These are exercises from the Q&A from Ron Zeller’s book Aging or Ageless. The questions and the exercises are excellent. For good insights into your own attitude about aging, copy the questions and write in your own answers.
This week is Part 1 from one set of chapters from the book. Next week, I will answer the questions from later chapters of the book. See the end for book information.
Aging or Ageless?
Wow! What a book. It is as if the author, Ron Zeller, knew what I wanted to do with SeniorFlow and laid it out for me.
There are a series of exercises and questions as part of each chapter. I will list them and answer them here.
Here are the first ones found on pages 71 and 72 of the book: (I will continue with Q&A from later chapters next week)
- What is the difference between the World of Aging and the World of Ageless Living?
I believe that the world of aging is an attitudinal thing. I think that most of us fall for the stereotypical senior life as we get older. We are retired, then we have doubts and regrets. Our bodies start deteriorating and we let ourselves “get old”. It’s what happens to most people. They LET THEMSELVES GET OLD.
In the World of Ageless, our attitudes say we can do most anything our younger brothers and sisters can do. We keep our bodies fit and strong and supple and we do the things we need to do to stay that way. Our attitude is one of LIVING LIFE forever and continuing to do stuff until we die. We have COME ALIVE as I like to say.
- How do you presently determine what is real (in actuality, not theory)?
I am living it. I have kept my body young by doing the right things. My mind has strayed a bit lately and I have been looking for PURPOSE. My mind determines what is real. What is real is based on FACTS, not theories. The FACTS speak for themselves.
We can change our perception of the facts and that may change the facts over time. But we must accept our current reality as FACT before we can make any changes for the better. We must be REAL with the FACTS. We must not lie to ourselves about what the current FACTS are.
- Where does all you know about aging come from?
It comes from inside me. I decided years ago to make sure I aged with energy and enthusiasm. There have been times when I have felt that I was not going to achieve what I wanted, but I am back to my original mindset, even as I write this.
Yes, I have read about aging. I have studied it. I have observed it in others. But mostly it came from within.
I took Howard Thurman’s great quote and made it my own: “Don’t ask what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive and go do it. The world needs more people who have come alive.” I also used Joseph Campbell’s quote, “. . . what most people are looking for is the FEELING of being alive”.
- Given your present relationship to aging, what does your probably/predictable future of your life look like?
I will continue my exercise and my positive experience with aging. I feel good physically and I am standing down from TCAP/SFX for a couple of weeks until I am getting new CLARITY on what I want my future to look like. THIS BOOK HAS HELPED ME GET MY DIRECTION BACK!
YOU DO IT: Copy these questions, delete my answers and insert your own. It may change your own thinking about aging. If you want to read this excellent book, it is:
Aging or Ageless
By Ron Zeller, 2014
285 Pages
Available at Amazon.com, $24.95
I will finish with Part 2, Questions and My Answers from later in the book next week.
Thank you for reading this SeniorFlow Moment. I welcome your comments.