The cover of the October 2020 issue of Better Homes & Garden magazine caught my attention. First, because of its different take on decorating a pumpkin and second, because of its messages, “be bold”, “spice up your fall routine”, and “put a new spin on favorites”.
It resonated with me because it aligned so well with a message shared by Patricia Miller during a recent Embracing Aging virtual discussion titled, Give Ageism the Boot, It Starts with Attitude.
Pat thinks older adults are the resilient generation: stronger than we think, wiser than we know, and more adaptable than we imagine. To illustrate this, she shared a quote from Cleo Wade’s book, Heart Talk.
“The best thing about your life is that it is constantly in a state of design. This means you have at all times, the power to redesign it.”
Pat’s believes it is important to embrace curiosity as we age and to plan for how we’ll do that.
What is the design of your aging?
When we experience a new ache, notice a grey hair, or add another candle to a birthday cake, we’re reminded of our aging. In addition, people try to save as they can for their later decades, and perhaps get things in order about their wishes, but for many, we don’t “design” our aging.
We become comfortable in familiarity and satisfied in life’s daily schedule.
We don’t think about ways to “be bold”, “spice up routines”, or “put a new spin on favorites” as we age. Yet alone reflect on how doing so can improve the quality of our aging experience.
This fall let us take the advice of Pat (and Better Homes & Garden) and implement one thing to redesign our aging. Perhaps:
- Taste a new food weekly
- Do modifications to your home to make it safer and more comfortable
- Use the opposite hand when brushing your teeth
- Re-arrange the furniture in a room
- Learn a new skill
- Explore ways you can share your talents with others
- Paint a pumpkin boldly
- Volunteer your talents to help others
No matter how small or large, do something new or different this fall.
Don’t let the stereotypes and negative thinking limit your possibilities. Watch the video of Pat’s session to learn tips on how to reimagine your strength, wisdom, and adaptability and then visit www.EmbracingAging.org and complete the form to share what you’ll do this fall to redesign your aging.
