Thoughts on Aging Well

"I’ve Interviewed Hundreds of Elders:  This is the Key to Purposeful Aging"*
 
*I wish I had written this article! 
 
But I didn’t.
 
Lately, I’ve found myself gravitating towards articles that focus on aging well and why. I find them uplifting, helping me focus on what I still want to do “when I grow up.”  I’m realizing that embracing the aging process with a positive attitude is important.  How easy it is for us to fall into the fear that “I can’t do that anymore” or “I won’t be able to do this in the future.”  We’re faced with that message every time we turn on the TV or go to our social media sites.  (How do they know that I need anti-wrinkle cream anyway??)
 
Reading this article was just one other reminder that I need/want to refocus on how I envision my future and my role in it. I encourage you to read it (and the book "Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up:  The Path of Purposeful Aging, by Richard J. Leider and David A. Shapiro. Available on Amazon.) 
 
But if you don’t have time, here are some of the key concepts I’ve gleaned from it. 
 
“…later life can be the perfect time to commit… [to do the things we are trying to do] since there are likely to be fewer obstacles in the way of our doing so. We're apt to no longer have the excuses, like a busy work schedule or a long daily commute, that enabled us to avoid committing ourselves earlier in our lives.”
 
Legendary dancer, choreographer, and wise elder Twyla Tharp at age 79 shared her wisdom on aging in her 2019 book, Keep It Moving: Lessons for the Rest of Your Life: "I want to reprogram how you think about aging by getting rid of two corrosive ideas. First, that you need to emulate youth, resolving to live in a corner of the denial closet marked 'reserved for aged.' Second that your life must contract with time."
 
Deborah Szekely, 98, co-founder of the world-renowned health spa, Rancho La Puerta, recommends that we rise every day with a sense of purpose in mind. "When I wake up, the first thing I do is take a pause. The computer and phone can wait. The first 20 minutes are a time to communicate with myself. I plan every day to be successful. And I choose to accept only positive thoughts—to look for the good in life. If I have a choice to make, I ask myself, 'Is it life-enhancing or life-diminishing?'"
 
And I love this comment by Szekely:  "Nothing in my body is 98 years old, apart from my knowledge," she says, "because the body largely renews itself every seven years, so very few things in me are older than that."  Such a great way to view ourselves, as constantly renewing!
 
From geriatrician Dr. William H. Thomas:  "My view as a geriatrician is that we have to grow up twice—from childhood to adulthood and from adulthood to elderhood. If we don't mature during adolescence, all kinds of alarms go off. But for the second phase, there are no bells, beacons, alarms, or rituals if we miss it. I see aging as a strength, rich in developmental growth. What we need is a radical reimagining of longevity that makes elders central to our collective pursuit of happiness. How we perceive aging to a very large degree determines how we age. It's the story that matters. How people interpret their experience goes a long way to determining their well-being."
 
If you get a chance to read the article and/or the book, I would love to hear what you think about it!  Did it start to change the way you think about the aging process?
 
Yours in Health,
Evey