Aging gracefully...

[Black Sheep]

So I recently got back from visiting a family member, he's been having problems coping with growing older(and he's not what I'd consider old) so he decided to commit suicide. This isn't the first time a family member has attempted suicide, dear Gramps, decided to commit suicide nearing his 90th birthday(he was eventually successful just shy of his bday).

This got me thinking about how common in my respective family, negative beliefs about aging predominate. How the ages I consider still rather young, people describe as old. Then thought about the various ways those family members have attempted to avoid the inevitable. yada yada

I've always wanted to age gracefully, embrace those gifts of growing old. So what beliefs do you hold that you find empowering?

At 90yrs old, a deteriorating body w/health issues is probably not any fun to live it so I can easily understand completing suicide ...

As for empowering myself, I have found maintaining a healthy self esteem, reflecting on past experiences=wisdom when making decisions & living one day at a time have brought great solace & happiness in my entire life ...
They have made a world of difference in making life so much easier ...
Letting go of constant examination of my appearance & who I am including projecting too far out into the future & knowing how to resolve fears ...

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by Black Sheep

So I recently got back from visiting a family member, he's been having problems coping with growing older(and he's not what I'd consider old) so he decided to commit suicide. This isn't the first time a family member has attempted suicide, dear Gramps, decided to commit suicide nearing his 90th birthday(he was eventually successful just shy of his bday).

This got me thinking about how common in my respective family, negative beliefs about aging predominate. How the ages I consider still rather young, people describe as old. Then thought about the various ways those family members have attempted to avoid the inevitable. yada yada

I've always wanted to age gracefully, embrace those gifts of growing old. So what beliefs do you hold that you find empowering?

Black Sheep - First, I'm sorry for your loss of your grandfather that way and your family members disturbing mindset. It seems like with each new decade I pass on my birthday, I re-examine my views on aging. I have a 89-year-old father in law who is suffering terribly at home from a number of ailments, but refuses to let his family put him in a rehabilitation center or an assisted living facility. His quality of life is really poor, but I can’t help feel sorry for family members that try to arrange for home care with a family member 24/7. It’s draining the life out of everyone and they have their own lives to live. So it made me say the other day, when I become a burden to my loved ones, shoot me. LOL No, not really, but it can be depressing for some individuals to age because of the slow process of the body breaking down.

As far as holding empowering beliefs for now though, I feel blessed to have wisdom that comes with getting older than the year before. I like myself much better presently than I used to and I wouldn’t want to return to a younger age for anything. I don’t envy people that are younger than me, because I don’t value myself on my looks. I value myself on my life growth and I’ve grown a lot.

Blackraven

[psychoslice]

Always try to live life to its fullest and you will never have anytime to think about dying, when death does come it will be your friend and no your enemy, for you have lived a wonderful life and now are ready to leave, it will come naturaly as it should.

[fire]

The body may begin its process of decaying after maturity, but the concept of age is illusionary. It is created of consciousness as a perception filter. Who we really are does not age; it only observes the consciousness program of cascading numbers being counted over a timeline, which the mind has allowed itself to identify as, in relation to observing the stages of decay that the body goes through. The rest of it is society consciousness, as programs that human beings have developed to define the different stages of decay, as the norms of how any apparent age group is supposed to think, behave, dress, act.

[Black Sheep]

At 90yrs old, a deteriorating body w/health issues is probably not any fun to live it so I can easily understand completing suicide

Yes, it was rather understandable given his quality of life, he had really deteriorated(physically) in his final two years.

I have found maintaining a healthy self esteem, reflecting on past experiences=wisdom when making decisions & living one day at a time have brought great solace & happiness in my entire life ...
They have made a world of difference in making life so much easier ...
Letting go of constant examination of my appearance & who I am including projecting too far out into the future & knowing how to resolve fears ...

Awesome, solid advice! Thanks!

@Blackraven, no need to be sorry, with GP, he had so many brushes with near-death, I was almost relieved really for him, and happy his suffering had ended. With my other family member, I had known he's been depressed for many years now, I'm just sad he's mentally suffering so much.

No, not really, but it can be depressing for some individuals to age because of the slow process of the body breaking down.

Yup, most definitely. I'm of similar mindset, I hope to be springing to the last step.

As far as holding empowering beliefs for now though, I feel blessed to have wisdom that comes with getting older than the year before. I like myself much better presently than I used to and I wouldn’t want to return to a younger age for anything. I don’t envy people that are younger than me, because I don’t value myself on my looks. I value myself on my life growth and I’ve grown a lot.

Yes, so true. I love this perspective.

Always try to live life to its fullest and you will never have anytime to think about dying, when death does come it will be your friend and no your enemy, for you have lived a wonderful life and now are ready to leave, it will come naturaly as it should.

I'm going to have to write this down in a journal or something to reflect upon. Sage advice, thank you!

The body may begin its process of decaying after maturity, but the concept of age is illusionary. It is created of consciousness as a perception filter. Who we really are does not age; it only observes the consciousness program of cascading numbers being counted over a timeline, which the mind has allowed itself to identify as, in relation to observing the stages of decay that the body goes through. The rest of it is society consciousness, as programs that human beings have developed to define the different stages of decay, as the norms of how any apparent age group is supposed to think, behave, dress, act.

Hubby and I got into a discussion about this topic yesterday, which we were unable to resolve, this really helps shed light on the subject which we were so puzzled by yesterday. Plus it gives me much to ponder.

Thank you all! Such awesome advice, I'm going to write them all down to reflect upon. You all have helped greatly. Thank you

With one exception, the only people I relate to are in their 40's and 50's. When I'm old, I'll finally have peers who aren't hung up on sex, partying, and drinking, or video games and anime. I'll finally have peers who are too old to be assed with much pretense. People like my boss and my instructors will finally have come out from behind the piles of books they were buried under at my age. Nothing I care about will be lost with age.

I feel we are only as old as we feel. Keeping active both physically and mentally helps us.

[running]

I like getting older in some ways. We grow spiritually I feel with age which is good. And I have more knowledge from life. I'm certainly happier now than any other time in my life. Perhaps my views will change in 20 years or so. When I can feel it perhaps.