What would you do differently if you thought you might live to be 100 or beyond? The idea isn’t as far-fetched as you might think, so don’t give up yet. Planning for your senior years will/should take on a whole new dimension.
What will you do to make sure you are financially secure, and that life will be interesting enough to make you want to hang around? It will take some effort, but you mastered walking, talking, reading, school, a job, and raising a family so you are up to the task. Longevity is not going to give you a free ride.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle, stimulating your mind, and nurturing social connections are important at every age, and old age is no exception. It is never too late to change and to learn new things. Think about your independence. You may think you are independent now, but generally speaking, someone has always been there to support you. There is a difference between support and micro-managing.
Others in the same boat have been saying for years that “getting older is not for the faint of heart.” It has become a cliché, and it makes you laugh, but it isn’t funny, Life is challenging, and you still have much to master.
Do not let common misconceptions about ageing determine how you feel about yourself. Negativity fosters a “why bother” attitude, which may prevent you from being able to grow as an individual.
Of course after working hard all your life you may feel that you have earned your downtime, but spending the next twenty to thirty years dozing on the front porch may not be as appealing as expected.
Gerontologists (people who study ageing) feel that senility is almost a myth. They assert that senility is a by-product of lack of social contact, poor nutrition, a sedentary lifestyle, and being over medicated. They also say If a person hasn’t found something interesting to do in the first 39 months after retirement, they will either fall ill or die. Let’s not go there.
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