My grandmother used to say that getting older is not for the weak of heart. She said a lot of goofy stuff too, but I realize the soundness of her claim. In aging, we are faced with issues previously unimagined. After all, in our younger lives, we merely had to deal with going to work, building a business or career, taking care of our families, and navigating the slippery landscape of social interaction with others.
In Chapter X, while we might not be raising a family, many are devoting time to helping raise grandchildren, guiding and supporting grown children, not to mention learning the ins and outs of medicare and social security and trying to recreate ourselves in new ways facing new and previously unknown challenges.
Sure, we were aware of the issues by watching our parents or others deal with aging, but it wasn’t the main course in our life’s buffet. Now we need to see ourselves differently, define our purpose differently, recreate a new life that includes new barriers and obstacles, and do so without the benefit of firsthand experience. It can be, hmmm, well, a lot.
The key is to try and bring the magnitude of change down to small and meaningful steps. What is one thing you can do today to move your life forward in a positive way?
Start with understanding what habits you currently maintain and decide whether they’re still useful. It’s a small step, but a useful jumping-off point. Life in Chapter X doesn’t need to be a duplication of the last portion of your life, but it does need to account for changes in cash flow (not necessarily a diminishment), changes in health, changes in social status, changes in available time to engage in activities, hobbies, and interests.
Begin with gaining greater awareness of what you need to hold on to, what you need to discard, and what might need to be altered as you move forward.
Thoughts?
