Category Archives: Conscious Aging

“How Long have you Decided to Live?”

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A friend recently gifted me with a copy of the book I’ve Decided to Live 120 Years-The Ancient Secret to Longevity, Vitality, and Life Transformation by South Korean author, Ilchi Lee. Intrigued by the title, I read it on a recent plane trip. I have never asked or answered the question –“How long have you decided to live?” -in my years of study and facilitation of conscious aging workshops. I wondered why since I encourage creating a vision for how you choose to be as you age. How long you’ll “be” is […]

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Changing Holiday Traditions as we Age

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Ready or not, the holidays are here! You may be excited about celebrating the family traditions, or you may feel stressed and guilty about all the expectations that come with these traditions. As you get older, your level of energy and family situations may change, creating a need to adapt or let go of some traditions, like shopping for every family member, decorating every inch of the house, or preparing a huge feast. Here are some ideas about how you might do that. First, it might be helpful to reflect on the following […]

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The Positivity Effect on Relationships as We Age

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Researchers have confirmed that close relationships and social integration – “how much you interact with people as you move through your day”- are the best predictors of longevity and also lead to greater health and happiness. These relationships help us get through the challenges aging can bring with more ease and success. This information, plus my own experiences navigating the complexities of relating to our adult sons, teen and toddler grandsons, and my spouse of almost 50-years, have inspired me to research the changes in relationships as we get older. There are […]

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Why legacy letters?

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Through my study of conscious aging, I have learned about the legacy we might leave behind, whether financial assets, core beliefs , experiences, or lessons learned. It wasn’t until I heard Rachael Freed at the Sage-ing International Conference, however, that this idea came alive for me in the form of legacy letters. These take our stories, or snippets of them, and extricate the lessons to pass on to others as a blessing. Hoping to inspire you as well , I share a little more about what legacy letters are and the needs […]

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Leaving or Repurposing your Home

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  In the past 24 hours I have listened to an interview of Dr. Bill Thomas, “The Magic of Minka”, and attended a class at SDSU’s Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), “Rethink Home: Benefits to ‘Rightsizing’ Your Home and Lifestyle.” Both turned out to be related to housing as we age, so, going with the synchronicity of the moment, I share some of the highlights. How many of you are willing to let go of the house where you raised your children? Now that my husband and I have converted our sons’ bedrooms […]

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Three Paths to Aging – Which will you Choose?

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As I looked around the room filled with my former colleagues from Grossmont/Cuyamaca, all retired, I wondered how they would react to my introduction to “conscious” aging.   I knew each one would have a different take. Some enjoy time with their grandchildren, and others love to travel. Some are learning how to be single again after losing spouses. Others have struggled with a serious illness. Some are still teaching part-time, and at least one has written a book on her family’s history. The outstanding retiree we honored, Phebe Burnham, wakes up each […]

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