As I celebrate turning 56 this month, I confess that over the past several years my thoughts about aging have changed. Maybe it was coming to terms with my own mortality after losing my father several years ago, losing a dear friend to COVID, or making the difficult decision to move my mother into a long-term care community. Maybe it’s simply coming to terms with the fact that I’m middle-aged, which has forced me to look at my own life and how I choose to live it.
Growing older has opened up my thinking in many ways. I try to be more present, looking for joy every day. I continue to evolve into the person I am destined to become and create new experiences and adventures for myself and those I love.
Andrea Brandt’s new book Mindful Aging: Embracing Life After 50 to Find Fulfillment, Purpose, and Joy, looks at how we can all bring more joy to the way we age, no matter what your age. (We talk about the book and the benefits of mindful aging here.)
While there are downsides to aging, I’m choosing to set my sights on the many positives. We all have the power to change how we grow older, and that’s empowering rather than limiting. It’s a choice to live in the present—to find purpose and joy in what you do, in each new day.
Mindful aging gives us an opportunity to live life on our terms. You get to define it. Use it to create your best life. It’s Your Journey.
Alison
“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh
