I think 65 is a phony age. I don't see why we should be losing the productivity of people at a certain age. There is very little reason why there should be an artificial age limitation at all.
If Jack McKeon can win a World Series at age 72, I've got to believe I've still got a few wins left in me.
The modern retiree has no patience with stereotypes about aging and is establishing new cornerstones for a redefined retirement living. In the process of doing so, according to the Hart study, "Americans aged 50 to 75 speak with a loud and harmonious voice in describing their approach to retirement and later life and, in doing so, they are laying to rest many traditional clichés." The new definition of retirement overwhelmingly advocated by today's retiree is one that emphasizes activity and engagement over leisure and rest. About 70 percent of those aged 50 to 75 (both retired and not yet retired) who were surveyed said they view retirement as "a time to begin a new chapter in life by being active and involved, starting new activities, and setting new goals." It is a time to break out of the cocoon, not go into one. Only 28 percent of those in this age group preferred the definition offered by traditional retirement as "a time to take it easy, take care of yourself, enjoy leisure activities, and take a much deserved rest from work and responsibilities."
It is important to note the diversity of the group that embraces this new definition. It appeals equally to men and women, liberals and conservatives, all regions of the country, people in their 50s as well as people in their 70s, people who are limited by physical or medical conditions and those who are not. It is an especially appealing definition to the better-educated and higher-income seniors. Fifty-six percent of those with a high school education chose the new definition of retirement, whereas 73 percent of those with a college education chose the same. The Hart study put it this way, "The better-educated and more affluent older Americans seem to express with even greater intensity a desire to continue to find new challenges in retirement to supplement their hard-sought professional identities."
One way many seniors are incarnating this new definition is by refusing to leave the workplace altogether. They see it as the glue that guarantees an active and challenging life. Forty-two percent of nonretired people aged 50 to 75 report that they plan to work either part-time or full-time, or part-time at another job after retiring from their main job. Currently, almost one in five older Americans who are retired from their principal career continue to work at another job. This number will rise steadily in the next 10 to 30 years. According to a 2003 study by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), nearly 70 percent of workers who have not yet retired (ages 50 to 70) report that they plan to work into their retirement years or never retire, and almost half indicate that they envision working into their 70s or beyond. The prevailing motive for remaining at work for these people is "to stay active and involved" rather than financial need, although for many, financial need will play a critical role. A 2005 survey conducted by Princeton Research Associates of adults aged 50 to 70 found that 6 in 10 respondents (59 percent) reported that staying involved with people was very important in attracting them to a job in retirement.
Ageism lawsuits are on the rise and will continue to escalate. Americans are beginning to refuse to be defined and categorized as unproductive because of their age. There is a widespread disdain among older people about being shut off from mainstream workplaces and society, and being tagged with disliked titles such as senior citizen or golden ager. These terms, many feel, are thin veneers for "used up" or "useless."
Today's employer will have to reassess hiring and retirement practices tainted with ageism. Gray hair and wrinkles are no reason to refuse admittance to or invite departure from a workforce. We will be hearing more about age prejudice and ageism settlements in the next few years. Societal and corporate laws and practices will have to change to accommodate updated definitions of old in our society. And have no doubt about it, the 60-plus boomer crowd will have the clout to get the job done. This is a generation that will be defined by their abilities—not by their date of birth.
Other priorities esteemed by this age group underscore the acceptance of the new retirement definition. Their priorities include:
Volunteering and being involved in community service.
Being involved in sports and fitness activities.
Taking courses for continuing education.
These priorities prove that we are preparing for a new era of retirement living. It will be a vigorous and involved stage of life as opposed to a withdrawing and "retiring" stage. The Hart study, "Older Americans, Civic Engagement, and the Longevity Revolution," concludes:
The distinct priorities and values of this generation, coupled with the unique circumstances of their era, will create a new model for retirement—one that places a premium on meaningful and fulfilling activity and engagement in the community and one that creates an enormous reservoir of talent, energy, and experience that the country can ill afford to ignore.
Lydia Bronte, in her book The Longevity Factor (HarperCollins, 1993), made this observation about participants in the "Long Careers Study":
What emerges from their life stories is a view of the long lifetime different from what we might expect: an affirmation of the increasing richness of experience over time, of a deeper sense of identity, of a greater self-confidence and creative potential that can grow rather than diminish with maturity. It is obvious that seen through the eyes of the study participants, chronological age markers (like 65), which have held so much power in the past, are really culturally created—a norm that was accurate only for a particular place and time.
