Kintsugi
The principle of Kintsugi appeals to me. This ancient Japanese philosophy is founded on a very positive principle, namely that each of the steps and choices you have made so far in life have led to who you are now and that therefore they should be appreciated.
Evolution
The fact that not all of those choices have always turned out well - which is completely normal - does not change this. Not only your soul, but also your body already has experienced things. People often visit me because they feel that their appearance no longer fits to their inner self and the way they feel inside. They look more tired or cranky than they are; often they feel full of positive energy. Or they feel they are no longer being taken seriously or have an appearance that is inferior to the younger generation, even though they have gathered much more wisdom and (life) experience along the way.
Age-appropriate optimization
In these situations, many doctors choose to try to smoothen out the damage time has done and to “tighten everything up” again. I believe it is not wise to pretend that the past has no value and that it is better to dispose of it. From a certain age it is normal to have wrinkles or crow's feet and if you try to flatten them out completely, the face doesn’t look natural anymore.
My motto is optimizing while staying respectful of what has made you to who you are today. Age-appropriate goals while respecting your character and yourself, in order to let your body and mind synchronize again, so you are able to recognize yourself in the mirror, but then the optimal version that suits your phase of life.
I am deeply aware that this is a very personal process that requires an individual approach from me, every time. There is just no one size fits all.