Quote Of The Day By Gayle King: 'Aging Is The Price You Pay For...'

As one of the foremost journalists of her day, Gayle King takes nothing for granted. She built her career from the ground up, and her sheer will and determination to succeed was evident from a young age. Born in 1954, King had a largely average middle class upbringing in Maryland. She never had dreams of becoming a journalist, and instead, enrolled and graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in psychology. But it was a fateful job as a production assistant at a news station in Baltimore that made her fully devote herself to a career in journalism. 

King was determined to work her way up the ladder, and along the way, made what would be a long-lasting friendship with the now-famous Oprah Winfrey. She first hosted "The Gayle King Show" in 1997, with her career getting a further boost when she worked as a reporter for "Entertainment Tonight," before getting a another boost when she started appearing regularly on "The View." 

Finally, in her most well-known role to date, King became part of CBS News in 2011. She made a name for herself by delivering detailed, informative interviews with the most celebrated names of our day, from Michelle Obama to Angela Bassett. King further solidified her reputation as one of the best in her field when she landed an interview with the notorious R.Kelly back in 2019. 

King has spent most of her entire adult life in front of the cameras, and so is more than conscious of her appearance. But that doesn't mean she's scared of the lines on her face or the gray hairs on her head. In fact, she's not bothered at all, which is why we've chosen Gayle King's words to serve as our quote of the day.

"I am happy to be on this planet. So to me, aging is the price you pay for living. I like to think of living your life in full gallop, no matter what that is. And that's really what I try to do. When my mom turned 50, I thought 'oh boy, mom's getting old.' When I turned 50, I was like 'okay, let's go!'" Gayle King spoke these words as a panel guest at The Atlantic Festival, alongside the likes of Julianne Moore of "Still Alice" fame. 

King clearly believes that aging is not as scary as society says it is, and it's a mindset she's echoed publicly in the past. During a Town & Country Philanthropy Summit, King stated that she has no problem with aging and, instead, believes it is something everyone should see as a privilege. And in King's mind, life has more to give as you age. 

Gayle King's words basically tell us that the way we view aging is quite skewed. Instead of stressing over every new wrinkle, King encourages us to see aging as simply the side effect of a life well lived. And that aging should not get in the way of continuing to fully enjoy your life and what it has to offer. 

Instead, King's quote prompts us to be grateful for what we have and tells us that life isn't over the moment you hit your 50s or 60s. Rather than nitpicking at your appearance, there are other things that matter more that we should fully appreciate. King had mentioned in an article for Oprah Daily how she was more occupied with focusing on maintaining her health in order to be around for her family and other milestones she's yet to accomplish. It's definitely a more well-rounded and grounded way to perceive aging.

• "We're all spending way too much of our time and energy trying to fight the stuff we can't change."
• "When you've been on the road for a long period of time, you just get absolutely silly for no reason."
• "The joy of reading can take you so many different places."
• "I wish I wasn't so technically challenged, because it puts you at a distinct disadvantage. I wish I could figure out a way to get more up to speed."
• "I have to admit, if Oprah were a man, I would marry her."