These studies demonstrate the redefining of the age and life stage of 65-plus. Why is it that when we talk of the maturity of money, we think of it as a positive form of growth; but when we talk about the maturity of people, we think of it as a time of depreciation? Within a decade or so we will see many examples of people's greatest harvest of accomplishment and contribution coming after the age of 65. There are thousands of examples out there right now—we just need to take notice.
Do you now see the need for renaming this stage of life something other than retirement?
The MacArthur Foundation sponsored an elaborate study on aging that concluded that the three indicators of successful aging are:
Avoiding disease and disability.
Maintaining mental and physical function.
Continuing engagement with life.
Many factors come into play in order to age successfully. The physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual aspects of our being must be attended to equally if we hope to hold back the hands of time. We can readily observe the effect of not attending to one or more of these areas in the lives of people we know who practiced such negligence. It does not take long for the aging process to kick into high gear if we let down our guards of discipline and purposefulness. Jimmy Carter, in his book The Virtues of Aging (Ballantine, 1998), wrote:
What should our major goals be as we prepare for our later years? You may be surprised to learn that one of the most important should be our own happiness. I don't think this to be a selfish approach, because it will inevitably open up better relationships with others. It should be clear that happiness does not come automatically, but is something for which we must strive forthrightly, enthusiastically, and with imagination. This engagement in living—successful adjustment to the changing conditions we have to face—will inevitably involve us with responsibilities, challenges, difficulties and perhaps pain. But these experiences will tend to keep us closer to others and allow us to develop more self-respect and mastery over our own lives—crucial elements for a good life.
From Carter's comments you could conclude that the first key to aging successfully is to take an interest in yourself. It doesn't take long in the company of elderly people to figure out which ones are feeling sorry for themselves and which ones are extracting every ounce of life's possibilities. Those who succeed are self-respecting enough to keep their bodies fit, their minds challenged, and their hearts engaged.
Aging reflects the relationship of time on our being. Aging describes, in large part, the state of our body. Old, on the other hand, describes our state of mind. It has always been a matter of great interest to me to discover the spiritual and attitudinal aquifer that supplies the fountain of youth.
Look around and you will see the role spirit and attitude play in relationship to the concept of being old. Do you know any 75-year-olds who act like they are 35? Do you know any 40-year-olds who act like they are 80? If you answered "yes" to either question, you are affirming the attitudinal and spiritual source of that which separates those who are aging from those who are old. This distinction was well described by the apostle Paul in his letter to Corinth: "Though our outward man perishes, our inward man is renewed day by day."
There is no denying the effects of time on our bodies. Although we can slow certain physical impacts, we cannot prevent them altogether. Hair turns gray or falls out. Skin wrinkles. Senses like hearing and sight can begin to dull—as can short-term memory function. As George Burns once quipped: "You know you're getting older when everything hurts, and what doesn't hurt doesn't work."
Equally immutable as the decaying dynamic of physical being is the constantly renewing and refreshing dynamic of our inner being. This dynamic of engaged living until the day we die is not automatic but is accomplished by the purposeful and intentional discipline of those souls who choose to live every day. They accept the inevitability of death, but simply have chosen not to give death a head start in their souls. Attitude becomes a matter of preeminence, for attitude is the rudder that steers the ship on this journey.
Release the rudder for a single day and you can sense a sort of existential seasickness. Release it for a week, and you will drift aimlessly or be tossed on the rocks. Release the rudder for any longer period and shipwreck is inevitable. This is a truth I have witnessed time and again on the retirement landscape.
So, in observing the forever young, forever passionate, and forever engaged, I have come across five internal focuses and patterns that constitute what I refer to as the attitude instrument—that which steers our lives safely through the existential seas of fulfilled and pleasurable living day by day. I call these focuses the Vitamin Cs of successful aging:
Vitamin C1—Connectivity
Vitamin C2—Challenge
Vitamin C3—Curiosity
Vitamin C4—Creativity
Vitamin C5—Charity
A study conducted at the University of Michigan found that in retirement, psychological well-being increases for some individuals and decreases for others. The researchers analyzed variables of physical health, income level, traumatic life experiences in recent years, age, gender, and other factors that might affect the psychological well-being of an individual. They found that the most powerful predictor of life satisfaction right after retirement was not health or wealth but the breadth of a person's social network.
