The “Baby Boomers” are beginning to turn 60 in the year 2006.
Most people avoid the process of aging until they have to deal with it. Many people deny that they are in the process of aging, and the fact that at the far edge of the aging process is a confrontation with the ultimate transition of death. In fact, our society avoids discussing aging and death & dying. These natural processes become an unwanted mystery that we must unravel by ourselves. This adds to the fear and the loneliness for many people.
Face it, our society is still celebrating youth and beauty. The wisdom of the older members of our society is often ridiculed because it is not found easily on the internet or is not considered “cutting edge.” Well, this is going to be reaching the fore-front as our media must deal with the mass of humanity that has driven all the cultural trends since the “Boomers” first arrived in the late 1940’s and 1950’s. The youth dominated society will quietly give way to the inevitable swell of the wave of aging Boomers.
As reluctant as we may be about facing the process of aging and death/dying, we must consider the fear and the loneliness that will be more and more common. It is depressing to feel the effects of aging. Nobody wants to feel the aches and pains, the loss of hearing, eyesight, mental acuity, or energy that seems to accompany the process of aging. Anxiety is also very common. This anxiety is caused by the fears of the unknown regarding our future. As our society increases its pace of change, older people are feeling their bodies slowing down. This is a scary combination for the people aware of what is going on.
Support helps. Family (if you have them,) friends, co-workers, church members, therapists, and other health care professionals can help you find the local services that are available. Perhaps the political and economic power of the baby boomers will even cause the politicians to loosen their available resources to serve this large group of voters.
On an individual basis, people need to discover what their needs or requirements are. These will be slightly different for each person moving through this difficult transition. Basically, we need to make extra efforts to take good care of ourselves. We need to eat “right.” We need to get regular exercise, that our bodies can tolerate but which gently pushes our limits. We need to manage our stress and anxiety with prayer, meditation, or stress management techniques. We need to keep our minds young and active by continuous life long learning and positive social contacts. We need the adventures that make life worth living. We need healthy relationships with people who really care about our well being. And if you do not have any of the positive relationships, you need to go out and find them. Sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself, makes you a victim to aging and most healthy people do not want to be around “victims” for long relationships. Learn to give back. Volunteer. Continue to work and to be productive. Do not quit!
Finally, we all need to learn the lessons of aging. We need to learn to accept that it is a natural part of the process of living. I am not saying to give up, lay down and to die. I am saying that we must let go of our fear and anxiety about aging and the unknown of dying. We need to find celebration in the process and fully accept that none of us are going to get out alive. Instead of dwelling on the negative, we must dance in the light of the positive. Find what gives you joy and do it! Find out what gives you purpose and pursue it. Find out what makes you feel productive and chase this with all available energy.
Celebrate your life and give it your best shot. Do not live with regrets of what you should have done. Go do it! Even if you do not succeed in getting everything done “right,” you can still celebrate the process of pursuing your goal. Find the grace and the elegance of the aging process, as best you can. (I know this is much easier said than done…)
Along the way, find a way to share your lessons, your wisdom, your experience, and your passion for life. Many other people need you as a role model of how to live life to the fullest.
L. John Mason, Ph.D. is the author of the best selling "Guide to Stress Reduction." Since 1977, he has offered Executive Coaching and Training.
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