Conscious Aging

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To me “conscious aging” is shorthand for reclaiming the traditional role of wise, respected elders as mentors, catalysts, and stewards of the well being of future generations and all life. True elders are wise and respected because they have much life experience that they have reflected on and learned from. 
 
Psychologists, anthropologists, neurobiologists and others have discovered that aging in itself tends to bring developmental changes in the second half of life that lead to a greater concern with finding meaning, making a positive contribution, summing up their lives and passing on what matters – in other words, leaving meaningful and positive legacies. Aging tends to bring more perspective, equanimity, tolerance and a longer view of time and broader view of community.
But this wisdom is neither automatic nor inevitable; it is gained by conscious reflection––in Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s terms, by “inner work.”   To become the sages he writes about or conscious elders that the Conscious Elders Network (CEN) talks about, we “olders” have to do inner work like life review and healing, forgiving self and others, facing our mortality, mentoring the younger generations as stewards for the future of all life, and last but not least, preserving some of our legacies in tangible form.

With the humility and wisdom of elders, we seek our role in the world, in the public square.  We look for the places where (in Frederick Buechner’s words) our “deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”  We look for the stage and scale that fits our gifts, passions, and energy level­ – whether it is daily acts of kindness and compassion, paid or unpaid work, social service, or political activism to address economic, social, and environmental ills and bring about systemic changes.

We live in perilous times. I believe that elders have a crucial role to play in envisioning and working ­– with  younger generations – for a more equitable, just and tolerant global society, one in which humans peacefully coexist on our once again self-sustaining earth, with its remaining diversity of life.