Many boomers see the aging process as an obstacle to be overcome or an opponent to fight against. Yet, we are all heading there, it’s just a matter of how and when.
In the 60’s, one of the baby boomer mantras was, “Live Long and Prosper” thanks to Dr Spock from the huge TV hit, Star Trek. And yes we will live long – longer than any previous generous in history, yet what are they doing to prepare for our longevity. And, how are we preparing for our actual death?
While many people, about 41% of those over 50 years old, have a traditional will, living will and medical directive, fewer have taken the necessary steps to give serious thought and conversation to their end of life plans.
Planning for your death includes strong consideration for how you live now. The more care you take of yourself now the more likely you are to live longer. As you might guess, due to boomer’s denial of the true nature of aging, movements like successful and conscious aging are in vogue. The trendiness of them doesn’t take away from their value – quite the contrary. Legacies get created by the choices we make every day, including how we care for our aging psyche and body.
Central to successful aging is to live in a way so that you die having few regrets. In her book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, Bronnie Ware shares her experiences while care taking for people at the end of their life. Number one on her list is the regret over not having the courage to live their life true to their dreams. When you focus on Intentional Legacy and on aging successfully you’ll take time to reflect on those life dreams. Likely there are things you can do today to help realize at least a part of them, assuming your dream wasn’t to become an Olympic athlete.
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