Embrace the New

Posted by suzanne  on Oct 2, 2013

The new emerges and slowly grows

Many individuals are drawn to the new and the novel, yet they often fear change and new experiences.

People are curious about the world, about the possibilities lying just beyond the sightline. A love of learning drives curiosity and an interest in new things. Learning new things is fun, exciting and enjoyable.

New things capture the imagination and create excitement; however, the double-edged sword is that the new is also anxiety-provoking. The new is uncertain and never guaranteed. It represents the unknown as well as the unfamiliar, so that while we gain energy and enthusiasm for the new and novel, this newness and uncertainty make us anxious. These contradictions are part of what makes us interesting as human beings but also part of what holds us back when new opportunities arise.

The uncertainty that derives from the new and novel can curtail the pursuit of our goals and our learning as well as our growth as individuals. We tend to get stuck in the same familiar ways of routine and habits rather than having the motivation to continue learning something new or taking the steps toward change. We can become overwhelmed by the change and the new direction rather than make a big change.

To summarize:

1)   As individuals, we enjoy learning new things and are attracted by the new and novel

2)   While new things are exciting, they also make us anxious

3)   The new can lead to change, growth and transformation if we make a choice to go with the change

There is a newness and unexpectedness of each day when we change, embrace that change and welcome the beauty of the new day into our life. Change keeps life fresh. Novelty is vital in life. It keeps life interesting. For those who welcome it, there are ample rewards.

Connection

Posted by suzanne  on May 21, 2013

The connection between the generations

In my work, I meet seniors regularly, and recently, on separate occasions, I had the privilege of speaking with a 100-year-old woman, a 95-year-old man and a 74-year-old man.

I like speaking with seniors and elders. Our conversations are refreshing and invigorating. The discussion is engaging and stimulating. It is a great joy to speak to interesting individuals with so much to share.

From these conversations, I am reminded that one key to healthy aging is connection. Whether you are an energetic senior or elder or a more frail one, it is important to find the opportunity for connection.

In fact, this is true for human beings across the life course from cradle to grave. I am quite aware that I gain as much from these conversations as the seniors and elders do themselves.

We are social and life is about connection and relationships. It is important that we remind ourselves of this often during our busy lives.

Give your loved ones a squeeze and smile broadly at everyone you meet today – both young and old.

Fulfilling and Meaningful Engagement

Posted by suzanne  on Apr 22, 2013

In honour of National Volunteer Week (NVW) it is a good time to blog about volunteering, community service and charitable work.

Many people want to give back to the community for what they themselves have received. This is meaningful work that makes a difference in the lives of others. Many boomers, seniors and elders who I talk to describe the satisfaction they receive from their volunteer work. This work is important and they find it fulfilling. By helping others, not only do they find their work fulfilling; it better connects them to community and adds to their quality of life.

The report I co-authored with Paula Speevak-Sladowski entitled Volunteering and Older Adults has recently been released. This report is important to share with organizations and communities that want to better engage older adults in volunteer work and community service. This report can help to inform programs, services and policy as we give greater attention to our aging population and create age friendly communities in Ontario and in the rest of Canada. Not only is volunteering an activity that helps individuals remain engaged in the community; research also indicates that it contributes to better health.

Meaningful and fulfilling roles and activities help us all ‘age well’.

Balanced Engagement

Posted by suzanne  on Apr 20, 2013

Have you cultivated an engaged life in balance?

Individuals want to be active and engaged during the second half of life. We work and we play. Of course, it is important to continue doing meaningful, fulfilling activity. This makes us feel good about ourselves and about life.

Engagement means doing, participating, being involved, contributing, learning and using skills, strengths, gifts and talents. This requires exploring options and possibilities to find the right time and the right fit within in the right place for you.

Staying active helps us to be physically and mentally stimulated. This keeps us healthy and aging positively and provides purpose and meaning in life.

I often hear about this desire to stay active and engaged from the individuals who I work with and interact with. However, there can be too much of a good thing.

During retirement we can get caught up in the ‘busy ethic’ that we have in our society. This leads to too much activity and too many demands. Unfortunately, when we find it hard to slow down, just to take some deep breaths or to take a break, this creates great stress and anxiety.

In my work, I advise individuals to slow down so they can take the time to stop, reflect and contemplate all that is good and wonderful – the blessings, the precious things in life. Contemplation enables your mind the time required to catch up to your body.