The researchers concluded that new retirees need a social network more than they did when they were working. They wrote, "Just having a number of people who provide emotional support, listen to your concerns, and let you know that you're still valued right after you retire seems to make a big difference."
Why do people retire and immediately move away to a place where they have no social connectivity? Not only are they disconnecting from a major lifeline in the science of successful aging, they might also find out they are annoyed with the accents and culture into which they moved. It might be wise to spend some time doing reconnaissance on the geography and culture where you plan on staging the next act of your life. Many people disconnect themselves from important social networks when they retire and don't realize it until it's too late.
Stay connected to people you love, people you enjoy, and people who appreciate you and see value in your presence. Longevity does not favor the Lone Ranger. Both long life and happiness are tied to the quality of your connections.
The latest Alzheimer research demonstrates that being intellectually challenged and having predictable taxation on our mental acuity literally have the effect of a finger in the dike, holding back the degenerative processes leading to both Alzheimer's and dementia. This research also concluded that as we hit our 50s and beyond, there is an exigency on ensuring that we have riddles to ponder, problems to solve, and things to fix. The brain is a muscle that atrophies without use. One gentleman told me that after six months of retirement, he could literally sense the dulling in his cerebral muscle with signs of slowed thinking and sluggish articulation.
I decided to go back to college part-time when I reached age 62 and study psychology for no other reason than that I was curious about it. I've always wanted to get a better understanding of human behavior and I figured this was one step toward getting it. When I started classes, I was amazed at how many people were there in my age group. I guess I'm not the only curious grandma out there. I spent my career in business management. I got my fill of that. Now I feel like I'm in the middle of an electric storm. My mind is on full alert. I'm in awe of some of the things I'm learning. I have these intriguing conversations with younger people and just doing this makes me feel like I can go anywhere and do anything.
—Georgia, student, 62
The pulsating vein of life that Georgia has tapped into, along with a growing contingent of mature citizens, is that of growth.
I hold little hope for the aging individuals who live with the delusion that they have "seen and heard it all." Those who have curiosity racing through their brains are guaranteed an exciting existence. Curiosity fuels both optimism and hope. Lifetime learners have the attitude that their quality of life will rise with their application to learning. This older entrance into new realms of education is, and will continue to be, a growing trend with the end of retirement as we know it. More and more retirees are moving to university towns instead of retirement villages.
It is important to note here that a job of some sort may be the most important source for cognitive demands because it is a primary source of mental stimulation. John W. Rowe, MD, and Robert L. Kahn, PhD, in their book Successful Aging (DTP Trade Paperbacks, 1998), wrote: "Remember the old adage, 'We become what we do'? People whose jobs promote self-direction, use of initiative, and independent judgment tend to boost their intellectual flexibility—that is, their ability to use a variety of approaches in order to solve mental problems." In short, mental flexibility is as important as intellectual curiosity as we age, and being active in challenging work can nurture such mental elasticity. An old and changing stereotype of aging is the old man or woman who won't listen to new ideas. Mental curiosity and flexibility are the answer to that old problem.
On a recent plane ride home from Australia, I flew next to a physicist named Ken Clark from the University of Washington. In his late 70s, he is still teaching and researching. I asked him why he wasn't retired, as was expected of a man his age. His answer was, "There's so much yet to learn," and he enthusiastically began describing his latest upper atmospheric physics research project. When I saw the sparkle in Dr. Clark's eyes as he spoke, I realized how good it would be if more seniors had their heads in the clouds of higher learning. Curiosity guarantees a pulse in the brain and a reason to keep our bodies healthy. The role of mental alertness cannot be overestimated, and neither can the benefits of a desire to grow. Once a person reaches a point where they no longer want to learn or grow, it is time to order the tombstone. It need not be formal education that one pursues; it can be self-taught or experiential learning. The important thing is to have the curiosity and desire to grow. Age is an uphill road. Learning and tasks that demand mental alertness keep us in gear. Those individuals who stay neutral in this area will quickly find they are going backward. Rigorous mental function helps both to facilitate productivity in later years and to strengthen our need and desire to be active—factors that in turn affect our physical well-being.
