Climbing the rock wall

We are all familiar with the signs of aging. Grey hair, wrinkles, the occasional aches and pains and affects of gravity are what we all expect. But there are a few subtle signs that sneak up on us and have an even more dramatic affect on our aging journey. Like climbing a rock wall, the challenge is finding the right hand hold to pull ourselves securely up.

I recently went on a virtual retreat with Carol Orsborn, Ph.D. Her blog is Fierce With Age. Orsborn offered a 2 week virtual retreat this summer. Receiving relevant material in my inbox each day, I spent time assessing my tools for the climb.

Carol's first question was to write down all the attirbutes of someone you know who, in your estimation, was aging well and someone who was not aging well. By doing this simple analysis, I could see what was important in my own process of yearly increase. This was more about attitude than looks. As we climb up in years, the wall becomes unfamiliar and we need to rely on more than our vision of what age looks like. 

I invite you to take a moment to navigate as we move into uncharted territory. Some challenges can be exhilarating but there are also moments of confusion and fear. How will we afford to retire? Medicines, physical challenges all become new obstacles on the wall that play into our attitudes and views of aging.

It takes a keen eye and an open mind to be masters of our domain. The core of this idea is to understand what we want out of life. Quality not quantity is the hallmark of this transition. Write down the qualities of the person you feel is aging well. Focus on adjectives that describe the personality rather than their physical looks. Do the same for a person who is not aging well. 

Reading through the list, do you see any attributes that you may have in common? How do these compare to your own aging experience? Analyze these characteristics and see how they apply to your success ratio. Check out online retreats by Carol Orsborn, Ph.D on Fierce With Age and find pratical solutions to keeping the mind engaged in the navigation of the aging journey ahead.

The aging wall may be an uphill climb, but finding the right hand or foot hold makes it well worth the journey.

Photo image: Flickr image by oruwu, contact David Hallock