Relatedly, balance in roles and activities is important because sometimes we do too much while trying to do it all. We need to make decisions, re-arrange and re-sort our lives; then, take away activities no longer important to us or that just no longer make sense. We have to prioritize and determine what is most important, most meaningful and fulfilling. Sometimes we need to take additional time to see things through to fruition. And sometimes we need to recognize that we are not ‘key actors’; we need to know when we are planting seeds that will later germinate.

We need the reflection time and the balance to see the bigger picture and to be more personally fulfilled so we can achieve what comes next.

Cultivate a balanced, engaged life. Excellent advice at any age.

The Field of Aging

Posted by suzanne  on Mar 30, 2013

An image of Healthy Aging – A happy couple, exercising together.

In 2011, the proportion of seniors in Canada grew to 14.4% and the median age rose to 39.9 years. As Canadian society ages, there is great interest and attention given to aging across various fields and disciplines: health care services, caregiving, housing and aging in place, career and occupation, lifelong learning and education, leisure and recreation, and well-being and healthy living, including lifestyle, diet and exercise. Services, products, supports and technological aids for seniors and aging are being developed, provided and offered.

The field of aging is ever dynamic. There is a lot happening. All of this impacts our attitudes and perspectives and how we view aging. We are reshaping aging on so many fronts. The field is evolving and is entering a new stage as we embrace the New Vision of Aging.

I view the second half of life as a time of growth, enlightenment and transformation. As an educator with a passion for sharing information and knowledge, I am particularly interested in lifelong learning and its influence on healthy aging. Learning is lifelong. Learning is social. Engagement in learning can herald deep personal growth and development during the second half of life. It is rewarding and a great privilege to work with so many individuals who are in this vital stage of life.

Be part of the New Vision of Aging. It is an exciting time to be in the field.

An Engaged and Active Retirement

Posted by suzanne  on Mar 18, 2013

One image of retirement drawn by a member of the audience

As a gerontologist entrepreneur and educator, I regularly get asked to speak to community groups and nonprofit organizations. In my work providing education and awareness about the second half of life and presenting on my research, I meet interesting people in the community and have fascinating discussions with them.

I recently spoke to a Rotary Club in Southern Ontario where we talked about the second half of life and retirement. I asked those in the audience to tell me about their vision for retirement.

As I have often noticed when this topic comes up, a majority of individuals in the audience described an engaged and active retirement. Most envisioned a retirement of ‘doing’ – being mentally, physically and socially active.

This is one picture that a man in the audience drew, showing himself as active and engaged. The specific activities and pursuits are not the focus here, but the ‘doing’ and ‘being’ are critical to this individual, and this is an important message. This is but one image of retirement; however, I really like how this individual portrayed being active in this drawing.

What are your thoughts? Over the next months, I will share more drawings and mappings of the ‘new retirement’.

The Longevity Imperative: Later Life Career Options

Posted by suzanne  on Feb 14, 2013

Clearly, later life careers and career options require change. Longevity, greater health and education and financial realities have all contributed to this social imperative to revisit later life career and career planning.

Individuals are working longer. They are embracing productive and engaging roles that they find stimulating and meaningful.

Despite this, career and career development during later life are not often discussed. Seasoned workers, with the skills and talent they bring to the workplace, continue to have much to offer – even as they approach the traditional age for retirement.

More individuals are looking for new career options for the second half of life. They aren’t ready to be tapped on the shoulder and told it is time to go. Older workers who remain with their employers are often dismissed and neglected when it comes to career development, talent management and training and development. What we should be seeing instead is more attention to these issues.

In addition, there is much more opportunity for innovative talent management programs for older workers, such as transition and knowledge transfer strategies and succession planning – all of which support employer and employee interests. This is good for a healthy economy, a productive workforce and a stronger Canada.

My work addresses the career development of older workers and demonstrates why this is important for healthy aging. I believe that individuals will continue to be connected to the workforce in various ways; thus, we need to rethink organizational processes and procedures that slowly move older workers aside. We need to be more innovative with regard to the ways individuals can contribute and be productive.

I notice a growing interest in baby boomers and career. It is always refreshing to discuss issues with others who share a similar perspective. Dear readers – I would enjoy hearing about the issues you see in society and in the workplace. Please share any good examples of best practices that stand out for you.