I've long been enthralled by elderly artists in their 80s and 90s who seem as keen and perspicacious as people half their age. I once listened to an interview with a Canadian artist in her 90s, whose lucidity of thought and spry articulation was most inspiring. She also confirmed my suspicions about the virtues of creative engagement in our later years. She talked about the aforementioned curiosity being razor-sharp as well. She reasoned that artists have developed a discipline of observation that requires seeing what others, less curious, might miss. A creative soul looks at the shoreline and sees something new every day. This might help explain why B. B. King, now over 80, is playing 200 nights a year, and why Peter Drucker was able to write a business bestseller in his 90s. Of course, you don't have to be renowned to be creative and to keep the powers of observation working. You just have to be curious, intrigued, expressive, and intentional. A couple of other gems I heard this elderly artist mention were regularly scheduled, intellectually stimulating luncheons with people younger than herself; a profoundly diminished sense of self-consciousness; and two ounces of Canadian rye whiskey each evening for good measure.
Studies continue to surface around the ameliorative effects of charitable living on quality and longevity of life. Those who think about helping others often talk about how such charitable preoccupations lessen the degenerative effects of stress associated with worrying. Even if we didn't live a day longer because of charitable pursuits, we no doubt would live better.
I'm reminded of a story a financial advisor told about a client in her 70s who had more money than she could ever hope to spend but had no charitable interests. He challenged her to look around her city for places she might like to make a difference. As she began to observe and listen to her heart, a floodgate of generosity and empathy began to open up for her. Now, her life is full of causes she is passionate about—they have put a fresh spring in her step and added adrenaline to her pulse. It doesn't require money to live charitably; it just takes concern, generosity, and self-transcendence.
On a recent summer vacation I ended up playing golf with Don. I complimented his tee shot, which went about 180 yards right down the middle of the fairway. His response was, "Well I'm starting to gain a little distance back with my upper body training. But that one there isn't too bad for an 80-year-old man, wouldn't you say?" At first look, you would guess Don to be around 70. I was amused by the irony of Don's telling me that he was gaining yardage on his drives. I have hardly ever played golf with a person over 60 who, at some point in the round, would not begin lamenting the loss of yardage that comes with gaining of years. Yet here was Don talking about a strength-training program he had just begun at age 80! He also told me that he played 18 holes a day as well as walking the two miles to and from the golf course each day.
Is it a good idea to be pumping iron as an octogenarian? Apparently so, according to a gerontological study by Tufts University. The researchers started a weight-lifting program with residents of a nursing home, and the average participant saw his or her strength increase over the testing period by over 50 percent. The average age of the participants was 83. Researchers have seen 90-year-old weaklings restored to greater strength levels than they possessed 30 years earlier. Strength training in the elderly also has been shown to combat osteoporosis in women and depression in both men and women. There are some powerful peripheral, intangible benefits that are observed in people who begin improving their physical state at any age. They become more active, they have more energy, and maybe, most important, they gain self-confidence and a more positive outlook on life.
Much of what we think of as aging is really just a by - product of inactivity and poor nutrition, and it's not hard to change that.
— Miriam Nelson, physiologist,
USDA Research Center on Aging
The MacArthur study on aging found that older people who engaged in strenuous physical activity at home were more likely to maintain their high cognitive function. A cyclical relationship exists between body, mind, and spirit. It is difficult at times to explain, but, once experienced, it is well understood. According to a Clinician Review study, cognitive function definitely improves with exercise. The investigators found that, compared with men who walked more than two miles per day, those who walked less than a quarter mile per day were 1.8 times more likely to have dementia, and those who walked a quarter mile to one mile per day had a 71 percent increased risk of dementia. Results indicated that higher levels of physical exercise were associated with better cognitive performance. Women who engaged in the greatest amount of physical activity had a 20 percent lower risk of cognitive impairment, compared with women who exercised the least. Furthermore, researchers found higher cognitive scores among women who walked at an easy pace for at least 90 minues per week than among those walking less than 40 minutes. The apparent cognitive benefits of exercise, observed Weuve et al., compare with "being about three years younger" (Weuve et al., Journal of the American Medical Association, 2004). Once lethargy infects a person's body, it seems that within a short time the it invades the mind and spirit as well. Soon energy levels are lower, the mind is less perspicacious, and optimism is affected as well. We cannot wait to feel energy to become fit. We foster a discipline of fitness in order to gain energy. The action precedes the feeling. Positive physical regimens like walking (those who walk just three to five miles a week add five or more years to their life span), weight lifting, dietary discipline, and regular physical checkups all add years to the life span. Just as important, these regimens add quality to the years we live. Why live to be 90 if we're going to drag through 30 of those years with low energy and waning enthusiasm? Use your mind, engage your body, and nurture your spirit.
