Mini Post: An Excerpt from PRESENT: The Art of Living Boldly in the Second Half of Life

How does our society see the second half of life? 

In our modern society, preparation for later life begins on our 40th birthday, with black balloons and greeting cards that congratulate us on the beginning of our decline. The “funny” cards that we get from then on reinforce and remind us that we are old and getting older; that aging is sad, but, if we treat it like a tragicomedy, we can just make fun of ourselves or complain until the grim reaper takes us away. 

Meanwhile, we see every wrinkle as a sign that our relevance is waning. Getting older feels like losing. The healthcare system manages our bodies, making us feel less than. Rather than teaching us to take care of our bodies, they offer crippling Band-Aids for our illnesses and give us puzzles to keep our brains sharp, like we are children. They blame our aches, pains, and digestive issues on aging, rather than finding root causes and making changes—and by blaming our age, they condemn us to premature aging. 

We are also faced with a barrage of anti-aging products expertly marketed to remind us that getting older is undesirable.

Getting older amplifies the message that we have been fed ever since we opened our first Seventeen magazine: We will only be acceptable if we attain a photoshopped view of ourselves. But that feels more unattainable with every tick of the clock. And if we had been using physical prowess or conventional beauty as our ticket to acceptance, we might feel the need to grasp even harder at those qualities now.

If we subconsciously buy into society's views on getting older, no matter how well we take care of our mind and body, we will be fighting an increasingly desperate battle with reality, rather than building the second half of life on our own terms.

Are you ready to buy PRESENT: The Art of Living Boldly in the Second Half of Life? Find out more HERE