Since I passed my 60th birthday a couple years ago, I have noticed numerous shifts in my awareness. It seems that many of my friends in the same age group have noticed similar shifts... I believe one of the generational tasks of the "baby boomers" will be to transform our society's views on old age and death. We have brought consciousness to numerous issues during our presence here on the earth, and this will be our most significant contribution to all the generations that come after us...
What is "conscious aging?" It is a growing awareness that the last years of our lives are as good or better than the earlier ones. A holistic perspective accounts for the wisdom, experience, and position in society as a role model; that aging is a natural and healthy process full of curiosity, discovery, depth and breadth of vision, and a growing detachment from the earthbound things that dominated our interest for the first five or six decades of life.
I make no claim to be fully conscious as I'm aging, but I am looking for the "good stuff". Here are some of my musings...
You realize that a lot of the negative things about aging are offset by wonderful new things.
You understand that there are worse things than getting old and dying. You no longer see old age and dying as a failure.
You look at people who are a few decades younger than you and understand how hard it is (was) to be young.
You are finally getting to know and love your authentic self.
You start living each day more fully, realizing there are fewer and fewer of them remaining. Simultaneously, you find yourself being less tolerant of things that waste your time, erode your self esteem, and generally detract from your sense of well-being.
You see beauty in things you never paid attention to before.
When you were younger, you used to think old people were not attractive. Now you realize how beautiful they are.
You are able to let go and forgive many of the people and situations that kept you depressed for years.
You find yourself revisiting things from your earlier years and enjoying them more and doing them better than you did years ago.
You return to someplace you once visited or lived and don't care that it is not how you remembered it. You see it with fresh eyes as it is not.
You have a hard time remembering why it was that you ended a relationship with someone years ago, remembering mostly what was good about the person or situation,
You have a long list of all the things you want to do and learn in the time you have remaining.
You realize you are much closer to your death than you are to your birth.
Old friends and family who have stuck with you all this time seem more precious than ever.
You can step back from issues that used to bring up negative emotions for you and wonder what all the fuss was about.
You pay more attention to the flavor of your food, the subtleties of music you enjoy, colors in your surroundings and other sensual pleasures.
You have developed gratitude.
You think about your friends and relatives who have died, and wonder what they are doing.
You feel closer to your higher power/ divine guidance/ spiritual self than ever before.
You take better care of your body than you did when you were younger and it was more beautiful.
Though your body has changed its appearance and perhaps even has a few things going on that cause you to see a health care provider, you still like it and appreciate how devoted to your life it is.
You wonder who will take care of you when you can no longer take care of yourself, and then remember that you are part of a community that cares for each other.
You enjoy the fact that you have friends who are 30 or 40 years younger than you are. In fact, your friends may span 70 or 80 years of age!
If you find yourself alone, you realize how valuable the time is by yourself to meditate, enjoy little things you like to do, be yourself, and not have to share. If you find yourself with another, you find that it is easier to share.
You trust your intuition more now than you ever have.
When you hit those rough spots, you remember that things go in cycles and "this too shall pass".
You notice odd little synchronicities and interpret them as messages from your angel/ higher power/ intuitive self.
You go with the flow more easily and put up less resistance to obstacles and barriers, but still seem to move forward steadily.
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