I have probably learned the most about how I will approach aging from the contrast between my two grandmas' lifestyles and attitudes. Both of my grandmas are well into their 80s, but their life contentment factors are like night and day. One is always playing the martyr, poor-little-me game every time any of us talk to her. Until recently, she has been in pretty good health, but she would exaggerate any symptoms into life-threatening stories to get attention. She has isolated herself socially. When I ask her if she has met any new friends, she says that she is too old to make any new friends. When we visit her, she complains about how short our stay is and tries to manipulate us into staying longer. I hate to say it, but when I think of her, I often think of complaining, whining, and self-centeredness.
My other grandma, on the other hand, though handicapped in both sight and mobility, is active, positive, and socially engaged. She is active in the senior citizen's center, volunteers as a peer mentor in an Alzheimer's support group (having lost her husband to that disease), has regular conversations, participates in games and activities—which fills her schedule each day. She loves to talk about the things she is involved in and is looking forward to. She also enjoys meeting new people. To me, her most outstanding attribute is her sense of gratitude. She seems to relish each day and each moment. When I visit with her, she's thankful for the time and conversation, even if it's just a few moments. Rarely do you hear a complaint even though she could list a litany of very real problems. She is a joy to others, and many people look forward to seeing her each day even though as she says, 'They look forward to seeing me and I look forward to hearing them.'
The irony of this tale of two grandmothers is that they both have lived long lives so far. But that is where the similarity ends. I want meaningful longevity in my life, not prolonged existence. Living to 90 for one person is a blessing and to another an oxymoron. In my opinion, self-absorption seems to be at the seat of miserable aging.
—Ann, 39
Research from the Cornell study on retirement and well-being indicates that those who give of themselves boost their self-esteem and also gain a sense of more control over their own life. Researchers studied both workers and retirees between the ages of 50 and 72 and came to this conclusion: "Community commitments, especially formal participation, help enhance our sense of identity, promote ongoing networks of social relationships, and foster expectations of what to do when we wake up in the morning." There is an observable difference in the aging of the soul between the self-absorbed person and the selfless one. Giving to others, volunteering, and being a part of meaningful, significant activities seem to help promote healthier attitudes, which in turn improve one's health and contentment in life.
In their book Successful Aging, authors John Rowe and Robert Kahn tell the story of Phyllis, who remained productive and engaged in spite of her many functional limitations and chronic diseases. Phyllis, at 80, continued her work as an actress despite three heart attacks, major heart surgery, colon cancer, and a serious fall that led to lung failure and more heart problems. She continues to perform on stage at least two to three months a year. When not acting in a show, she volunteers in the theater world by serving at the box office, doing mailings, and the like. She is also an avid theatergoer as well. Phyllis articulated her secret for being able to move forward and remain productive this way: "Keep your interest in outer things, not inner ones. Keep busy. And always maintain more interests than there is time for."
In the old Greek myth of Narcissus, the man consumed with his own image, he eventually dies of starvation because he cannot stand to leave the pool of water where he beholds his own image. We use the term narcissism to describe individuals who are consumed with themselves. In the study of successful aging, a lesson seems to appear later in life, this time as a wrinkled Narcissus beholds his image in the same pool of water. But instead of being enamored with himself, now he becomes self-pitying at the sight of his decline and appearance. He wallows in so much self-pity that he will not leave to do anything to reverse his decline.
Americans generally feel that retirees have too little influence in the country today. This will change as new retirees keep their connections alive, remain relevant, redefine the life stage, and work toward impacting their communities, workplaces, and societies.
The New Retirementality has no time for a self-pitying stare into our aging image. We must follow the ageless image we have within us and stay connected to this world.