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The New Legacy
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By Cathy Severson, MS
“Why is it when mid-lifers talk of fulfilling their lifelong dreams before they’re too old to do them, they’re never talking about dreams like publishing a book or singing at the Met?” Barbara Sher, author of It's Only Too Late If You Don't Start Now: How to Create Your Second Life at Any Age
We have grown up in a goal oriented society. The boomers were taught from a very early age about achievement and success. Most of us, whether we have reached our goals or not, have always had a sense of what was expected of us.
Third Age is a shift in focus from the external world of achievement to the internal world of self-fulfillment. The focus isn’t about challenges and risk-taking for the sake of achievement, but engaging in these activities as an expression of self. It is in part a spiritual age, the opportunity to explore the universe and our place in it.
The emphasis shifts away from earning a living. Seniors now have an opportunity to fulfill a sense of purpose. Being productivity for the sake of productivity is no longer valid the center. Seniors can now create a personal legacy.
There is a tendency in retirement to fill up the new “to do” list with all the activities you’ve put on hold for the last thirty years, or to flounder aimlessly because you didn’t generate a list. Shifting from an orientation of achievement to self-fulfillment requires a willingness to be still and listen to the internal voice that has often been drowned out by the roar of external roles and rules. By removing the roles that define you as well as dictate what you do, you become free to connect spiritually and shift your awareness to the internal.
The new aging society explores this process of allowing yourself the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your labor, stopping to smell the roses, and taking the time to just be who you are without the pressure to “do”. It involves learning to be present in the moment, but also aware of creating your legacy. That’s not easy to do in world where an idle brain is considered the devil’s workshop. It’s also difficult when we are bombarded with so many options and choices.
In the book, From Age-Ing to Sage-Ing: A Profound New Vision of Growing Older, Rabbi Schachter-Shalomi states, “[Being] involves finding a sense of ‘enoughness’ from within, rather than chasing after satisfaction from the outside, always as ‘more’ pleasure, possessions, or exciting relationships. Aging can become a ‘natural monastery’ in which earlier roles, attachments, and pleasures are naturally stripped away from us. What then can emerge is a miraculous sense of discovery, an extraordinary energy that transcends ‘doing’ in favor of ‘being’, and clarity of consciousness that comes from spiritual growth.” The new aging theory recognizes the value of this time in life.
Roles tell us who we are and define expectations. Most of us follow a fairly predictable path through our lives. The seniors life lacks that sense of certainty. We lose the guides that offer the answers on how to live our lives. As a result, we have more options in Third Age, but it can be overwhelming.
When we remove the shackles of the roles of first and second age, we gain a new sense of autonomy. As Rabbi Schachter-Shalomi continues, “Instead of being retired to uselessness, you now can graduate into the global function of seer ship, involved in the larger issues of life, the wider cultural and planetary concerns. You can earn the respect and recognition by becoming a sage, charged with the evolutionary task of feeding wisdom back to society and guiding its future development.” From this new sense of stewardship, you can create your legacy.
What is legacy?
We often travel through life acquiring unique experiences, but rarely take the time to process their meaning. As we age, spirituality takes on a new meaning.
What have I learned in life that is worth sharing? What have my life experiences taught me about the meaning of life?
Cathy Severson, MS helps you make the most of your retirement. Find out how to make the rest of your life the best of your life with the complimentary e-book 7 Ingredients for a Satisfying Retirement at http://tinyurl.com/8moymb
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