we were young. And I have to say, I don’t love her like I used to. I’ve changed, and so has she. Enough years will do that. We’ve been through ups and downs. We grew older. And I my feelings for her grew older, too.
The relationship feels more secure now. I think it is a better love than years ago – more enduring. More solid. Like the two of us, our love grew up."

And maybe they could live the rest of their life without having to articulate to each other, “I love you.” Life has ripened them and matured them for certain.

Maturity manifests itself in different avatars.

Maturity is……….

Capacity to take right decisions and more than that --“stick to it.” In short maturity is “accountability”. “The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up.” ― John C. Maxwell. Looking at it from this angle, it’s a pity to conclude that lots of our politicians are "immatured”.

“Maturity, one discovers, has everything to do with the acceptance of ‘not knowing.” Says Mark Z. Danielewski. Its very easy for one to pretend that one knows everything. But the ignorance will reveal itself at some point or the other. Accepting the fact of “i-do-not-know” is maturity.

“Maturity is when your world opens up and you realize that you are not the center of it.” Says M.J. Croan. Being “jealous” is absolute immaturity. Everyone gets what he deserves. Accepting that is maturity.

Unfortunately this world is full of immature people who vanish into thin air when their friends & acquaintances need them the most. They either turn up late or never at all, knowingly. They don’t mean what they say or do what they mean. Maturity is “dependability”. Extending a shoulder to someone to cry on saying, “I-am-there-for-you-come-what-may” is maturity. Maturity is that time when the mirrors in our mind turn to windows and instead of seeing the reflection of ourselves we see others. “Youth ends when egotism does; maturity begins when one lives for others.” ― Hermann Hesse, Gertrude.

Waiting for things to happen without getting agitated is maturity. It’s the immatured who wants things to get done “NOW”. They do not have the capacity to resist the urge for immediate gratification. Whereas the matured opt for a course that will pay off later.

Maturity is humility. When warranted, saying “Yes, I’m wrong” and NOT saying “I told you so” when others go wrong.

Maturity is perseverance. Giving up on things that we wanted mid-way because we 'knew’ we would never get them is not maturity. You never 'know'.

Maturity is not “back-biting”. It’s the occupation of the immatured.

To be able to hear and bear the worst that is said about one's own self is maturity. To err is human but to be able to laugh at one's own error is maturity. “The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate.” Douglas Engelbart

The list is endless. We can go on and on.........But when and where to stop........is maturity!

There goes a saying, “Lord! Give me the strength to accept that which cannot be changed, the courage to change that which can be changed and the wisdom to know the difference.“

That wisdom in precise terms is maturity. Life endows everyone with that wisdom without fail. Its upto us to take it or leave it.