Birthdays: Personal Delight or Plight

Posted by suzanne  on Jan 6, 2013

Remember the delight and magic of having a birthday to celebrate? It seems a long time ago for some of us. That ended at age 25, and we don’t want to contemplate how long ago that was.

Birthdays are strictly an early-life joy. The aging jokes that come out to greet us on our birthday are tiring and only serve to make us feel older than we feel at heart.

Why is a birthday worth celebrating? How can we get past the dread of having another one? A birthday is our special day. It is a day when those close to us can cherish us and a day to feel good about ourselves – a day for extra fun. Making it our own is the secret to enjoying it.

As we age, how should we recognize and acknowledge the day of our birth?

Here are a few of my suggestions:

• If you are in the labour force, take the day off work. I highly recommend this if you can swing it. Then, celebrate your special day in your own unique way. Do something that reflects your personality.
• Go to a restaurant with friends and/or family. Good food, good drink and good company – what more do you need? My most special birthdays have been spent having breakfast (sometimes second breakfast), lunch, tea time and dinner with different but equally wonderful friends. Plan the meals into your day in order to match the number of friends you wish to see.
• Have quality time with your family. Do something fun together.
• If you are able, ask your mom (and/or dad) what time you were born at and anything else she (or he) can remember from your day of birth. These are treasured family memories of your arrival and can make an interesting conversation about how you were welcomed and came into this world.
• Have a party but make it your own by making yourself happy. Choose something that you like to do and invite your friends and family to join you.
• Take the time to think about and consider the year behind and the year ahead. Like the beginning of the new year, a birthday is a time to reflect and make adjustments and changes. Both of these times of the year are opportunities for reflection, introspection, setting goals, considering past successes and assessing meaning, purpose and significance.
• If you are still uncertain about what to do, have an ‘un-birthday’ party on a day other than your own birthday. Throw a fabulous event and thoroughly enjoy yourself. Try it. It is okay to have immense fun!

Below is a birthday message from a card I recently gave to someone on the occasion of their 50th birthday:

FIFTY

• Follow your heart
• Invent your future
• Find what you’ve been seeking
• Take charge of your destiny
• You deserve all the happiness life can bring

This is excellent advice for individuals of all ages to help them enjoy a great year ahead.

An excellent birthday requires an excellent birthday song. My friend Barbara McAfee has written a wonderful new birthday song. Listen to this and feel good on your birthday!

Barbara McAfee – It’s Gonna Be Your Birthday

If you have a milestone birthday coming up soon, please share how you are planning to spend it. Happy Birthday to everyone celebrating a birthday!

Grandparenthood – Part Two

Posted by suzanne  on Dec 21, 2012

Canadians love to read. As I head out to the bookstore to pick up some Christmas gifts, I am reminded of this. We are a country of readers and should all be born with a library card in our pocket.

As parents, we instil a love of reading in our kids and teach them to read at an early age. As grandparents, we really enjoy reading to our grandchildren. Reading brings immense joy. What could be more delightful than to sit with a child on your lap, cuddling as you read an adventure or look at a picture book together? Moreover, this is a wonderful way to stimulate a young mind because sitting together and reading is foundational for child development during the early years.

I have been on the lookout for children’s stories that portray wonderful family relationships that are intergenerational, especially books that have images of vivid, engaging grandparents. I have collected some real treasures. Here are a few of the favourites from my shelf:

• The Bye-Bye Pie by Sharon Jennings, illustrated by Ruth Ohi
• Bigbeard’s Hook: Nathaniel McDaniel and the Magic Attic by Evan Solomon, illustrated by Bill Slavin
• Night Noises by Mem Fox and illustrated by Terry Denton
• Someday by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds

I expect to see more books that provide positive images of seniors on library and bookstore shelves. As the population ages, books like the ones above will be written and published to meet the demand for good intergenerational stories. If you have some books to add to this list, I’d enjoy hearing about them.

Have a wonderful holiday. Happy reading to all!

P.S. Dear Readers - To the above list, I am adding:

• A Little Something: A Story about Love and Legacies by Susan V. Bosak, illustrated by Laurie McGaw, and
• Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes by Susan V. Bosak

Grandparenting – Part One

Posted by suzanne  on Nov 21, 2012

“A home filled with grandchildren is a home filled with love.” ~ Author unknown.

“Surely, two of the most satisfying experiences in life must be those of being a grandchild or a grandparent.” ~ Donald A. Norberg