Conscious Aging
“For age is opportunity no less than youth itself,
though in another dress,
and as the evening twilight fades away,
the sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.”
― The Complete Poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
What do you aim for as you age? What does aging mean to you?
As we journey through our lives, we have to face difficult passages, such as the often unsettling transition into old age. Facing the inevitable losses of any life, and the physical changes inherent in aging, we may find that our previous identities no longer sustain us with a sense of meaning and purpose. We may feel disappointment, sadness or fear about the future.
Yet, the second half of life provides an opportunity for enlivening self-exploration and joyful realization of untapped potential within us. We can reinvent ourselves, creating a new identity featuring energy, authenticity, and fun. We begin by going inward, to question our inner wisdom about what is next for us. We ask, "Who am I, apart from my history and the roles I have played?"
As James Hollis says, "The fact that one is mortal, that time is limited, and that no one will deliver us from the burden of responsibility for our lives, serves as a powerful incentive to be more fully oneself."
What adventures await you in the second half of life? What losses do you need to grieve? What regrets could you release? Do you know what you want for your future? What in you remains to be expressed? What new experiences will round out your life? Who do you want to be?
In his book entitled Conscious Living, Conscious Aging, Rob Pevny notes that we need to address such questions of meaning and purpose as we enter late life. Besides preparing for our financial and physical needs, we must attend to our emotional and spiritual needs too, in order to thrive as well as survive. We want to age with awareness and intention; we want to age consciously and positively.
Pevny explains:
There is a difference between simply drifting into old age and aging consciously with intention. For those who feel called to conscious elderhood, preparation is necessary—the sooner the better. …There is something life-enhancing and passion-awakening to aim for as we contemplate our elder years. This can be a time of deep fulfillment as we reach the pinnacle of our personal and spiritual growth. Conscious aging is about having meaningful goals for our elderhood that spring from our authentic selves, and using the power of intention and inner work to make our vision a reality.
Guy Robertson, author of The Ten Steps of Positive Ageing, agrees: “Just as we had to learn to grow up, so we have to learn to grow old.” Yet, we have more control over our aging than we may think, starting with a positive attitude that counters any ageism we may have internalized. Instead of viewing late life as a time of decline and disappointment, we can focus on the potential we have yet to develop. Late life can be an adventure of exploring, learning, experimenting, creating, and giving to others.
It is also a phase of life in which key transitions usually occur, major events such as retirement, downsizing homes, becoming a grandparent, getting divorced, becoming ill, and bereavement. Each one of these changes has a major psychological and emotional impact on us. As in all transitions, those of late life require us to pause, take stock, and do the inner work of redefining who we will be going forward.
Together we will tune into your inner compass for direction, and map a path toward your ideal future, with milestones to mark your progress. The lodestar of your inner wisdom will guide you forward, revitalizing you at each new bend in the road.
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Resources
Brooks, Arthur. The Seven Habits that Lead to Happiness in Old Age.
Parker, Palmer. On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity & Getting Old.
Pevny, Ron. Conscious Living, Conscious Aging.
Robertson, Guy. The Ten Steps of Positive Aging: A Handbook for Personal Change in Later Life.
Schacter-Shalomi, Zalman & Ronald S. Miller. From Age-ing to Sage-ing.
Schlossberg, Nancy. Too Young to be Old.
Zweig, Connie. The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul.
