The billion dollar anti-aging industry preys on our cultural biases of aging. Denying and defying the natural course of aging is more the cultural norm than flowing naturally into our golden years. We are programmed by marketers and healthcare to associate old age with decline, disease, and rocking chair days. And it is those same marketers and healthcare industries that come up with consumer products to ‘fight’ the aging war they have defined.
Mark Agronin, MD, geriatric psychiatrist, senior vice president for Behavioral Health, and chief medical officer for Mind Institute at Miami Jewish Health says that “This attitude leads us to denigrate our own aging selves.”
Agronin recommends embracing constructive attitudes to shift negative opinions about aging.
Experiencing the trials of career ups and downs, raising a family, and dealing with adversity offers key strengths that can be of value to elders as well as benefiting others who seek their counsel. It is a worthy pastime to take stock of the skillsets acquired for surviving life, and the aptitude acquired along the way. By looking on the bright side, one can accentuate their positive attributes and build a new, improved, and consciously chosen chapter in their later years.
Remembering what you have to offer can expand your horizons and help build self esteem:
Wisdom – The ability to have gone through enough experiences to offer valuable advice and be a voice of reason. Many elders become mentors, coaches, and valuable resources to their children and grandchildren.
Resilience – Confidence and skillsets are born from living through adversity. This wealth of knowledge gained from surviving difficult times and situations is a powerful resource to share with others.
Purpose – Without the noisiness of building a family and managing a career, seniors are free to explore new purpose with more time and energy to dedicate to causes that stir their heart.
Creativity – Allowing for more time to tune into the creative side of their minds, elders can tap one of our greatest human resources, the creative mind. The sky’s the limit on what one can create, whether it be art, philanthropic innovations, or finding new ways to be of service.
Going with the flow of time, one can resist age and therefore deny all the fruits of the labor of aging, or tap into limitless resources to carve a new life filled with surprises, joy and even magic.