Conscious Aging: Crafting A New Vision For The Second Half Of Adulthood

We’ll look at five fundamental aspects of conscious aging: determining our why, having a positive mindset, nurturing a meaningful relationship, engaging with community, and training to be the healthiest 85-year-old we can be. These five traits show up in study after study of healthy, wise, and valuable aging, from the Harvard Study of Adult Development to the best insights from psychology, sociology, and spirituality. In each session, we'll reflect upon key questions, providing an opportunity to take notes and reflect on our own experiences.

Image by Ramon Perucho from Pixabay; music, "The River Between Thoughts" (original).

Lección 1: Determining Your Why

In this first session, we’ll look at how to transform some aspect of our current or previous experiences into a “why” statement that can focus meaning and purpose in the next phase of our lives. As Viktor Frankl famously said, “A person who has a why to live can bear with almost any how.” As we move into the latter phase of adulthood, creating a new sense of purpose is imperative.
Mary Catherine Bateson, “Composing a Further Life: The Age of Active Wisdom”

References:
Arthur C. Brooks, “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life”
David Chernikoff, “Life, Part Two: Seven Keys to Awakening with Joy and Purpose as You Age”
Victor Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning”
Simon Sinek, “Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Finding Purpose For You and Your Team”

Lección 2: Having A Positive Mindset

In this session, we’ll look at the tenor of our mental state and how we can foster the kind of mindset we wish to support our “why.” As Jon Kabat-Zinn so famously said, “Wherever you go, there you are.” To make the latter phase of adulthood the best we can, we will want to cultivate a positive mindset.

References:
Deb Dana, “Anchored: Befriending Your Nervous System through Polyvagal Theory”
Jon Kabat-Zinn, “Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life”
David Richo, “When the Past Is Present: Healing the Emotional Wounds that Sabotage Our Relationships.”
Eckhart Tolle, “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose”

Lección 3: Having A Meaningful Relationship

In this session, we’ll look at our relationships and examine their quality. After avoiding excessive drinking, having at least one meaningful relationship was found in the Harvard Study of Adult Development to be the most significant indicator of satisfaction later in life.

References:
Martin Buber, “I and Thou.”
Deb Dana, “Anchored: Befriending Your Nervous System through Polyvagal Theory.”
John Gottman and Nan Silver, “What Makes Love Last? How to Build Trust and Avoid Betrayal.”
Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt, “Safe Conversations” (an online communications course)
Harville Hendrix, “Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples.”
Perel, Esther. “Turning Conflict into Connection” (an online communications course)
Valliant, George E.. “Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life from the Landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development”
Waldinger, Robert, and Marc Schulz. “The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.”

Lección 4: Engaging With Community

Today, we’ll look at ways to connect our “why” from day one with engagement with others. To flourish in the next phase of adulthood, we must find our people, “our gang,” and find ways to thrive in our communities. As we know, isolation leads to serious health problems and certainly undermines happiness.
References:
Bateson, Mary Catherine. “Composing a Further Life: The Age of Active Wisdom.”
Cherrnikoff, David. “Life, Part Two: Seven Keys to Awakening with Joy and Purpose as You Age”

Lección 5: Training To Be The Healthiest 85 Year Old You Can Be

In this session, we’ll look at a holistic approach to physical health that we can adopt by tapping into our mindfulness practice from the first day and to choose wisely the care we offer our bodies, from eating and drinking to pumping iron. Although we’re speaking of this last, physical health and well-being can be said to be the bedrock for flourishing as we age.
References:
Attia, Peter. “Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity”
Weil, Andrew. “Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Practical and Spiritual Well-Being.”

Lección 6: Putting It All Together

Today, we’ll look back at the five key aspects of conscious aging and see how holistically they form a healthy, wise, and conscious latter phase of adulthood in which we can flourish.
References:
Levitin, Daniel J. “Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives”

Reviews

A lovely weaving together of healthy aspects of life as we move into this final stage of life. Thank you! 🙏

At 69, and having retired in mid-2022, I’ve been addressing these very issues over the past 3+
years. But I’m
always looking for reinforcement and fresh twists and perspectives and more to consider-and this course offered just that! Very thoughtful, lots of good material, well done and thank you! 🙏🏼

The guidance of this course with each day’s questions was thought provoking and practical. It caused you to really deep dive into how you want to navigate your path forward.
I’ve found it to be exceptional and will refer back when necessary.

Thank you..im a Couple years older than you but this offered me good insights and goal setting..re excercise and purpose. Thank you