How old is "old" in your humble opinion? Do you quantify "old" or do you qualify "old"?
Back in the '50s, '60s, and '70s – when some of us were kids – the average lifespan of those we thought of as "old" was roughly 46 years in 1950, 69.8 years in 1960, and 70.8 years in 1970. Now, thanks to science giving humanity a longevity bonus, we're close to 79 years.
Still, many of us have this little hourglass or stopwatch going on in our head that's counting down our time left. We think of it as a loss and not a gain, and there's one person that disagrees with how we're processing that: Helen Hirsh Spence.
"Growing older is not decline. It is a privilege, and for many, a gift denied."
— Helen Hirsh Spence, ReSet: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life
After investing 30 years as an educational leader and then another 10 in global nonprofit work, when Helen hit the big 6-0, she circumnavigated the whole "slow down" thing and reinvented herself as a social entrepreneur, founding Top Sixty Over Sixty to fight ageism head-on.
Her TEDx talk on the "longevity mindset" has resonated with hundreds of thousands. One 88-year-old viewer commented that it is the most motivational talk he's ever heard, with viewers in their 70s saying it changed how they see the decades ahead of them.
Smart Senior Daily thinks it's something worth watching—for every one of us. Here it is...
If you enjoyed this TEDx talk by Helen, get a copy of her book, co-authored with Debra Yearwood. It's packed with equally great strategies to overcome the kind of ageism that most of us don't even recognize.
It's known as self-directed or internalized ageism. It's that little voice in your head that tells you that you're "too old to do something." It's insidious and pernicious and steals your future. This book is a much-needed reference on how ageism developed and how to overcome it. It's the kind of book everybody in midlife needs to read.
Your reviews on Amazon are welcomed by the authors, especially if they are 5 stars!
ReSet: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life
By Helen Hirsh Spence (Author), Debra Yearwood (Author)
