Aging Wisely Wisdom Of Our Elders

Aging Wisely... Wisdom of our Elders is a unique resource that reflects the ideas, opinions and experiences of a diverse group of senior citizens. Each story provides a unique perspective on the physical, emotional, and social aspects of growing old from those who have made the journey.

Everyone ages. Not everyone ages well. Aging Wisely explains that much of what happens to our minds and bodies as we grow older depends on our approach to life and our attitudes and feelings about ourselves. Though there are elements beyond our control, we must take advantage of those things we can control while dealing competently with adversity. In describing the impact of aging and various conditions associated with the aging process upon our minds and bodies, Aging Wisely provides readers with the knowledge needed to fight back and maximize their relevance and independence. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining the quality of our lives in addition to longevity, for survival alone does not matter if the quality of survival is poor. To age successfully, we must find satisfaction and pleasure in what we do in the time available to us. Here, Robert A. Levine explores how attitudes about aging, and quality of life, can affect the process of aging. He suggests that maintaining a good attitude is a key element to aging well, reminding readers that aside from illnesses and random events, we are in control of our lives. Through personal accounts and real stories from mid-lifers and older people, the various issues associated with the aging process are addressed in an easy-to-follow way to allow people to understand the choices they have, and the decisions they may have to make, when faced with common diseases of aging. Levine devotes chapters to discussing the various illnesses that people can face in their older years and strategies for leading fulfilling lives while reducing their risk of physical and cognitive decline. He considers ageism and its impact on society, and he discusses how advances in science and technology will affect how people age in the future. Levine offers helpful consideration of aging for readers who are preparing themselves for what lies ahead, allowing them to then confront aging with the advantage of being ready.

What is the difference between a wise elder and an old man?" My definition of a wise elder is someone who lives an authentic life, shows up and knows what they want and how to get it. They are wise because they have been able to connect the dots in their lives and learn from all their life experiences. They are self-aware and able to self-correct. They also have spent some quality time considering their mortality.By contrast, an old man is basically just waiting to die. They are not very self-aware and most of what they do is try to stay in their comfort zone. They do not like change or uncertainty. They silently worry about their future and often worry about their children and other loved ones. Henry David Thoreau summed up this group of old men in his famous quote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."Currently, we have way too many "old men" and too few wise elders. That is the main purpose why I am writing this book. I want to inspire old men to become wise elders and I want to challenge our society to reach out to our elderly men and do things with them that help them develop their wise elder archetype and cast aside their old man archetype. I also believe that men have to take charge of their lives and create more purposeful activities in their twilight years. They can't just wait for society to change and instead they have to help it change. This book contains the wisdom of 18 contributors from the U. S. and Germany. These men share the wisdom they wish they had gotten when they were young. They also share stories of how they have mentored young men and women and what they, as wise elders, want in their life. This book is alive and full of stories and some humorous anecdotes. There is something for everyone young and old in this book. One of the contributors to the book, Rafa Flores, says this about being a wise elder, "As an elder, advocate, mentor, teacher, example, we as adults with life lessons and wisdom to share, must be proactive. If the mountain won't come to you, YOU must go to the mountain. We as self-aware conscious beings (wise elders), must go to where the kids are. It is only then that they will have access to us, and we to them. This requires awareness of the need and also the effort on our part to make ourselves available. This will truly transform the lives of elders and young people."This book is the 3rd book of a series of four books titled "The Real Men Series." The other two books are "The Male Mother: The Missing Skill Set For Fathers" and "The Servant Leader: What The World Needs Now." The fourth book, tentatively titled, "The Open-Hearted- Lover: Love Is All You Need."Barry K.Weinhold, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, CO and a licensed psychologist since 1976. He is the author or co-author of 65 books. He also co-directs the Colorado Institute For Conflict Resolution and Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs. He has been involved in the "men's movement" for 40 years and has a private practice specializing in working with men. He knows what men struggle with in their lives and how to help them reach their full potential as an authentic person.He is an avid fly fisherman and a hiker. Barry has been married to Janae. B. Weinhold, Ph.D. since 1984 and they have four children between them and several grandchildren. Together they co-direct the Colorado Professional Development Center in Colorado Springs where they offer trainings to professionals in developmental psychology, especially, Trauma-Informed-Care trainings for professionals.

