Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
It’s not aging! It’s growing! Aging is a privilege! It is the acquisition of the most valuable things: Life experience, knowledge, grace, wisdom, insight & survival. We should celebrate this phase of life although many people look at aging as a state of decline. Aging teaches us that shifting our perspective is so important & powerful. Some people need help working through the challenges of physical changes to the body or help with emotional, mental, and social changes to improve their overall well being in their aging journey. It is possible to learn how to navigate through new challenges while also seizing opportunities for wholeness and completeness. The biggest misconception about aging is that it becomes less than what it once was rather than just the opposite; an accumulation of knowledge, experience & a lot more options.
Granted there are many challenges, changes and transitions that accompany the Aging process such as children moving away, facing the loss of parents, friends, and other loved ones, changes or the end of one’s career, declining health and coming to terms with one’s own mortality. It is natural to feel those losses. That is why it is so important to continually reinvent yourself as you pass through landmark ages such as 50, 60, 70, 80 and beyond. Learning healthy aging adaptive skills means finding new hobbies and interests to enjoy, feeling connected to family, friends and community, and staying physically, mentally, emotionally and socially active. You are stronger and more resilient than you may realize.
Unfortunately, though for some the aging process brings unrelentless anxiety and fear. Most of these fears stem from popular societal misconceptions about aging. Some fear that getting older automatically means poor physical health, debilitation or disability. However there are plenty of older adults who enjoy vigorous health well into their later years. Some fear that significant memory loss is inevitable. However learning new skills and brain training exercises can be done at any age and can help improve skills to keep your memory sharp and consistent. Many are fearful that they won’t be able to learn new things or that they won’t be able to contribute to anything productive anymore. I believe that the opposite is true. Middle aged or older adults are not only capable of learning new things and thriving in new environments but they also possess the wisdom that comes with life experience. If you have confidence in yourself you can set up a positive environment for change regardless of your age.
You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.
– Les Brown
THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO STOP MOVING FORWARD! REACH OUT IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW NEEDS HELP WITH LATER LIFE TRANSITIONS!