AGING IS A CHOICE Part 22 – Navigating Change
By Robert Manni
You might think that as you grow older life slows down and things don’t change much. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our aging population is often inundated and even overrun with change. From death of family and friends, divorce, job loss and retirement, demands of new technology, shifts in health care and physiology—every sector of life seems to call for adaptation and accommodation as we age. So, it’s easy to see how being overwhelmed and feeling left behind are not uncommon responses from those made uncomfortable by change. However, when we learn how to navigate these vicissitudes positively, we can stay healthy, resilient, and more capable of embracing the joys of getting older.
Yet, how do we go from being set in our ways, stuck in what has always worked for us, and being risk-adverse to discovering new things, updating our skills, and finding fresh ways of thinking and solving problems? Here are a few tips to help you begin integrating change as a fundamentally constructive part of your aging journey.
Prepare for change
One of the toughest parts of aging is finding space for new things. That means having a mindset that accepts and even embraces the reality of change and its potential to bring new opportunities to learn, challenge, and see yourself. Change is often mixed with ideas of loss—be it social, emotional, physical, economic, and so forth. The idea of losing part of your life or identity through change can make things very difficult to accept. However, we can shift our view by lessening our attachments and co-dependences. We are more than what we have, where we live, what we do, or who we are with. When we connect to a deeper sense of self change can gift us with an opportunity to evolve when we create space for it. To climb higher, we need to create space for our next step.
Learn to let go
This can be difficult, particularly for guys who have a hard time giving up the things they love and have grown accustomed to over the years. Even letting go of things that are outdated or no longer serve them can feel like creating a void in their lives. One way I learned to let go is through my training in hypnosis. In hypnotherapy, the therapist will access your subconscious to replace a habit you want to let go of with something better to take its place. There are no gaps left behind. Instead, you learn to do what you wanted to do before you fell into a bad habit or behavior. Letting go can bring positive results when you learn to loosen your grip on the things that no longer fit in your life and replace them with things that add to your evolving lifestyle. Many of my friends who no longer play tennis have replaced it with a love of pickleball. The art of letting go is often simply letting in the things else you really want.
Learn to enjoy the ride
Once you wrap your head around the fact that our world is constantly speeding up, you’ll be in a better mental and spiritual place to welcome the changes that come with it. With a little mindfulness and the right attitude, you won’t be left behind. In fact, with an open heart and mind, you can remain in the driver’s seat for a lot longer than you thought.
How do you do it? Make it imperative to try new things. Read books, listen to different kinds of music, learn a language or a skill you’ve always wanted to try. Travel to places you’ve wanted to see but held back on. Try cuisines and spices that are unfamiliar. If you are physically capable, try a new sport. Listen to podcasts like GUY’S GUY RADIO, learn from a YouTube video, or an informative radio station like UK Health Radio.
The choices are endless. No matter how old you are or how much life has chipped away at you, with every new morning the sun is shining somewhere, and new opportunities await you. How you approach it is up to you. I think you’ll do just fine. After all, aging is a choice.
