Absolutely not. Who are these experts? Men in their 50’s? I call BS. I’m living my life and pretty much doing what I damn please. I was never a hiker and I’m still not a hiker. But I read and do bookclub; I see movies both at a theater and via Netflix; I walk, slower and more carefully, but I walk. I drive and today went to an opening exhibit of ancient Chinese musical instruments. I’ll attend a holiday party and because it’s night I’ll take a taxi there and back. That’s an accommodation. Forget the “experts” and just live your life!
After 50, I stopped saying yes to everything and started saying yes to what I actually want. Expect less? Absolutely not. I just got pickier as I mature. 💋
Expecting differently feels like such a wise turn, Janice. I love that dictating your articles became part of the adventure, proof that growth keeps finding new doors. Your blue sky morning with the piano music and the cat beside you sounds like the perfect writing studio.
Thinking in terms of protecting what you want to keep doing, instead of simply expecting less, feels like a much kinder way to look at aging. Your Hawaii trip shows how honest that adjustment can be.
Expecting less is dependent on what you are looking at. If you suddenly are poor once retired, having to give up your favourite hobbies and your house, living in place you can afford but don’t like, and struggling to make ends meet, then you have less whether you expect it or not. This is the reality for many older people.
Hi Karen, You make a very important point. Our circumstances certainly do play a major role - and unfortunately it is the reality for many older adults.
That's an important point. How much we have to give up as we age depends a lot on money and circumstances, not only on mindset, and that part often gets left out of the conversation.
I think the key is adaptability, Janice. There is no getting around that you are not as nimble as you were as a 20 something. However, age provides wisdom and insight and that's the advantage we seniors have.
Acceptance and adaptability are what grace is made of. That's what my Making Sense of Growing Older is all about.
I enjoy you setting your goals and putting them in perspective. I wish I wasn’t overthinking, but my experience is that changing to enough is more than enough is a difficult proposition for me and I’m working on it, but would rather play at it!
"... aging doesn’t automatically mean expecting less; instead, it might mean expecting differently and prioritizing what truly matters." I think that is it, exactly! Thank you, Janice.
Do we really have to live with the assumption that aging automatically means expecting less. Does it have to be that way?
Absolutely not. Who are these experts? Men in their 50’s? I call BS. I’m living my life and pretty much doing what I damn please. I was never a hiker and I’m still not a hiker. But I read and do bookclub; I see movies both at a theater and via Netflix; I walk, slower and more carefully, but I walk. I drive and today went to an opening exhibit of ancient Chinese musical instruments. I’ll attend a holiday party and because it’s night I’ll take a taxi there and back. That’s an accommodation. Forget the “experts” and just live your life!
Hi Eileen, I like the idea of accommodations.
Isn’t life a series of accommodations?
After 50, I stopped saying yes to everything and started saying yes to what I actually want. Expect less? Absolutely not. I just got pickier as I mature. 💋
Expecting differently feels like such a wise turn, Janice. I love that dictating your articles became part of the adventure, proof that growth keeps finding new doors. Your blue sky morning with the piano music and the cat beside you sounds like the perfect writing studio.
Thinking in terms of protecting what you want to keep doing, instead of simply expecting less, feels like a much kinder way to look at aging. Your Hawaii trip shows how honest that adjustment can be.
Expecting less is dependent on what you are looking at. If you suddenly are poor once retired, having to give up your favourite hobbies and your house, living in place you can afford but don’t like, and struggling to make ends meet, then you have less whether you expect it or not. This is the reality for many older people.
Hi Karen, You make a very important point. Our circumstances certainly do play a major role - and unfortunately it is the reality for many older adults.
That's an important point. How much we have to give up as we age depends a lot on money and circumstances, not only on mindset, and that part often gets left out of the conversation.
I think the key is adaptability, Janice. There is no getting around that you are not as nimble as you were as a 20 something. However, age provides wisdom and insight and that's the advantage we seniors have.
Acceptance and adaptability are what grace is made of. That's what my Making Sense of Growing Older is all about.
I enjoy you setting your goals and putting them in perspective. I wish I wasn’t overthinking, but my experience is that changing to enough is more than enough is a difficult proposition for me and I’m working on it, but would rather play at it!
Hi Jill, it is for me as well.
HW GREAT IT IS! This is brilliant. Thank you.
"... aging doesn’t automatically mean expecting less; instead, it might mean expecting differently and prioritizing what truly matters." I think that is it, exactly! Thank you, Janice.