All the interviews in this book were conducted between Summer 2012 and Winter 2015, mainly in rural Alberta and aimed to capture the life lessons of an older generation. As a photographer, I saw that the wisdom of these people was present not only in their words but in their faces, bodies, and spirits. I aimed to capture the beauty of their wrinkles, smile lines, and unique voices. I chose photographs that showed each individual where they felt happiest and in a peaceful state of being. They all took ample time and distance to think carefully about the words they would impart to me, and eventually, whoever finds this book in their hands. When I began this project, it was my hope that I could gift families and communities by documenting our elders' wisdom to share with future generations, but I soon realized that perhaps I was the one receiving the most tremendous gift. My hope is that others may feel as inspired as I have by the openness, honesty, and thoughtfulness of the people who grace these pages. Each of them have experienced both joy and hardship during the courses of their lives, and have learned timeless lessons that will be valuable to readers of any age.

Winner of 9 national book awards, Do Not Go Quietly is an inspiring call to action and guide to a life of greater meaning, consciousness, and passion for those "who weren't born yesterday"—GenXers, Boomers, and Elders. It also speaks honestly and eloquently to those under 40 who want to better navigate the path ahead and better understand the world for which they will soon be responsible. It reminds us all that when we turn away from what we are passionate about, we dim the light of our intellect, depress our energies, diminish our health, and prevent ourselves from achieving the very thing we came here to this earth to accomplish—living the lives we were born to live. So, if you are in, or are approaching the second half of life, this book invites you to take the matter of how and why you live back into your own hands. It encourages you to use the tremendous power and resources available to you to ensure that you do not slip quietly and meekly into the background, but instead live your life with the dignity, purpose, and quality of experience you deserve.

As our population continues to age, learning how to do it well becomes even more important and benefits those who consider it thoughtfully. Aging Wisely promotes behaviors and actions that will help people age well, maximizing pleasure and productivity as they grow older. Levine discusses the aging process and various diseases that are prevalent in the later years, as well as strategies people can utilize to lead fulfilling lives and reduce their risk of physical and cognitive decline.

Stories of meaning, magic, healing and transformation for enlightened elders - wisdom tales for a new vision of aging. ,

'In this moving and tender meditation on the process of growing old, Carmel Shalev reveals ageing as a new beginning rather than a shameful ending of life.'' -- Stephen Batchelor Drawing on the insights of Buddhism, In Praise of Ageing invites the reader to meet the challenges of growing older with an open mind in order to age with grace, understanding and wisdom. Written by an Israeli human rights lawyer who specialized in bio-ethics, including end-of-life care, the book looks at the current cultural context of youth versus age, and weaves the author's personal experiences of her own and her parents' ageing with ancient Buddhist wisdom that accepts growing older as a natural process. All phenomena appear, fade and disappear. So, too, our lives proceed from birth to death. The four parts of the book address reality, vulnerability, identity and meaning. We can acknowledge reality, see the impermanence of the weakening body, and accept that we are subject to ageing, sickness and death. But we also must deal with the social prejudices against ageing that bring new vulnerabilities, such as the questions of identity that arise when we retire from the workforce. This book shows that it is nonetheless in our hands to shape our place in the world and find meaning as elders with love, compassion, joy and equanimity. Ageing, indeed, has its hardships. Yet we have a choice how to relate to our experience - with animosity or friendliness. If we open our minds to ageing with a compassionate, curious and courageous heart, we can find treasures of wisdom to share as our heritage to future generations.