SENIOR citizens constitute a major part of our population. Subsequently, one’s attitude about aging and life in general is critical to happiness and adaptation to circumstances. There are many myths about aging, but recent research has suggested that many adults are happier and better adjusted in their senior years than when they were younger. Freedom from child rearing, work, and the responsibilities of the middle years allows seniors to sample the good life. Youthful issues of low self-esteem and confidence often fade away since older adults have often experienced successes and mastered hobbies and other activities.
The Internet offers lots of interesting sites for the elderly. ThirdAge www.thirdage.com is one of the more popular web sites serving the interests and needs of adults in their mid-40s through 50s. The name refers to the third stage of life that follows the youth and career/family stages. It’s a place where adults can find intelligent conversations and useful tools to help in the areas of health, money, romance, work and family. You’ll enjoy features like Today’s Joke, Games and Discussions, along with articles such as “Eight Safe Harbors for Your Savings” and “Discovery May Stop Brain Shrinkage”. Whether you’re interested in information or interaction, you’ll find plenty of relevant links at ThirdAge.
While browsing the Net, I came across an extremely wonderful site called Write a Senior Citizen, www.writeseniors.com. This site has been devised by two teenagers, Kelly and John Thomas, who want to connect lonely seniors with e-mail or snail mail pen-pals. They maintain this site by adding participants as they submit biographical material and answering any questions directed to the Webmasters. The brother and sister team from California has received a Congressional Commendation from the US Congress, and several other awards for their work. Their enthusiasm has resulted in huge success of this site.
Senior Citizens Magazine, www.seniorcitizensmagazine.com, is another delightful site that offers lots of reading material for the elderly. It covers topics like beauty, health, computer awareness, entertainment, war stories and e-novels.
Another informative and interesting site from friendly neighbouring country is www.elderclub.com. This site has loads of links regarding health, life and living, technology, travel, e-pals and events. There are some excellent sections like “Use your time”, “SMILE”, “Especially for you “and “My page”. These sections keep you involved for hours. Another active retirement resource is www.2young2retire.com. If you’ve found your way to this website, chances are, retirement isn’t for you. You may be ready to let go of the grind, crazy commuting or travel schedules, or to banish competitive stress. You may be seeking fulfilling work, whether paid or pro-bono, at a pace that lets you have a life. Perhaps you long for meaning and purpose, an opportunity to make a positive difference in your community or the world. Here you can explore possibilities and design a life that expresses your deeper values.
How will you translate your maturity, experience and unique gifts into a life worth living? Go back to school to sharpen your skills or retrain for a new profession? Launch a business or that dream career? Get serious about community service? A combination of all of the above? Or better, subscribe to Reinventing Retirement News, a free on-line collection of resources, ideas and tips. Share your story with others by clicking Your True Story. Bookmark this page, it’s worth it.
Go60.com is a no-nonsense, yet caring and compassionate Internet destination devoted to helping seniors improve with age. Go60.Com is about aging well, and aging wisely and successfully. You’ll find timely, leading edge information about research on aging, and how society is adjusting, or not adjusting, to the explosion of an aging population which is largely being ignored in a youth-obsessed culture. Go60.Com, explores prevailing myths and negative cultural stereotypes about seniors. Have a look at how Myths About Aging, fail to stand up under scrutiny.
So, after going through all this information, I would say ‘enjoy old age’. Embrace it. In our youth focused culture, most people would think that those remarks are totally crazy. Who in their right mind wants to get old? However, research, as well as my own work as a psychologist suggests that growing older doesn’t always have to be a negative experience. There is a lot to celebrate about aging. Like a fine wine, aging can help us mellow and develop our tastes for appreciating the finer things in life. Slowing down can allow us to smell the roses and embrace the joy that is inherent in life. So, keep playing, keep moving, keep loving, and keep laughing. Embrace aging!
SENIOR citizens constitute a major part of our population. Subsequently, one’s attitude about aging and life in general is critical to happiness and adaptation to circumstances. There are many myths about aging, but recent research has suggested that many adults are happier and better adjusted in their senior years than when they were younger. Freedom from child rearing, work, and the responsibilities of the middle years allows seniors to sample the good life. Youthful issues of low self-esteem and confidence often fade away since older adults have often experienced successes and mastered hobbies and other activities.
