Age is just a number, but it's an important number

The phrase "age is just a number" is used to appreciate an act or some adventure, performed by an older person whose age group is generally not expected to take up these types of challenges. The phrase is normally not used when someone of a very young age does something great which is not common for that age (child prodigy). Of course, age is just a number like any other number. However, it's a very important number, not only it indicates how old we are but it also indicates unique challenges we might face due to the phase of life we are passing through. Someone at 80 going back to college is at least as commendable as someone at 12 finishing his/her college. People of different ages face different challenges and that's why their age needs to be mentioned while citing their achievement. If one looks at the phrase "age is just a number" it's hard not to get the impression that the phrase is coined to trivialize the importance of age, especially for older people. One of the aims is also to encourage people not to think of their age as a barrier while deciding to take up new challenges. Whenever we read this phrase, we immediately understand that it is being used to appreciate something extraordinary done by an older person, we immediately notice the age and appreciate that particular achievement just because of the age of that person.     

There is nothing wrong with mentioning the age of a person to highlight the kind of difficulties and challenges they might have faced due to their age. Depending on how old we are we face different personal, social, and familial obstacles. Even our mental health gets affected as we get old. Also, each person has a set of their own problems which may or may not become worse with their age. Older age does have its own advantages but it also comes with its own challenges. It is impossible to ignore a person's age while looking at what they have achieved. If it is something that is not common at that age people tend to appreciate that achievement more compared to something that is considered as a norm for that age. Therefore, it is important to take into consideration our age, but just to devise our plan, not to decide whether we should take up the challenge or not. Our plan or route might differ to achieve some task due to our age, but our attitude shouldn't. Keep your age in mind, not as a warning but as a reminder that you may need to try harder compared to others, this should motivate us to work hard because the sense of achievement will be much bigger. Be ready and dive in, remember, age is just a number. 

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