REJECTING THE MYTHS OF AGING - PT. III

I must admit, I read this book for my own benefit. I found myself holding on to some deeply ingrained beliefs about aging that, according to the author, are no longer valid.

Having read the book, my plan is to post the most challenging of the authors insights and reflect briefly on each one. My hope is that all adults will consider the ideas in this book, and the 60, 70, even 80 somethings will be informed and motivated as we move into what could be the most productive season of our lives. 

Here are insights and reflections from "Shattering the Myth That Growing Up Means Running Down".

"There is no way we can look forward to our aging if we see the journey that is life as moving upward to a peak in our fourties and then abruptly dropping off into a period of physical decline in which we remain suspended for forty or fifty years until our eventual death. The reality can be far different, age does not automatically spell decline. 

Aging is not all about being frail, dependent, and nonproductive. It can be a time of freedom, options, and choices, more than we have ever experienced. Vital men and women do not tell you that they would want to relive their earlier years. In one study of older adults, Schaie had some surprising findings: 

• Adolescents and the thirties were the least satisfying years, and 20 percent said the teenage years were their least satisfying years.

• 19 percent identified their fifties as their most satisfying years.

• 18 percent named their sixties and seventies as the most satisfying years, while only 6 percent named their sixties and seventies as their least satisfying years.

• 8 percent said their eighties were their most satisfying years.

Our fear of old age and death, reinforced by the ageism in our society, can cause us to slow down and develop an inferiority complex at the age of maturity, a time that could provide our best, most productive and most thoughtful years. This fear creates in us the habit of thinking about dying instead of making the most out of the life we have.  

I believe that much of this focusing on death and aging is due to an absence of purpose or direction. Busy people seldom have time to worry about dying. They find life too exciting to fold up their tent and steal away."

The next post in this series will cover some reflections from Chapter 2, "Shattering the Myth of the Shrinking Brain". The post will include advice on how to keep the mind and memory sharp for a lifetime.

To view Part I of this book review click HERE. 
To view Part II of this book review click HERE.